Rates & Regulations
Average Price of Electricity
How much does your electricity cost?
Electricity prices in Hawaii are generally higher than on the U.S. mainland due to the cost of imported oil used to power many of the islands' generators. The fluctuation in the cost of fuel, which makes up roughly 50 percent of a typical bill, is the biggest driver.
Our isolated geographic location also contributes to the higher cost of electricity because we don't have any nearby utility companies from which to draw power in the event of a problem. So for system reliability, we must have reserve generating capacity and multiple distribution routes.
Electricity prices in 2019 for Oahu, Hawaii Island, and Maui generally decreased slightly compared to 2018.
Electricity prices in 2019 for Molokai and Lanai generally increased somewhat compared to 2018.
Electricity rates vary by type of customer because they're based on the cost of providing service. The charts below show the average price paid per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in 2019 by each type of customer (rate schedule) for each of our regions.
Oahu
| Rate Schedule | 2019 Average Cents/kWh |
|---|---|
| "R" Residential | 31.04 |
| "G" Small Power Use Business | 32.29 |
| "J" Medium Power Use Business | 27.19 |
| "P" Large Power Use Business | 24.73 |
| "DS" Large Power Use Business, Directly Served | 24.00 |
| "F" Street and Park Lighting | 28.39 |
These figures are derived by dividing the total revenue by the total kWh sold for each category during the year.
Maui County
| Rate Schedule | 2019 Average Cents/kWh | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Maui | Molokai | Lanai | |
| "R" Residential | 33.65 | 40.52 | 42.02 |
| "G" Small Power Use Business | 37.96 | 47.60 | 45.87 |
| "J" Medium Power Use Business | 32.60 | 39.14 | 43.77 |
| "P" Large Power Use Business | 30.28 | 32.67 | 40.58 |
| "F" Street Lighting | 30.97 | 38.02 | 41.43 |
These figures are derived by dividing the total revenue by the total kWh sold for each category during the year.
Hawaii Island
| Rate Schedule | 2019 Average Cents/kWh |
|---|---|
| "R" Residential | 36.53 |
| "G" Small Power Use Business | 41.67 |
| "J" Medium Power Use Business | 33.19 |
| "P" Large Power Use Business | 29.60 |
| "F" Street Lighting | 36.58 |
These figures are derived by dividing the total revenue by the total kWh sold for each category during the year.
