Maine electricity rates
As of May 2026, the average residential electricity rate in Maine is 28.63 cents per kilowatt-hour, 55.3% above the U.S. average of 18.44¢. That is the 6th highest rate of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Year over year
- ▲ +2.6% from 27.91¢ in May 2025
- Vs. U.S. average
- +55.3% U.S. average 18.44¢
- National rank
- #6 of 51 · #46 cheapest
- Supply market
- ISO New England Retail choice statewide
Why Maine pays what it pays
Maine's problem is not generation. It is geography. The state has more distribution line per customer than almost anywhere else in the Northeast, with long rural feeders running through heavy forest to serve a handful of houses each. Those poles, wires and vegetation crews cost the same whether they serve four customers or four hundred, and the bill lands on a small ratepayer base.
On top of that sits the regional problem every New England state shares. The grid leans on natural gas for marginal generation, and the pipelines into the region run out of headroom in winter. When a cold snap arrives, gas that would otherwise reach power plants is contractually committed to heating customers. Generators switch to oil or imported LNG, and the wholesale price sets a regional clearing price that everyone pays.
Maine has also been rebuilding transmission, including the contested corridor meant to move Québec hydropower south. Those capital costs recover through delivery rates over decades rather than showing up as a single visible line item.
How Maine compares
Maine ranks #6 of 51 jurisdictions by residential price, making it the 46th cheapest. Within the New England division, 3 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 Maine 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 Maine 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 Maine
Central Maine Power, owned by Avangrid, delivers to most of the population. Versant Power covers the north and east. Both are wires-only companies and neither generates the electricity it delivers.
Maine has full retail choice, so households can buy supply from a competitive provider or take the Standard Offer, a supply price set through a state-run bid process. The Standard Offer is procured in blocks and locked for a set term, so Maine's headline rate tends to move in steps rather than drifting month to month. It can look flat while wholesale prices swing, then reset sharply.
What you can actually do about it
The most useful thing a Maine household can do with a rate figure is split it into supply and delivery. Switching a competitive supplier only touches the supply half. The delivery half is set by the Maine Public Utilities Commission and follows you regardless of who bills the electrons.
Maine also has an unusually heating-heavy load profile. A rate comparison made in July describes a very different bill from the same rate applied to a January heat-pump month, which is why the calculator on this site asks for your usage instead of assuming it.
Closest states by price
These jurisdictions charge within a fraction of a cent of Maine, which is useful if you are comparing a move or a multi-state operating cost.
Maine electricity rates: common questions
What is the average electricity rate in Maine?
The average residential electricity rate in Maine is 28.63 cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is +55.3% relative to the national average of 18.44¢/kWh.
How much is a typical monthly electric bill in Maine?
At the May 2026 average rate of 28.63¢/kWh, a household using 900 kWh a month would pay about $258, and one using 1,500 kWh about $429. Actual bills vary with usage, rate schedule, fixed customer charges and taxes.
Have electricity rates in Maine gone up?
Maine rates rose 2.6% over the year to May 2026, from 27.91¢ in May 2025 to 28.63¢.
Can I choose my electricity supplier in Maine?
Retail choice statewide. Residential customers in Maine can buy supply from a competitive provider while the local utility continues to deliver it and maintain the wires.
Where does this Maine 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.