Colorado households paid an average of 17.00¢ per kWh in July 2026, 7% below the US average and +6.3% on a year earlier. That ranks #22 of 51, most expensive first.
Source EIA, residential retail priceLatest month July 2026
Average residential priceCO
17.00¢/kWh
Typical bill
$112/mo
Average use
676kWh
EV, 1,000 mi
$46/mo
Thirteen months of prices
Average residential price by month, ¢/kWh (EIA). Highest 17.13¢ in June 2026, lowest 15.99¢ in July 2025. Download the data (CSV)
Utilities and rate plans
Each utility’s current residential tariffs, transcribed from its tariff sheets, with periods, tiers, fixed charge and a typical bill. Customer counts from EIA-861 (2024).
Each row prices a utility’s standard plan for a typical home. The Colorado average of 16.58¢/kWh (EIA, 12 months) is what every household in the state actually paid, including utilities not modeled here and discounted low-income bills, so it can sit below every row.
New residential customers start on the Energy-Wise time-of-day rate (5-9 p.m. weekdays on-peak); prices include the Electric Cost Adjustment effective October 1, 2026 and the Electric Capacity Charge.
Against the national average and states with similar prices
Average residential ¢/kWh, July 2026 (EIA).
Colorado17.00¢
United States18.31¢
Indiana16.73¢
Minnesota17.45¢
Virginia17.55¢
Alabama16.40¢
Average electric bill in Colorado
Over the last 12 months the average price was 16.58¢ per kWh and the average home used 676 kWh a month, so a typical Colorado household spent about $112 a month on electricity, or $1,345 a year. Use is 22% below the US average of 870 kWh a month, peaking in July at 1,024 kWh.
Driving a Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD 1,000 miles a month takes 275 kWh from the wall (EPA 27.5 kWh/100 mi), about $46 at the state average. A 25.5 mpg gasoline car covering the same distance at $4.17 a gallon (Colorado average, August 2026) costs about $164.
The state average hides the real spread. Utilities in the same state charge different prices, and on a time-of-use plan the same kWh costs more in the peak hours than off-peak; each utility page shows by how much. Open Xcel Energy’s page to see its plans, prices by hour and fixed charge, or run the calculators below with Colorado preloaded.
Natural gas for homes averaged $1.09 per therm over the 12 months to June 2026 (EIA, all charges included), and a typical gas-heated home uses about 571 therms a year for heating. The heat pump calculator compares that with electric heating on your plan.
A south-facing, 20° rooftop array in Colorado produces about 1,550 kWh per installed kW a year (NREL PVWatts at the state’s population center). What that is worth depends on your utility’s export rule, shown on each utility’s page.
Colorado electricity: common questions
How much does electricity cost in Colorado?
Homes in Colorado paid an average of 17.00¢ per kWh in July 2026, against 18.31¢ for the US, which ranks the state #22 of 51 from most expensive. Over the last 12 months the average was 16.58¢. These are EIA averages of what households actually paid, fixed charges included; your utility and plan set your own price.
What is the average electric bill in Colorado?
About $112 a month ($1,345 a year): the average Colorado home used 676 kWh a month over the last 12 months at an average 16.58¢/kWh. Use peaks in July, at 1,024 kWh.
Are electricity prices going up in Colorado?
Colorado's average residential price was 17.00¢/kWh in July 2026, 6.3% higher than a year earlier. Over the last ten years the 12-month average has changed by +3.3% a year, against +3.6% a year for the US.
How much does it cost to charge an electric car in Colorado?
Driving 1,000 miles a month in a Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD takes 275 kWh from the wall, about $46 at the state's average home price, against about $164 of gasoline for a 25.5 mpg car. On a time-of-use plan, charging overnight can cost less than that.
Do Colorado utilities offer time-of-use plans?
Yes. Xcel Energy offers RE-TOU (peak 5 pm–9 pm on summer weekdays); Colorado Springs Utilities offers ETR (peak 5 pm–9 pm on summer weekdays). Each utility's page shows every period and price.