Electric bill decoder
Your bill divided by your kWh is your all-in price, which includes fixed fees, riders and delivery. Enter both numbers and compare it with your state's 869 kWh a month home average and its price.
Try it with your numbers
All-in price is bill total divided by kWh. State comparison uses the EIA 2025 home average. The wires share uses EIA-861 delivery revenue per kWh for Texas companies.
What the lines on a bill usually mean
| Line on the bill | What it usually pays for |
|---|---|
| Customer or basic charge | A fixed monthly fee for the meter and service line, whatever you use |
| Energy or supply charge | The electricity itself, per kWh, sometimes in tiers or by time of day |
| Delivery or distribution | Poles, wires and meters owned by your wires company |
| Fuel or power-cost adjustment | A pass-through that moves with fuel and purchased-power costs |
| Riders and surcharges | Programs approved by the state commission, such as efficiency or storm recovery |
| Taxes and franchise fees | Charges set by the state or city and collected on the bill |
Names differ by utility. Check your tariff sheet on the utility or state commission site for exact wording.
Five worked examples
| State | kWh | Bill | All-in ¢ | State ¢ | Gap | Per month vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1,000 | $150 | 15.00 | 15.47 | -3% | -$4.70 |
| California | 500 | $140 | 28.00 | 32.54 | -14% | -$22.70 |
| Washington | 1,000 | $120 | 12.00 | 13.11 | -8% | -$11.10 |
| New York | 600 | $130 | 21.67 | 26.39 | -18% | -$28.34 |
| Florida | 1,200 | $190 | 15.83 | 15.24 | +4% | $7.12 |
The bills here are examples we chose to show the arithmetic, not real customers.
Texas: what the wires company takes
In Texas the wires company and the energy seller are separate. EIA-861 lists 6 companies with delivery-only residential customers; their delivery revenue per kWh is below.
| Wires company | Home customers | Cents per kWh | At 1,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC | 3,477,215 | 5.19 | $51.90 |
| CenterPoint Energy | 2,485,470 | 4.93 | $49.30 |
| AEP Texas Central Company | 784,148 | 5.75 | $57.50 |
| Texas-New Mexico Power Co | 233,056 | 6.33 | $63.30 |
| AEP Texas North Company | 157,455 | 5.44 | $54.40 |
| City of Lubbock | 90,455 | 6.07 | $60.70 |
Sources
- Home price and use by state: U.S. EIA state electricity data, annual 2025; CSV: state-price-and-use-2025.csv.
- Texas delivery revenue per kWh: EIA-861 Delivery Companies, 2024; includes all non-energy charges recorded by the company.
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Questions
How do I find my price per kWh?
Divide the bill total by the kWh used, then multiply by 100 for cents. The result includes fixed charges and taxes, so it is higher than the energy rate on your tariff.
Why is my price different from the state average?
The state average spreads fixed costs over all home customers and use levels. A low-use home pays more per kWh because the fixed charge is spread over fewer units.
What is a good all-in price?
There is no single mark. Compare with your state average and with last year's bill from the same month.