Connecticut electricity rates
As of May 2026, the average residential electricity rate in Connecticut is 27.37 cents per kilowatt-hour, 48.4% above the U.S. average of 18.44¢. That is the 8th highest rate of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Year over year
- ▼ -13.4% from 31.59¢ in May 2025
- Vs. U.S. average
- +48.4% U.S. average 18.44¢
- National rank
- #8 of 51 · #44 cheapest
- Supply market
- ISO New England Retail choice statewide
Why Connecticut pays what it pays
Connecticut's recent history is a useful lesson in how much of an American electricity rate is policy rather than fuel. In 2024 the state's public benefits charge rose steeply, driven largely by the cost of a long-term contract with the Millstone nuclear station and by the recovery of pandemic-era arrears that utilities had been ordered not to collect. Bills jumped, the political reaction was severe, and the charge became the centre of a legislative fight.
As those specific recovery items rolled off, the charge fell back. That is why Connecticut shows a year-over-year decline while nearly every neighbouring state rose. The comparison is against an inflated base, not evidence that Connecticut has become a cheap place to buy electricity. It has not. The state remains well above the national average.
The structural drivers are the New England ones. Constrained gas pipelines set the winter marginal price, and a dense, ageing distribution network in the southwest of the state carries high maintenance costs.
How Connecticut compares
Connecticut ranks #8 of 51 jurisdictions by residential price, making it the 44th cheapest. Within the New England division, 2 of 5 neighbouring states are cheaper.
| State | ¢/kWh | YoY | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 24.89 | +4.8% | #11 |
| New Hampshire | 27.33 | +13.8% | #9 |
| Connecticut | 27.37 | -13.4% | #8 |
| Maine | 28.63 | +2.6% | #6 |
| Massachusetts | 28.82 | -3.6% | #5 |
| Rhode Island | 29.46 | +1.6% | #4 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State. Data period May 2026. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
What a bill looks like at this rate
The figures below apply the May 2026 Connecticut average to four usage levels. They are arithmetic, not quotes. A real bill also carries fixed customer charges, taxes and any rider specific to your utility.
Estimate your Connecticut bill
Multiply your own usage by the May 2026 state average. Enter the kilowatt-hours from your last statement. This is a supply-and-delivery blended average, not a utility quote.
Rate used: …. U.S. average 18.44¢/kWh, May 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
Who sells electricity in Connecticut
Eversource serves most of the state and United Illuminating, an Avangrid company, covers the Bridgeport to New Haven corridor. Connecticut has full retail choice with a state-run rate board that publishes comparable supplier offers.
Connecticut regulators have been unusually willing to intervene in the retail supplier market. They banned variable-rate residential contracts after finding that customers on them systematically paid more than standard service.
What you can actually do about it
Compare any competitive offer against standard service using the state's own rate board rather than a broker site, and confirm the contract is genuinely fixed. Variable teaser rates that reset after a few months are the mechanism behind most complaints.
The public benefits charge is worth understanding rather than resenting. Part of it funds the low-income discount and efficiency programmes that your own household may qualify for.
Closest states by price
These jurisdictions charge within a fraction of a cent of Connecticut, which is useful if you are comparing a move or a multi-state operating cost.
Connecticut electricity rates: common questions
What is the average electricity rate in Connecticut?
The average residential electricity rate in Connecticut is 27.37 cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is +48.4% relative to the national average of 18.44¢/kWh.
How much is a typical monthly electric bill in Connecticut?
At the May 2026 average rate of 27.37¢/kWh, a household using 900 kWh a month would pay about $246, and one using 1,500 kWh about $411. Actual bills vary with usage, rate schedule, fixed customer charges and taxes.
Have electricity rates in Connecticut gone up?
Connecticut rates fell 13.4% over the year to May 2026, from 31.59¢ in May 2025 to 27.37¢.
Can I choose my electricity supplier in Connecticut?
Retail choice statewide. Residential customers in Connecticut can buy supply from a competitive provider while the local utility continues to deliver it and maintain the wires.
Where does this Connecticut rate figure come from?
It is the residential-sector average revenue per kilowatt-hour reported by utilities to the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Form EIA-861M and published in the Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A. It blends supply and delivery across every residential customer in the state, so it is a statewide average rather than a quote for any individual household.