Hawaii is most expensive state in America for energy bills

Hawaii is the most expensive state for energy in the nation, with the highest average monthly electricity bill, according to a report by Finder.com, an independent comparison platform.

According to Finder, the “Top 5” most expensive states for energy in the United States in 2021 are Hawaii, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Alabama and Massachusetts.

The average monthly energy bill in Hawaii is $321, or a whopping $3,856 a year, according to the platform’s analysis. The state’s cost for electricity is $168 and natural gas is $152. The numbers don’t equal $321 due to rounding.

Idaho ranked as the cheapest state for energy with an average bill of just $104 a month, consisting of $94 for electricity and $9 for natural gas. The energy total comes out to about $1,247 a year.

Hawaii’s high cost comes as no surprise given that the state’s electrical rates have long been triple the costs of the national average. However, the average Hawaii home uses 40% less electricity, or 525 kilowatt-hours per month, than a home on the mainland where the usage is 877 kilowatt-hours a month, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Data came from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which places the average retail price of electricity in Hawaii at 28.7 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared to the U.S. average retail price of 10.5 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Hawaii, however, also leads the nation in percentage of residential electricity customers with rooftop solar systems.

After Idaho, the cheapest states for energy were New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Washington.

Finder.com, which is based in Australia, suggests buying energy efficient appliances, unplugging devices when not in use and exploring off-peak energy hours as a way to reduce energy bills.