Electricity rates & appliance costs in Delaware
The average residential price of electricity in Delaware is 18.48¢ per kWh (EIA, July 2026) — up 11.5% from July 2025. Below, what the big household loads cost per month at that rate.
What things cost per month in Delaware
Each calculator link carries Delaware's rate into the calculator.
- Space heater (1,500 W, 6 h/day)$607/yrMonthly$50.59Calculate
- Window AC (900 W, 8 h/day)$486/yrMonthly$40.48Calculate
- Electric dryer (5 loads/week)$145/yrMonthly$12.06Calculate
- Refrigerator (450 kWh/yr)$83/yrMonthly$6.93Calculate
- Hot tub (6 kWh/day)$405/yrMonthly$33.73Calculate
- EV charging (38 mi/day @ 3.5 mi/kWh)$732/yrMonthly$61.03Calculate
Scenarios assume typical usage patterns; every calculator page lets you change the hours, size and wattage.
Why electricity costs 18.48¢/kWh in Delaware
Summer cooling peaks in the south, winter heating in the north.
One incumbent utility serves the state; PJM power markets set the underlying cost.
At 18.48¢/kWh, Delaware sits slightly above the 18.3¢ U.S. average. That works out to $184.80 for every 1,000 kWh used — so a 1,500 W space heater costs $0.28 an hour to run, and a family heating with electric resistance instead of gas feels that difference in every winter month.
How Delaware compares with neighbouring states
Delaware ranks 19th of 51 jurisdictions by residential price, from Hawaii at 48.00¢ down to Louisiana at 12.72¢ — a spread of about 3.8× across the country. Identical appliance habits can therefore cost several times more in one state than another.
Across South Atlantic — the regional grouping the EIA itself uses for comparison — the average rate including Delaware is 17.82¢/kWh, so Delaware pays $0.66 more per kWh than that regional average. On a 1,500 W space heater running 6 hours a day, that gap alone is about $181.45 a month.
What Delaware households actually pay
A typical U.S. household uses around 30 kWh a day, about 900 kWh a month. At 18.48¢/kWh that is roughly $166 a month in electricity, or $1,996 a year. That is about $2 more per month than the same usage at the national average — a recurring bill difference, not a rounding detail.
Because the rate is a per-kWh price, the fastest savings come from the biggest loads: cutting a 1,500 W space heater from 6 hours a day to 3 saves about $25 a month in Delaware. That is why the calculators here use your state rather than a national guess.
Reading your Delaware utility bill
The EIA figure is a state average across utilities, not your tariff. Your bill shows your exact "price to compare" in ¢/kWh plus fixed customer charges, and sometimes tiered or time-of-use pricing. In a deregulated market you may also have chosen a retail supplier whose rate differs from the utility default.
The calculators use the published state average, which is the right basis for comparing appliances against each other. For a figure that matches your own bill, take the "price to compare" line and use it as your rate.
Delaware electricity FAQ
What is the average electricity rate in Delaware?
The average residential rate in Delaware is 18.48¢ per kWh for July 2026 (EIA Electric Power Monthly). Year-to-date 2026, it averages 17.86¢.
Is electricity expensive in Delaware?
Delaware is up 11.5% vs July 2025 and 1% above the U.S. average of 18.3¢. The cheapest state is Louisiana (12.7¢) and the most expensive is Hawaii (48.0¢).
How much does it cost to run a space heater in Delaware?
A 1,500 W space heater costs $0.28 per hour in Delaware, about $50.59 per month at 6 hours a day.
How much does it cost to charge an EV in Delaware?
At 18.5¢/kWh and 3.5 miles per kWh, driving costs $0.053 per mile — a 75 kWh full charge is $13.86. See the EV page for daily and monthly figures.
How does Delaware compare with neighbouring states?
Delaware pays 18.48¢/kWh, which is slightly above the 18.3¢ national average and ranks 19th of 51 jurisdictions from most to least expensive. Across South Atlantic the average is 17.8¢/kWh, so Delaware pays $0.66 more or less per kWh than its regional peers.
Why does electricity cost $0.18 per kWh in Delaware?
Summer cooling peaks in the south, winter heating in the north. One incumbent utility serves the state; PJM power markets set the underlying cost. That works out to $0.28 per hour for a 1,500 W space heater and roughly $83 a year to run a 450 kWh refrigerator.
