Monthly kWh
Usage is the biggest controllable input. Compare kWh per day, not only the total bill.
Average electric bill
Compare your electric bill against a normal monthly range.
A bill is only high after you compare usage, rate, home size, season, and billing days. Use these ranges as a starting point, then rebuild your own bill with local numbers.
Quick ranges
Small apartment
300-600 kWh$65-$125
Often normal when heat, hot water, or cooking are not electric.
Typical home
700-1,100 kWh$125-$210
Common for mixed appliance use, laundry, electronics, and seasonal HVAC.
High-use month
1,200-2,000+ kWh$220+
Often tied to electric heat, heavy cooling, EV charging, pool pumps, or large homes.
Electricity rate
A 900 kWh month costs very different amounts at 12 cents, 17 cents, or 30 cents per kWh.
Home size and systems
Square footage, electric heat, heat pumps, water heaters, and insulation change the normal range.
Season and billing days
Cooling, heating, and longer billing cycles can make a normal home look expensive for one month.
Weather-sensitive loads
Air conditioning, electric heat, dehumidifiers, and space heaters can move the bill quickly.
Above-average diagnosis
Decide whether the bill is high because of kWh, rate, season, or fixed charges.
Average bill ranges are useful only after you separate usage from the line items. A normal kWh month can still look expensive when the all-in rate, delivery, taxes, or minimums moved.
Above average and kWh is high
Look for HVAC runtime, electric heat, EV charging, pool pumps, water heaters, dryers, or always-on appliances.
Choose this pathAbove average but kWh looks normal
Focus on delivery, customer charges, minimum bills, taxes, riders, supply rate changes, and estimated reads.
Choose this pathAbove average only in one season
Compare cooling, heating, heat waves, cold snaps, and longer billing periods before calling the home inefficient.
Choose this pathAbove average for a small home
Check whether the home size estimate is wrong, an appliance is always on, or fixed charges dominate the bill.
Choose this pathSource note
Use averages as a benchmark, not as the final answer.
EIA publishes household electricity consumption and spending estimates through RECS, and EIA reported a 2025 U.S. residential average retail electricity price of 17.30 cents per kWh. Local rates and fixed charges can move a real bill far above or below a national range.
Start with your bill's kWh, rate, fixed charge, and billing days. Then compare the result with the ranges above.
Sources: EIA RECS and EIA electricity prices.
Average electric bill tools
Billing days calculator
Normalize a short or long billing cycle before comparing your bill with an average.
Open page15 cents per kWh calculator
Compare an average-use month against a common starter rate before entering your real rate.
Open pageHome size calculators
Compare electric bill estimates by apartment or home size.
Open pageStudio Apartment Electric Bill Calculator
Estimate an electric bill for a studio apartment using monthly kWh, electricity rate, delivery charges, fixed customer fees, taxes, and billing days.
Open page1-Bedroom Apartment Electric Bill Calculator
Estimate an electric bill for a 1-bedroom apartment using monthly kWh, electricity rate, delivery charges, fixed customer fees, taxes, and billing days.
Open page2-Bedroom Apartment Electric Bill Calculator
Estimate an electric bill for a 2-bedroom apartment using monthly kWh, electricity rate, delivery charges, fixed customer fees, taxes, and billing days.
Open page3-Bedroom House Electric Bill Calculator
Estimate an electric bill for a 3-bedroom house using monthly kWh, electricity rate, delivery charges, fixed customer fees, taxes, and billing days.
Open page4-Bedroom House Electric Bill Calculator
Estimate an electric bill for a 4-bedroom house using monthly kWh, electricity rate, delivery charges, fixed customer fees, taxes, and billing days.
Open pageLarge House Electric Bill Calculator
Estimate an electric bill for a large house using monthly kWh, electricity rate, delivery charges, fixed customer fees, taxes, and billing days.
Open pageAC electricity cost
Estimate how much cooling runtime can add to a summer electric bill.
Open pageEV charging electric cost
Estimate whether home charging explains a high-use electric month.
Open pageElectricity rate calculators
Compare the same kWh usage at 10, 15, 20, 30, or 40 cents per kWh.
Open pageState electricity calculators
Start with state-level rates before replacing them with your exact bill rate.
Open pageAC cost by state
Compare state starter rates before replacing them with your bill rate.
Open pageHigh electric bill diagnosis
Find out whether usage, rates, weather, or fees caused a spike.
Open pageElectric bill audit checklist
Review billing days, daily kWh, rates, charges, and meter reads.
Open pageBill troubleshooter
Use the average comparison to decide whether usage, rates, billing days, or fees need the next check.
Open pageHow to lower your electric bill
Move from average comparison to practical savings steps.
Open pageFAQ
Short answers for search visitors and bill-checking moments.
What is a normal monthly electric bill?
A rough normal range is about $100 to $220 for many U.S. households, but the better test is monthly kWh multiplied by your local rate plus fixed charges.
Is 1,000 kWh per month a lot?
1,000 kWh can be normal for a house with cooling, laundry, and electric appliances. It is high for many small apartments and lower-use homes.
Why is my bill higher than the average electric bill?
Common causes include a higher local rate, more billing days, hot or cold weather, electric heat, EV charging, pool pumps, and fixed delivery charges.
Can my electric bill be above average if kWh usage is normal?
Yes. A bill can be above average because of delivery charges, customer charges, minimum bills, taxes, riders, supply rate changes, estimated reads, or a longer billing period even when kWh usage is normal.