Deregulated states always pay more: partly true
Partly The claim: “Deregulated states always pay more” The pattern is real in state averages and it is not a rule: choice states have a median price of 22.63 cents, the others 14.29. Nothing in this table shows that supplier competition caused the gap, and it says nothing about any supplier's plan price.
15 states with 5% or more on suppliers
EIA-861 reports home customers served in the energy-only, delivery-only and marketer-bundled parts of its sales table. As a share of all home customers that gives the proxy used here; it is not a list of states where choice is legal. At 5% or more, 15 states qualify: California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Illinois and Massachusetts and 9 more.
Their median home price is 22.63 cents; the 36 other states have a median of 14.29. 15 of 15 choice states sit above the other-state median.
Supplier share against price: r = +0.43
r = +0.43 across 51 states; the 36 states with no supplier customers sit on the left edge.
| Cut-off, supplier share of home customers | States at or above | Median price there, ¢ | Other states | Median price there, ¢ | Gap, ¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1% or more | 15 | 22.63 | 36 | 14.29 | +8.33 |
| 5% or more | 15 | 22.63 | 36 | 14.29 | +8.33 |
| 10% or more | 11 | 21.94 | 40 | 14.85 | +7.10 |
| 25% or more | 7 | 24.56 | 44 | 15.16 | +9.40 |
Where the pattern breaks
The lowest price among choice states is Texas at 15.47 cents. 9 of the 36 other states pay more than that, among them Hawaii, Alaska, Vermont and Michigan. So choice status alone does not sort states into higher-price and lower-price groups. Choice states in our table are mostly in the Northeast, where prices were high before suppliers entered; our data cannot untangle that.
All 51 states by supplier share, 58% down to 0%
| Ohio | 58.0 | choice (5%+) | 16.96 | 19 | +2.67 ¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 55.9 | choice (5%+) | 30.48 | 3 | +16.19 ¢ |
| Texas | 55.7 | choice (5%+) | 15.47 | 24 | +1.18 ¢ |
| California | 39.5 | choice (5%+) | 32.54 | 2 | +18.24 ¢ |
| New Hampshire | 34.6 | choice (5%+) | 24.56 | 9 | +10.26 ¢ |
| Rhode Island | 26.0 | choice (5%+) | 29.46 | 4 | +15.17 ¢ |
| Illinois | 25.0 | choice (5%+) | 17.69 | 17 | +3.40 ¢ |
| Pennsylvania | 23.2 | choice (5%+) | 19.30 | 15 | +5.01 ¢ |
| Connecticut | 19.7 | choice (5%+) | 29.38 | 5 | +15.08 ¢ |
| Maryland | 11.8 | choice (5%+) | 19.48 | 14 | +5.19 ¢ |
| District of Columbia | 10.3 | choice (5%+) | 21.94 | 12 | +7.65 ¢ |
| Maine | 8.9 | choice (5%+) | 27.78 | 6 | +13.49 ¢ |
| New York | 8.7 | choice (5%+) | 26.39 | 7 | +12.10 ¢ |
| Delaware | 5.7 | choice (5%+) | 17.13 | 18 | +2.83 ¢ |
| New Jersey | 5.4 | choice (5%+) | 22.63 | 11 | +8.33 ¢ |
| Hawaii | 0.0 | other | 40.59 | 1 | +26.30 ¢ |
| Alaska | 0.0 | other | 26.09 | 8 | +11.79 ¢ |
| Vermont | 0.0 | other | 22.92 | 10 | +8.63 ¢ |
| Michigan | 0.0 | other | 20.01 | 13 | +5.72 ¢ |
| Wisconsin | 0.0 | other | 18.16 | 16 | +3.87 ¢ |
| Indiana | 0.0 | other | 16.23 | 20 | +1.94 ¢ |
| Alabama | 0.0 | other | 16.10 | 21 | +1.81 ¢ |
| Colorado | 0.0 | other | 15.85 | 22 | +1.55 ¢ |
| Minnesota | 0.0 | other | 15.82 | 23 | +1.53 ¢ |
| West Virginia | 0.0 | other | 15.41 | 25 | +1.12 ¢ |
| Oregon | 0.0 | other | 15.37 | 26 | +1.07 ¢ |
| Arizona | 0.0 | other | 15.32 | 27 | +1.03 ¢ |
| Virginia | 0.0 | other | 15.28 | 28 | +0.98 ¢ |
| Florida | 0.0 | other | 15.24 | 29 | +0.95 ¢ |
| New Mexico | 0.0 | other | 15.08 | 30 | +0.79 ¢ |
| South Carolina | 0.0 | other | 14.96 | 31 | +0.67 ¢ |
| Georgia | 0.0 | other | 14.73 | 32 | +0.44 ¢ |
| Kansas | 0.0 | other | 14.56 | 33 | +0.27 ¢ |
| Mississippi | 0.0 | other | 14.03 | 34 | -0.27 ¢ |
| North Carolina | 0.0 | other | 14.02 | 35 | -0.28 ¢ |
| Iowa | 0.0 | other | 13.72 | 36 | -0.57 ¢ |
| Missouri | 0.0 | other | 13.49 | 37 | -0.80 ¢ |
| South Dakota | 0.0 | other | 13.38 | 38 | -0.91 ¢ |
| Wyoming | 0.0 | other | 13.38 | 39 | -0.91 ¢ |
| Kentucky | 0.0 | other | 13.24 | 40 | -1.05 ¢ |
| Tennessee | 0.0 | other | 13.18 | 41 | -1.12 ¢ |
| Nevada | 0.0 | other | 13.15 | 42 | -1.14 ¢ |
| Oklahoma | 0.0 | other | 13.12 | 43 | -1.18 ¢ |
| Washington | 0.0 | other | 13.11 | 44 | -1.19 ¢ |
| Utah | 0.0 | other | 13.07 | 45 | -1.22 ¢ |
| Montana | 0.0 | other | 12.98 | 46 | -1.31 ¢ |
| Arkansas | 0.0 | other | 12.84 | 47 | -1.46 ¢ |
| Louisiana | 0.0 | other | 12.57 | 48 | -1.72 ¢ |
| Nebraska | 0.0 | other | 12.34 | 49 | -1.96 ¢ |
| Idaho | 0.0 | other | 11.82 | 50 | -2.47 ¢ |
| North Dakota | 0.0 | other | 11.81 | 51 | -2.48 ¢ |
15 states have 5% or more of home customers on suppliers (median 22.63 ¢); the other 36 have a median of 14.29 ¢. Highest supplier share: Ohio 58.0%.
CSVThe choice states in order
By supplier share of home customers: Ohio 58%, 17.0 cents; Massachusetts 56%, 30.5 cents; Texas 56%, 15.5 cents; California 40%, 32.5 cents; New Hampshire 35%, 24.6 cents; Rhode Island 26%, 29.5 cents; Illinois 25%, 17.7 cents; Pennsylvania 23%, 19.3 cents; Connecticut 20%, 29.4 cents; Maryland 12%, 19.5 cents; District of Columbia 10%, 21.9 cents; Maine 9%, 27.8 cents; New York 9%, 26.4 cents; Delaware 6%, 17.1 cents; New Jersey 5%, 22.6 cents.
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Prices on this page are state averages
We compare average prices that include every home customer, on a supplier or not. We do not quote, rank or recommend any supplier's plan, and a state average says nothing about which plan is right for you. Before you switch, read the contract terms and check your state commission's price comparison, listed on regulators by state.
Map: supplier share by state
- 0%
- 0%
- 0%
- 0% to 12%
- 12% to 58%
Darker = a larger supplier share. Ohio 58.0%.
Keep reading
- State utility commissions and rate cases
- Time-of-use and tiered rates
- Cheapest electricity by state
- Compare electricity by state
- How to compare electric companies
- All 12 myths
Sources and dates
| Source | Data period | Retrieved | Used here for |
|---|---|---|---|
| EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024 final | data year 2024 | 1 Oct 2026 | Home customers by retail-choice part (A to D), 2024 |
| EIA electricity retail sales, annual and monthly (API v2) | annual 2010 to 2025, monthly to Jul 2026 | 1 Oct 2026 | Home price 2025 |
Questions
Do deregulated states always pay more?
No. Choice states have a higher median price (22.63 against 14.29 cents) but 9 states without much choice pay more than the cheapest choice state, Texas.
What counts as a choice state here?
A state where EIA-861 shows 5% or more of home customers on a supplier: 15 states. We do not use legal definitions.
Which state has the highest supplier share?
Ohio at 58.0% of home customers, price 16.96 cents; then Massachusetts 55.9% and Texas 55.7%.
Does choice cause higher prices?
Our data shows a pattern, not a cause. Prices depend on fuel, networks, taxes and climate too.
Does the result change with the cut-off?
At 1% the gap in medians is +8.33 cents, at 10% +7.10 and at 25% +9.40.
Can I see supplier plan prices here?
No. This page uses state average prices only and does not quote or compare plans.
How many home customers are on suppliers nationally?
36,562,776 of 143,144,185 in EIA-861 2024.
What year is the supplier data?
EIA-861 for 2024; prices are the 2025 annual average.