1 person
$103.06
598 kWh a month
2 people
$152.87
887 kWh a month
4 people
$187.68
1089 kWh a month
Monthly use and cost by household size
| Household | kWh per month | Bill at 17.23 cents | Added by this person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 598 | $103.06 | Baseline |
| 2 people | 887 | $152.87 | +289 kWh |
| 3 people | 1,009 | $173.90 | +122 kWh |
| 4 people | 1,089 | $187.68 | +80 kWh |
- 1 person598 kWh
- 2 people887 kWh
- 3 people1009 kWh
- 4 people1089 kWh
Source: EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2020, Table CE4.1, all home types combined. Price from EIA Form EIA-861, 2025.
Why each extra person adds less
Moving from one person to two adds 289 kWh a month. A third person adds 122 kWh and a fourth adds 80 kWh. Part of the reason is shared load: the refrigerator, the heating and cooling system and most lighting run the same whether two people live there or four. Another part is the home itself, because larger households tend to live in larger homes, which also raises the average.
Household size and home size overlap. Use the home size page alongside this one to see both effects.
Five people, work from home and other changes
The federal table stops at four people, so we cannot print an average for larger households. A fair way to estimate is to start from the four-person figure of 1089 kWh and add what is specific to your home. These adders are round-number examples:
| Change | Assumption | kWh a month | Cost a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working from home | Computer and monitor, 200 watts, 8 hours a day, plus extra heating or cooling | 48 | $8.27 |
| Electric vehicle | 1,000 miles at 30 kWh per 100 miles | 300 | $51.70 |
| A second refrigerator | An older unit, 100 watts average | 72 | $12.41 |
| Extra laundry | One more electric dryer load a day, 3,000 watts for 1 hour | 90 | $15.51 |
Cost shown at the US average price of 17.23 cents per kWh. Treat these as a way to see why one household of four pays much more than another.
What your state does to the bill
Highest estimated bills
- Hawaii$358.30
- California$278.10
- Massachusetts$269.71
- Rhode Island$261.48
- Connecticut$260.00
Lowest estimated bills
- North Dakota$104.80
- Idaho$104.95
- Nebraska$106.92
- Louisiana$111.03
- Arkansas$114.14
Show the estimate for all 50 states and DC
| State | Cents per kWh | Estimated bill at 887 kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.09 | $142.73 |
| Alaska | 26.11 | $231.60 |
| Arizona | 15.26 | $135.34 |
| Arkansas | 12.87 | $114.14 |
| California | 31.35 | $278.10 |
| Colorado | 15.69 | $139.20 |
| Connecticut | 29.31 | $260.00 |
| Delaware | 17.15 | $152.11 |
| District of Columbia | 21.92 | $194.44 |
| Florida | 15.21 | $134.95 |
| Georgia | 14.74 | $130.75 |
| Hawaii | 40.40 | $358.30 |
| Idaho | 11.83 | $104.95 |
| Illinois | 17.67 | $156.72 |
| Indiana | 15.96 | $141.58 |
| Iowa | 13.62 | $120.85 |
| Kansas | 14.44 | $128.04 |
| Kentucky | 13.13 | $116.50 |
| Louisiana | 12.52 | $111.03 |
| Maine | 27.69 | $245.65 |
| Maryland | 19.53 | $173.19 |
| Massachusetts | 30.41 | $269.71 |
| Michigan | 20.03 | $177.69 |
| Minnesota | 15.83 | $140.38 |
| Mississippi | 14.03 | $124.42 |
| Missouri | 13.30 | $117.96 |
| Montana | 12.99 | $115.26 |
| Nebraska | 12.05 | $106.92 |
| Nevada | 13.26 | $117.64 |
| New Hampshire | 24.53 | $217.55 |
| New Jersey | 22.48 | $199.43 |
| New Mexico | 14.85 | $131.69 |
| New York | 26.39 | $234.11 |
| North Carolina | 14.00 | $124.15 |
| North Dakota | 11.82 | $104.80 |
| Ohio | 16.90 | $149.93 |
| Oklahoma | 13.21 | $117.13 |
| Oregon | 15.46 | $137.16 |
| Pennsylvania | 19.29 | $171.10 |
| Rhode Island | 29.48 | $261.48 |
| South Carolina | 15.12 | $134.08 |
| South Dakota | 13.32 | $118.17 |
| Tennessee | 13.22 | $117.25 |
| Texas | 15.40 | $136.57 |
| Utah | 13.02 | $115.45 |
| Vermont | 22.79 | $202.12 |
| Virginia | 15.28 | $135.55 |
| Washington | 13.17 | $116.83 |
| West Virginia | 15.39 | $136.50 |
| Wisconsin | 18.08 | $160.36 |
| Wyoming | 13.37 | $118.57 |
Source: Estimate = 887 kWh multiplied by each state's 2025 average residential price from EIA Form EIA-861. It assumes national average use for this home type. Hot or cold climates push real usage up or down.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average electric bill for a family of 4?
Households of four people use about 1089 kWh a month in federal survey data, which costs about $187.68 at the 2025 US average price of 17.23 cents per kWh.
What is the average electric bill for a single person?
One-person households use about 598 kWh a month, which costs about $103.06 at the US average price. That figure covers every home type, so a one-person apartment is often lower.
Does a bigger family always pay a lot more?
Not in proportion. Going from one person to four raises average use by 82%, not by 300%.