Washington commercial electricity rates

Analyst note

The Washington commercial price sat above the U.S. average in 0 of 10 years; the gap was -2.42 ¢ in 2015 and -2.76 ¢ in 2024. In the 2024 ranking Washington sits between Oregon (10.11 ¢) one place above and Utah (9.39 ¢) one place below; the top of the list is 28.19 ¢ away and the bottom 2.80 ¢. Washington was 47th in 2015 with 8.22 ¢ and is 43rd now; a rise in the table. Washington commercial prices rose in 9 of 9 years. The largest rise was +4.5% in 2023, and the largest fall +0.3% in 2019. The Washington price peaked at 9.99 ¢ in 2024 and bottomed at 8.22 ¢ in 2015; 2024 is the peak and +21.5% from the low. Compounded, that is +2.19% a year in Washington, +0.16 points against the U.S. Washington buys 2.28% of all U.S. commercial electricity with 2.08% of the accounts, so the average Washington account uses 1.10 times the national average.

A bottom-ten price: 9.99 ¢/kWh for Washington commercial accounts, rank 43 of 51, -21.6% against the U.S. Washington: +21.5% over nine years, or +2.2% a year, matching the national +19.8% by 1.7 points; 2023 was the biggest single move (+4.5%) and 2024 the high.

Last year's change in Washington was +0.7% and flat. Against the residential price of 11.90 ¢ the gap is 1.91 ¢. Commercial sales are 36.8% of Washington electricity sold, and an average Washington account used 6,806 kWh a month, an implied bill near $680.

Counting revenue instead of kWh, Washington commercial accounts bring in 36.3% of Washington sector revenue on 36.8% of the kWh, a discount of 0.5 points that comes from the price level: 9.99 ¢ here against 11.90 ¢ for residential and 6.61 ¢ for industrial accounts. The average Washington commercial account uses 6,806 kWh a month, 12 of 51 among states on that measure; a residential account uses 0.14 times as much and an industrial account 8.43 times. Commercial accounts are 10.66% of the 3,800,676 accounts in Washington.