Are Maine electricity rates double the national average? | Fact brief

Maine electricity rates are much higher than the national average, but not double.

Preliminary U.S. Energy Information Administration data for January through May 2026 show Maine residential customers paid an average of 29.68 cents per kilowatt-hour. The national average was 18.11 cents, making Maine about 64% higher. New England as a whole averaged 29.32 cents, nearly identical to Maine.

Maine ranked fifth among the 50 states for residential prices, behind Hawaii, California, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Across all customer sectors — residential, commercial, industrial and transportation — Maine averaged 24.88 cents per kilowatt-hour compared with 14.07 cents nationally, or about 77% more than the average. New England averaged 25.57 cents overall.

New England’s high electricity costs partly reflect its reliance on natural gas. Regional grid operator ISO New England says pipeline constraints during colder weather can limit fuel for power plants and drive up wholesale electricity prices.