Electricity rates & appliance costs in Maine
The average residential price of electricity in Maine is 32.41¢ per kWh (EIA, July 2026) — up 15.8% from July 2025. Below, what the big household loads cost per month at that rate.
What things cost per month in Maine
Each calculator link carries Maine's rate into the calculator.
- Space heater (1,500 W, 6 h/day)$1,065/yrMonthly$88.73Calculate
- Window AC (900 W, 8 h/day)$852/yrMonthly$70.99Calculate
- Electric dryer (5 loads/week)$254/yrMonthly$21.15Calculate
- Refrigerator (450 kWh/yr)$146/yrMonthly$12.15Calculate
- Hot tub (6 kWh/day)$710/yrMonthly$59.15Calculate
- EV charging (38 mi/day @ 3.5 mi/kWh)$1,285/yrMonthly$107Calculate
Scenarios assume typical usage patterns; every calculator page lets you change the hours, size and wattage.
Why electricity costs 32.41¢/kWh in Maine
Long, severe winters drive heating load for most of the year; electricity is a secondary fuel in most homes.
Rural electric cooperatives serve a large share of the state alongside investor-owned utilities.
At 32.41¢/kWh, Maine sits far above the 18.3¢ U.S. average. That works out to $324.10 for every 1,000 kWh used — so a 1,500 W space heater costs $0.49 an hour to run, and a family heating with electric resistance instead of gas feels that difference in every winter month.
How Maine compares with neighbouring states
Maine ranks 3rd 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 New England — the regional grouping the EIA itself uses for comparison — the average rate including Maine is 27.62¢/kWh, so Maine pays $4.79 more per kWh than that regional average. On a 1,500 W space heater running 6 hours a day, that gap alone is about $1,313.37 a month.
What Maine households actually pay
A typical U.S. household uses around 30 kWh a day, about 900 kWh a month. At 32.41¢/kWh that is roughly $292 a month in electricity, or $3,500 a year. That is about $127 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 $44 a month in Maine. That is why the calculators here use your state rather than a national guess.
Reading your Maine 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.
Maine electricity FAQ
What is the average electricity rate in Maine?
The average residential rate in Maine is 32.41¢ per kWh for July 2026 (EIA Electric Power Monthly). Year-to-date 2026, it averages 29.99¢.
Is electricity expensive in Maine?
Maine is up 15.8% vs July 2025 and 77% 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 Maine?
A 1,500 W space heater costs $0.49 per hour in Maine, about $88.73 per month at 6 hours a day.
How much does it cost to charge an EV in Maine?
At 32.4¢/kWh and 3.5 miles per kWh, driving costs $0.093 per mile — a 75 kWh full charge is $24.31. See the EV page for daily and monthly figures.
How does Maine compare with neighbouring states?
Maine pays 32.41¢/kWh, which is far above the 18.3¢ national average and ranks 3rd of 51 jurisdictions from most to least expensive. Across New England the average is 27.6¢/kWh, so Maine pays $4.79 more or less per kWh than its regional peers.
Why does electricity cost $0.32 per kWh in Maine?
Long, severe winters drive heating load for most of the year; electricity is a secondary fuel in most homes. Rural electric cooperatives serve a large share of the state alongside investor-owned utilities. That works out to $0.49 per hour for a 1,500 W space heater and roughly $146 a year to run a 450 kWh refrigerator.
