End Use: June 2016

Retail rates/prices and consumption

In this section, we look at what electricity costs and how much is purchased. Charges for retail electric service are based primarily on rates approved by state regulators. However, a number of states have allowed retail marketers to compete to serve customers and these competitive retail suppliers offer electricity at a market-based price.

EIA does not directly collect retail electricity rates or prices. However, using data collected on retail sales revenues and volumes, we calculate average retail revenues per kWh as a proxy for retail rates and prices. Retail sales volumes are presented as a proxy for end-use electricity consumption.

Average revenue per kWh by state

• Percent change
• ¢ per KWh

Average revenue per kilowatthour figures decreased in 25 states in June compared to last year. The largest declines were found in Nevada (down nearly 13.2%), Mississippi (down 11.4%), and Hawaii (down 9.7%). Twenty-five states increased compared to last year, led by Iowa (up 6.7%), South Dakota (up 6.2%), Kentucky (up 5.9%), and West Virginia (up 5.8%).

Total average revenues per kilowatthour were down 1.0% to 10.53 cents in June compared to last year. All sectors were down on the month, from a 6.3% drop in the Transportation sector to a 1.0% drop in the Industrial sector. Retail sales were up slightly overall 0.7% to 325,562 gigawatthours (GWh). The Commercial, Transportation and Residential sectors showed slight gains of 0.9%, 3.5% and 3.9%, respectively, while the Industrial sector showed a decline of 4.3%.

Retail sales

• Percent change
• Per capita
• MWh

State retail sales volumes were down in 23 states in June compared to last year. Virginia recorded the largest year-over-year decline, down 6.8%. West Virginia, South Carolina and New Hampshire had the next largest declines, all down 4.5 -5.9%. Twenty-Eight states had retail sales volume increases in June, led by Nebraska (up over 11%), Illinois (up to nearly 7%), and South Dakota (up over 6%).

• Change from 2015
• Change from normal

Cooling Degree Days (CDD) measure the daily variation in average temperature above a 65 degree Fahrenheit baseline, chosen as a proxy for minimum heating or cooling energy demand. CDDs were higher across most of the country, up in 34 states compared to last June. The largest year-over-year increases were found in New England and the Great Lakes region, with Vermont, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine the states with the highest CDD increases. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia had less CDDs than last June, with these states largely found in the Mid-Atlantic and far West. Alaska had the largest CDD decrease of any state, followed by Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.