Electricity Rate in New Hampshire (2026): 27.33c/kWh Average

New Hampshire electricity averages 27.33 cents per kWh for residential customers as of May 2026, according to the EIA Electric Power Monthly. This is 8.89c above the US average of 18.44c/kWh. The average monthly bill for New Hampshire households is $156 based on typical usage of 634 kWh.

New Hampshire's 27.33c/kWh rate (May 2026) jumped about 13.8% year over year - one of the steepest increases in the country - driven by New England's wholesale power market rather than anything specific to the state. Four distribution utilities serve New Hampshire: Eversource New Hampshire is by far the largest (around 70% of customers), followed by Unitil (Unitil Energy Systems), Liberty Utilities, and the rural New Hampshire Electric Cooperative. New Hampshire is a deregulated state with retail choice: households can stay on their utility's "Default Energy Service", pick a competitive supplier, or join a Community Power program (municipal aggregation). The default supply rate resets twice a year, on February 1 and August 1 - Eversource's residential default supply rate was about 11.3c/kWh for the February-July 2026 period, the supply-only portion that sits beneath the 27.33c all-in EIA average. The sharp 2026 increase traces to the most expensive winter in ISO-New England market history: the coldest winter in roughly 20 years drove natural gas (which sets New England's wholesale power price) and pipeline-constrained supply costs to record levels. New Hampshire's own generation is unusually clean and gas-light - the Seabrook nuclear plant supplies roughly 56% of in-state generation, with natural gas near 25% - but the regional wholesale market still sets the price households pay. Community Power has grown fast, covering dozens of municipalities and several counties by 2025, and has become the main way New Hampshire residents beat the default rate.

Generation mix: Nuclear 56%, natural gas 28%, hydro 7%, wind and biomass 9%. 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: New Hampshire rates rose 13.8% year-over-year as of May 2026. This compares to the US average increase of 6.2% over the same period.