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 is the biggest driver. Fuel and purchased power make up roughly half of a typical bill.
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 2020 for Oahu, Hawaii Island, Lanai, and Molokai generally decreased compared to 2019.
Electricity prices in 2020 for Maui increased slightly overall compared to 2019.
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 2020 by each type of customer (rate schedule) for each of our companies.
Oahu
| Rate Schedule | 2020 Average Cents/kWh |
|---|---|
| "R" Residential | 28.74 |
| "G" Small Power Use Business | 31.60 |
| "J" Medium Power Use Business | 26.04 |
| "P" Large Power Use Business | 23.92 |
| "DS" Large Power Use Business, Directly Served | 21.72 |
| "F" Street and Park Lighting | 30.23 |
These figures are derived by dividing the total revenue by the total kWh sold for each category during the year.
Maui County
| Rate Schedule | 2020 Average Cents/kWh | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Maui | Molokai | Lanai | |
| "R" Residential | 33.32 | 35.43 | 36.41 |
| "G" Small Power Use Business | 39.29 | 44.31 | 41.75 |
| "J" Medium Power Use Business | 33.12 | 35.03 | 38.20 |
| "P" Large Power Use Business | 31.01 | 27.42 | 36.37 |
| "F" Street Lighting | 30.67 | 32.71 | 36.19 |
These figures are derived by dividing the total revenue by the total kWh sold for each category during the year.
Hawaii Island
| Rate Schedule | 2020 Average Cents/kWh |
|---|---|
| "R" Residential | 35.17 |
| "G" Small Power Use Business | 41.63 |
| "J" Medium Power Use Business | 32.84 |
| "P" Large Power Use Business | 29.15 |
| "F" Street Lighting | 35.46 |
These figures are derived by dividing the total revenue by the total kWh sold for each category during the year.
