Electricity Rate in Kentucky (2026): 14.26c/kWh Average
The EIA residential electricity price in Kentucky is 14.26 cents per kWh as of June 2026, 4.08c below the US average of 18.34c/kWh. The Kentucky commercial rate is 12.40c/kWh and the industrial rate is 7.15c/kWh (EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A).
Kentucky Electricity Rate: What You Need to Know
Kentucky electricity averages 14.26 cents per kWh for residential customers as of June 2026, according to the EIA Electric Power Monthly. This is 4.08c below the US average of 18.34c/kWh. The average monthly bill for Kentucky households is $149 based on typical usage of 1122 kWh.
Kentucky has some of the cheaper electricity in the country - 14.26c/kWh (June 2026), well below the US average of 18.34c - because it runs on coal more than almost any other state. Coal still generates roughly two-thirds of Kentucky's electricity, with natural gas near a quarter, hydro from the Ohio and Cumberland river dams about 5%, and only a thin renewables slice. That coal-heavy, low-fuel-cost base is the main reason rates stay low, though it also leaves bills exposed as the fleet ages and emissions rules tighten. The market is regulated with no residential retail choice. Three investor-owned utilities serve most households - Louisville Gas and Electric (LG&E) in the Louisville area and Kentucky Utilities (KU) across central and other regions, both owned by PPL Corporation, plus Kentucky Power (an AEP company) in the east - alongside TVA-served areas and a network of rural electric cooperatives. In a 2025 rate case the Kentucky Public Service Commission approved increases well below what the companies sought: about $59 million a year at LG&E and $128 million at KU effective January 1, 2026, lifting the typical LG&E residential electric bill about $5.14 a month and the typical KU bill about $8.73 - roughly half the $11 and $18 increases originally requested - with the utilities agreeing not to raise base rates again until at least August 2028. Kentucky's relatively high average usage of 1,122 kWh per month, driven by widespread electric heating, keeps the typical bill near $149 despite the low per-kWh price.
Generation mix: Coal 66%, natural gas 26%, hydro 5%, renewables 3%. The fuel mix is a primary driver of electricity rates - states with abundant hydro or nuclear tend to have lower rates, while states dependent on imported petroleum (Hawaii) or natural gas pay more.
Year-over-year change: Kentucky rates rose 6.4% year-over-year as of June 2026. This compares to the US average increase of 5% over the same period.
Regulated: You Cannot Switch Electricity Suppliers
LG&E and KU Energy operates as the regulated utility in Kentucky. Retail electricity choice is not available for residential customers. Options for reducing your bill include: time-of-use rate optimization, energy efficiency upgrades, and rooftop solar.
Your Kentucky Electricity Bill Components
State pre-selected in our full bill calculator with TOU and commercial modes.
Open Bill Calculator ->Electric Utilities in Kentucky: 59 Listed (2024 EIA-861)
EIA's Form 861 census records 59 entities with 2024 retail electricity sales in Kentucky: 46 distribution utilities filing the full form, 13 small utilities filing the short form (EIA-861S). By ownership: 30 municipal, 24 cooperative, 4 investor owned, 1 federal. The state-wide average realised residential price in 2024 was 12.79 cents per kWh across 2,077,215 residential customers and 26,085,709 MWh of sales; EIA's latest monthly figure is 14.26c (June 2026). The largest utility by residential accounts served (bundled plus delivery-only) is Kentucky Utilities Co with 450,673 (11.85c per kWh, 22.7% of state residential sales by MWh). 45 of the 46 distribution utilities have a detail page; the rest are listed here only.
| # | Utility | Ownership | Res. accounts | Residential | Commercial | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky Utilities Coalso VA | Investor Owned | 450,673 | 11.85c | 11.60c | 77 |
| 2 | Louisville Gas & Electric Co | Investor Owned | 384,902 | 12.28c | 11.19c | 9 |
| 3 | Duke Energy Kentucky | Investor Owned | 139,405 | 13.44c | 11.35c | 6 |
| 4 | Kentucky Power Co | Investor Owned | 130,852 | 15.07c | 13.34c | 20 |
| 5 | South Kentucky Rural E C Calso TN | Cooperative | 64,877 | 12.92c | 14.61c | 11 |
| 6 | Owen Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 63,984 | 12.55c | 10.71c | 9 |
| 7 | Warren Rural Elec Coop Corp | Cooperative | 60,701 | 11.98c | 13.01c | 8 |
| 8 | Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp | Cooperative | 60,641 | 12.32c | 11.72c | 23 |
| 9 | Salt River Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 53,479 | 10.88c | 10.48c | 10 |
| 10 | Jackson Energy Coop Corp (KY) | Cooperative | 49,423 | 13.66c | 12.21c | 15 |
| 11 | Kenergy Corp | Cooperative | 47,292 | 15.15c | 13.66c | 14 |
| 12 | Pennyrile Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | 40,645 | 13.16c | 13.47c | 8 |
| 13 | Nolin Rural Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 35,855 | 13.08c | 11.65c | 9 |
| 14 | West Kentucky Rural E C C | Cooperative | 32,062 | 13.46c | 14.37c | 6 |
| 15 | Meade County Rural E C C | Cooperative | 29,248 | 14.27c | 13.97c | 6 |
| 16 | City of Bowling Green (KY) | Municipal | 27,181 | 11.48c | 10.58c | 1 |
| 17 | Inter County Energy Coop Corp (KY) | Cooperative | 26,655 | 13.74c | 12.39c | 12 |
| 18 | Clark Energy Coop Inc (KY) | Cooperative | 26,203 | 13.25c | 12.67c | 11 |
| 19 | Taylor County Rural E C C | Cooperative | 24,985 | 13.27c | 11.28c | 9 |
| 20 | Farmers Rural Electric Coop Corp (KY) | Cooperative | 24,889 | 13.08c | 12.55c | 11 |
| 21 | Jackson Purchase Energy Corporation | Cooperative | 23,979 | 15.64c | 8.02c | 6 |
| 22 | Fleming-Mason Energy Coop Inc | Cooperative | 23,666 | 13.05c | 10.76c | 8 |
| 23 | City of Owensboro (KY) | Municipal | 23,286 | 13.42c | 10.66c | 1 |
| 24 | Cumberland Valley Electric, Inc.also TN | Cooperative | 22,478 | 12.87c | 8.04c | 9 |
| 25 | Tri-County Elec Member Corp (TN)also TN | Cooperative | 20,529 | 12.52c | 10.16c | 9 |
| 26 | City of Paducah (KY) | Municipal | 18,863 | 15.55c | 14.27c | 1 |
| 27 | Shelby Energy Coop, Inc (KY) | Cooperative | 17,437 | 13.21c | 10.58c | 10 |
| 28 | City of Frankfort (KY) | Municipal | 17,200 | 11.23c | 9.75c | 3 |
| 29 | Licking Valley Rural E C C | Cooperative | 16,805 | 13.83c | 7.97c | 7 |
| 30 | Grayson Rural Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | 14,429 | 16.07c | 9.97c | 6 |
| 31 | Big Sandy Rural Elec Coop Corp | Cooperative | 11,574 | 13.69c | 12.41c | 8 |
| 32 | Henderson City Utility Comm | Municipal | 10,320 | 10.84c | 9.93c | 1 |
| 33 | City of Hopkinsville | Municipal | 9,832 | 12.53c | 13.08c | 1 |
| 34 | Madisonville Municipal Utils | Municipal | 6,919 | 11.68c | 10.24c | 1 |
| 35 | City of Murray (KY) | Municipal | 6,163 | 13.27c | 10.75c | 1 |
| 36 | City of Glasgow (KY) | Municipal | 5,644 | 13.45c | 11.79c | 1 |
| 37 | City of Berea Municipal Utility | Municipal | 4,722 | 9.04c | 8.61c | 1 |
| 38 | City of Franklin (KY) | Municipal | 4,561 | 12.92c | 12.35c | 1 |
| 39 | City of Mayfield Plant Board | Municipal | 4,348 | 13.37c | 12.33c | 1 |
| 40 | City of Russellville (KY) | Municipal | 3,092 | 11.99c | 12.65c | 1 |
| 41 | Gibson Electric Members Corpalso TN | Cooperative | 2,527 | 13.33c | 12.21c | 4 |
| 42 | City of Benton (KY) | Municipal | 1,889 | 14.07c | 13.18c | 1 |
| 43 | City of Jellicoalso TN | Municipal | 1,763 | 13.11c | 14.96c | 1 |
| 44 | City of Fulton (KY) | Municipal | 1,188 | 13.60c | 12.81c | 1 |
| 45 | City of Hickman | Municipal | 821 | 14.49c | 15.96c | 1 |
| 46 | Tennessee Valley Authorityalso TN, AL, MS, NC | Federal | 0 | n/a | 8.23c | 1 |
Small utilities filing the EIA-861S short form (13): totals across all sectors, no residential split+
| Utility | Ownership | Customers (all) | Avg price (all) | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Nicholasville (KY) | Municipal | 6,784 | 8.90c | 1 |
| City of Bardstown (KY) | Municipal | 4,840 | 8.08c | 1 |
| Barbourville Utility Comm | Municipal | 4,237 | 10.16c | 1 |
| Corbin City Utilities Comm | Municipal | 4,224 | 11.09c | 2 |
| City of Princeton (KY) | Municipal | 3,798 | 11.91c | 1 |
| City of Paris (KY) | Municipal | 3,433 | 9.45c | 1 |
| City of Vanceburg | Municipal | 2,590 | 14.46c | 1 |
| Williamstown Utility Comm | Municipal | 1,682 | 12.23c | 1 |
| City of Providence (KY) | Municipal | 1,324 | 13.61c | 1 |
| City of Olive Hill (KY) | Municipal | 1,257 | 15.08c | 1 |
| City of Falmouth (KY) | Municipal | 1,054 | 12.73c | 1 |
| City of Bardwell (KY) | Municipal | 494 | 12.05c | 1 |
| City of Benham | Municipal | 271 | 13.09c | 1 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 Annual, 2024 final data (public domain), retrieved 28 August 2026; prices are average realised revenue per kWh, not tariffs. Final 2024 file f8612024.zip (released 3 December 2025) from the EIA-861 detailed data files. Preliminary 2025 figures come from the early-release file f8612025er.zip (4 August 2026), which EIA has not yet validated; they are labelled as such wherever shown and never mixed into a final figure.