According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of electricity rose 326%, from $0.046 per kWh in 1978 to $0.196 in August 2026. Overall prices rose 414% over the same period, so electricity rose more slowly than inflation. This data is collected by a national survey and can vary from region to region.
● Price● Price, inflation-adjusted
Electricity prices are 570.45% higher in 2026 versus 1913 (a $570.45 difference in value).
Between 1913 and 2026, Electricity experienced an average inflation rate of 1.70% per year. In other words, electricity costing $100 in the year 1913 would cost $670.45 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.16% during this same period, inflation for electricity was lower.
The average price for electricity is calculated from a weighted average of retailer data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The table below shows the average U.S. price of electricity per KWH each year, along with the same price adjusted for inflation. To understand how price levels differ from inflation rates, see this article published by the BLS.
| Year | Price (per kWh) | Price, inflation-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | $0.194 | $0.194 |
| 2025 | $0.185 | $0.193 |
| 2024 | $0.176 | $0.188 |
| 2023 | $0.168 | $0.185 |
| 2022 | $0.159 | $0.181 |
| 2021 | $0.141 | $0.174 |
| 2020 | $0.135 | $0.175 |
| 2019 | $0.136 | $0.179 |
| 2018 | $0.136 | $0.182 |
| 2017 | $0.138 | $0.188 |
| 2016 | $0.135 | $0.189 |
| 2015 | $0.138 | $0.195 |
| 2014 | $0.137 | $0.194 |
| 2013 | $0.132 | $0.190 |
| 2012 | $0.130 | $0.189 |
| 2011 | $0.130 | $0.193 |
| 2010 | $0.128 | $0.196 |
| 2009 | $0.127 | $0.199 |
| 2008 | $0.123 | $0.192 |
| 2007 | $0.117 | $0.188 |
| 2006 | $0.112 | $0.187 |
| 2005 | $0.100 | $0.172 |
| 2004 | $0.094 | $0.167 |
| 2003 | $0.093 | $0.169 |
| 2002 | $0.091 | $0.170 |
| 2001 | $0.092 | $0.175 |
| 2000 | $0.087 | $0.170 |
| 1999 | $0.086 | $0.174 |
| 1998 | $0.087 | $0.178 |
| 1997 | $0.094 | $0.197 |
| 1996 | $0.094 | $0.201 |
| 1995 | $0.094 | $0.206 |
| 1994 | $0.092 | $0.208 |
| 1993 | $0.092 | $0.212 |
| 1992 | $0.088 | $0.210 |
| 1991 | $0.087 | $0.213 |
| 1990 | $0.084 | $0.214 |
| 1989 | $0.082 | $0.221 |
| 1988 | $0.080 | $0.227 |
| 1987 | $0.079 | $0.233 |
| 1986 | $0.077 | $0.234 |
| 1985 | $0.081 | $0.253 |
| 1984 | $0.082 | $0.264 |
| 1983 | $0.078 | $0.263 |
| 1982 | $0.076 | $0.264 |
| 1981 | $0.069 | $0.256 |
| 1980 | $0.060 | $0.244 |
| 1979 | $0.050 | $0.232 |
| 1978 | $0.046 | $0.236 |
Yearly averages; 2026 is through August. Inflation-adjusted to 2026 dollars.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Electricity, over time, for $100 beginning in 1913. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1913 | $100.00 | - |
| 1914 | $99.71 | -0.29% |
| 1915 | $96.26 | -3.45% |
| 1916 | $93.64 | -2.72% |
| 1917 | $91.23 | -2.58% |
| 1918 | $89.41 | -1.99% |
| 1919 | $93.75 | 4.85% |
| 1920 | $92.95 | -0.86% |
| 1921 | $95.16 | 2.38% |
| 1922 | $94.30 | -0.90% |
| 1923 | $92.31 | -2.12% |
| 1924 | $91.43 | -0.95% |
| 1925 | $90.66 | -0.84% |
| 1926 | $89.47 | -1.31% |
| 1927 | $88.24 | -1.37% |
| 1928 | $86.83 | -1.60% |
| 1929 | $83.86 | -3.42% |
| 1930 | $82.09 | -2.12% |
| 1931 | $80.77 | -1.61% |
| 1932 | $79.67 | -1.36% |
| 1933 | $79.82 | 0.18% |
| 1934 | $73.95 | -7.36% |
| 1935 | $69.82 | -5.58% |
| 1936 | $67.18 | -3.79% |
| 1937 | $65.73 | -2.15% |
| 1938 | $64.73 | -1.53% |
| 1939 | $63.75 | -1.50% |
| 1940 | $63.02 | -1.15% |
| 1941 | $62.45 | -0.90% |
| 1942 | $62.20 | -0.41% |
| 1943 | $62.11 | -0.15% |
| 1944 | $61.94 | -0.27% |
| 1945 | $61.61 | -0.53% |
| 1946 | $59.30 | -3.75% |
| 1947 | $58.44 | -1.45% |
| 1948 | $59.03 | 1.00% |
| 1949 | $59.52 | 0.84% |
| 1950 | $59.78 | 0.43% |
| 1951 | $60.15 | 0.61% |
| 1952 | $60.77 | 1.04% |
| 1953 | $61.52 | 1.24% |
| 1954 | $61.85 | 0.54% |
| 1955 | $62.55 | 1.13% |
| 1956 | $62.80 | 0.41% |
| 1957 | $63.11 | 0.50% |
| 1958 | $63.90 | 1.25% |
| 1959 | $64.82 | 1.43% |
| 1960 | $65.60 | 1.22% |
| 1961 | $65.71 | 0.17% |
| 1962 | $65.82 | 0.17% |
| 1963 | $65.81 | -0.03% |
| 1964 | $65.46 | -0.53% |
| 1965 | $65.18 | -0.42% |
| 1966 | $65.20 | 0.03% |
| 1967 | $65.77 | 0.87% |
| 1968 | $66.36 | 0.89% |
| 1969 | $67.58 | 1.85% |
| 1970 | $69.85 | 3.36% |
| 1971 | $74.47 | 6.61% |
| 1972 | $78.19 | 4.99% |
| 1973 | $82.12 | 5.04% |
| 1974 | $96.98 | 18.09% |
| 1975 | $109.80 | 13.22% |
| 1976 | $116.78 | 6.36% |
| 1977 | $124.51 | 6.62% |
| 1978 | $133.70 | 7.38% |
| 1979 | $144.03 | 7.73% |
| 1980 | $166.67 | 15.72% |
| 1981 | $191.67 | 15.00% |
| 1982 | $210.60 | 9.88% |
| 1983 | $217.40 | 3.23% |
| 1984 | $231.34 | 6.41% |
| 1985 | $239.43 | 3.50% |
| 1986 | $242.64 | 1.34% |
| 1987 | $241.81 | -0.34% |
| 1988 | $245.13 | 1.37% |
| 1989 | $252.01 | 2.81% |
| 1990 | $257.91 | 2.34% |
| 1991 | $267.64 | 3.77% |
| 1992 | $272.91 | 1.97% |
| 1993 | $278.35 | 1.99% |
| 1994 | $278.48 | 0.05% |
| 1995 | $284.78 | 2.26% |
| 1996 | $289.56 | 1.68% |
| 1997 | $291.10 | 0.53% |
| 1998 | $279.89 | -3.85% |
| 1999 | $277.91 | -0.71% |
| 2000 | $282.36 | 1.60% |
| 2001 | $302.84 | 7.25% |
| 2002 | $299.41 | -1.13% |
| 2003 | $306.56 | 2.39% |
| 2004 | $312.27 | 1.86% |
| 2005 | $331.48 | 6.15% |
| 2006 | $371.79 | 12.16% |
| 2007 | $386.43 | 3.94% |
| 2008 | $411.31 | 6.44% |
| 2009 | $423.54 | 2.97% |
| 2010 | $424.38 | 0.20% |
| 2011 | $432.39 | 1.89% |
| 2012 | $432.15 | -0.05% |
| 2013 | $441.21 | 2.10% |
| 2014 | $457.19 | 3.62% |
| 2015 | $459.76 | 0.56% |
| 2016 | $454.91 | -1.06% |
| 2017 | $464.70 | 2.15% |
| 2018 | $467.98 | 0.71% |
| 2019 | $468.93 | 0.20% |
| 2020 | $471.68 | 0.59% |
| 2021 | $492.07 | 4.32% |
| 2022 | $556.32 | 13.06% |
| 2023 | $588.58 | 5.80% |
| 2024 | $613.38 | 4.21% |
| 2025 | $642.71 | 4.78% |
| 2026 | $670.45 | 4.32%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Electricity:
| Year | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| CPI | 45.500 | 45.367 | 43.800 | 42.608 | 41.508 | 40.683 | 42.658 | 42.292 | 43.300 | 42.908 | 42.000 | 41.600 | 41.250 | 40.708 | 40.150 | 39.508 | 38.158 | 37.350 | 36.750 | 36.250 | 36.317 | 33.645 | 31.769 | 30.567 | 29.908 | 29.450 | 29.008 | 28.675 | 28.417 | 28.300 | 28.258 | 28.183 | 28.033 | 26.983 | 26.592 | 26.858 | 27.083 | 27.200 | 27.367 | 27.650 | 27.992 | 28.142 | 28.458 | 28.575 | 28.717 | 29.075 | 29.492 | 29.850 | 29.900 | 29.950 | 29.942 | 29.783 | 29.658 | 29.667 | 29.925 | 30.192 | 30.750 | 31.783 | 33.883 | 35.575 | 37.367 | 44.125 | 49.958 | 53.133 | 56.650 | 60.833 | 65.533 | 75.833 | 87.208 | 95.825 | 98.917 | 105.258 | 108.942 | 110.400 | 110.025 | 111.533 | 114.667 | 117.350 | 121.775 | 124.175 | 126.650 | 126.708 | 129.575 | 131.750 | 132.450 | 127.350 | 126.450 | 128.475 | 137.792 | 136.233 | 139.483 | 142.083 | 150.825 | 169.167 | 175.825 | 187.145 | 192.712 | 193.095 | 196.737 | 196.630 | 200.750 | 208.020 | 209.191 | 206.983 | 211.437 | 212.932 | 213.362 | 214.615 | 223.892 | 253.127 | 267.804 | 279.087 | 292.432 | 305.053 |