Electricity rates & appliance costs in Iowa
The average residential price of electricity in Iowa is 15.99¢ per kWh (EIA, July 2026) — up 4.4% from July 2025. Below, what the big household loads cost per month at that rate.
What things cost per month in Iowa
Each calculator link carries Iowa's rate into the calculator.
- Space heater (1,500 W, 6 h/day)$525/yrMonthly$43.78Calculate
- Window AC (900 W, 8 h/day)$420/yrMonthly$35.02Calculate
- Electric dryer (5 loads/week)$125/yrMonthly$10.43Calculate
- Refrigerator (450 kWh/yr)$72/yrMonthly$6.00Calculate
- Hot tub (6 kWh/day)$350/yrMonthly$29.18Calculate
- EV charging (38 mi/day @ 3.5 mi/kWh)$634/yrMonthly$52.81Calculate
Scenarios assume typical usage patterns; every calculator page lets you change the hours, size and wattage.
Why electricity costs 15.99¢/kWh in Iowa
Cold winters with hot, humid summers — a high annual-use profile for a small state.
Wind generation and rural co-ops; rates sit modestly above the national average.
At 15.99¢/kWh, Iowa sits below the 18.3¢ U.S. average. That works out to $159.90 for every 1,000 kWh used — so a 1,500 W space heater costs $0.24 an hour to run, and a family heating with electric resistance instead of gas feels that difference in every winter month.
How Iowa compares with neighbouring states
Iowa ranks 28th 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 West North Central — the regional grouping the EIA itself uses for comparison — the average rate including Iowa is 15.34¢/kWh, so Iowa pays $0.65 more per kWh than that regional average. On a 1,500 W space heater running 6 hours a day, that gap alone is about $178.88 a month.
What Iowa households actually pay
A typical U.S. household uses around 30 kWh a day, about 900 kWh a month. At 15.99¢/kWh that is roughly $144 a month in electricity, or $1,727 a year. That is about $21 less per month than the same usage at the national average — a real saving on the same appliances.
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 $22 a month in Iowa. That is why the calculators here use your state rather than a national guess.
Reading your Iowa 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.
Iowa electricity FAQ
What is the average electricity rate in Iowa?
The average residential rate in Iowa is 15.99¢ per kWh for July 2026 (EIA Electric Power Monthly). Year-to-date 2026, it averages 14.20¢.
Is electricity expensive in Iowa?
Iowa is up 4.4% vs July 2025 and -13% below 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 Iowa?
A 1,500 W space heater costs $0.24 per hour in Iowa, about $43.78 per month at 6 hours a day.
How much does it cost to charge an EV in Iowa?
At 16.0¢/kWh and 3.5 miles per kWh, driving costs $0.046 per mile — a 75 kWh full charge is $11.99. See the EV page for daily and monthly figures.
How does Iowa compare with neighbouring states?
Iowa pays 15.99¢/kWh, which is below the 18.3¢ national average and ranks 28th of 51 jurisdictions from most to least expensive. Across West North Central the average is 15.3¢/kWh, so Iowa pays $0.65 more or less per kWh than its regional peers.
Why does electricity cost $0.16 per kWh in Iowa?
Cold winters with hot, humid summers — a high annual-use profile for a small state. Wind generation and rural co-ops; rates sit modestly above the national average. That works out to $0.24 per hour for a 1,500 W space heater and roughly $72 a year to run a 450 kWh refrigerator.
