Sunprint
At a glance
Summer. In federal EIA data for 2025, the average home's highest electric bill came in August in Florida ($222), August in Texas ($232), September in California ($200) and July in New York ($219). In each state, the peak month cost 1.7 to 1.8 times as much as the cheapest one, and June through September made up 39% to 42% of the whole year's electric bills.
The cheapest months were in spring: March in Florida, and April in Texas, California and New York. 2024 looked much the same, with every state's highest bill in July or August.
Every state, month by month
The average residential bill each month of 2025, all charges included:
Average bill = residential revenue divided by residential customers, by state and month. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861M, 2025 final data. EIA reports by billing month, so each figure mostly covers power used in the weeks before the bill.
Why summer costs more: it's use, not price
Through 2025, the price per kWh changed only a little in Florida, Texas and New York. What changed was how much power homes used. In Texas, the average home used 1,508 kWh on its August bill and 826 on its April bill, at almost the same price. California is the exception: its price also rose in summer, from 27.8 cents in April to 31.9 in September, on top of higher use.
| State | Highest bill | Lowest bill | Peak vs low | June to September share of the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | August$222, 1,451 kWh at 15.3¢ | March$131, 875 kWh at 15.0¢ | 1.7× | 41% |
| Texas | August$232, 1,508 kWh at 15.4¢ | April$128, 826 kWh at 15.5¢ | 1.8× | 42% |
| California | September$200, 627 kWh at 31.9¢ | April$110, 397 kWh at 27.8¢ | 1.8× | 40% |
| New York | July$219, 837 kWh at 26.2¢ | April$120, 468 kWh at 25.6¢ | 1.8× | 39% |
Average residential bill, use per home and price per kWh for the month. Source: EIA Form 861M, 2025.
Summer heat drives that use. Florida and Texas homes use far more power than California and New York homes in most months, so their summer bills are high even though their prices are about half of California's.
The smaller winter bump
Bills rise a second time in winter, but less. In 2025, January's average bill was $174 in Texas, $172 in New York, $166 in California and $153 in Florida, each above its state's spring low. Use rose again, to 1,186 kWh in Texas and 678 in New York. The bump is smallest in Florida, where January use was 1,057 kWh against 1,451 in August.
Solar through the year
Panels make the most power when days are long and skies are clear. In NREL's model of a south-facing roof, June through September produce 39% of a year's output in Dallas, 39% in Los Angeles and 40% in New York City, about the same share of the year as those states' summer bills. Florida is different: in Tampa, March through May are the best months, 29% of the year in three months, and the summer rainy season, with its afternoon clouds, drops June through September to 32%.
Bills: each month's share of the state's 2025 total, EIA Form 861M. Solar: each month's share of a year's output from 1 kW of panels facing south at a 20 degree tilt, NREL PVWatts version 8, typical weather.
Solar still makes a lot of power in a Florida summer, just not the most. The point of the charts is what happens to power your panels make when your home doesn't need it, which depends on where you live.
How extra solar credit carries from month to month
Florida
At FPL, Duke Energy Florida, TECO and FPU, power you send to the grid is credited to the next month's bill, credits can build up for up to 12 months, and at the end of the year the utility pays for unused credits at its as-available energy rate, under the Public Service Commission's net metering rule. So spring's extra output can carry into the summer. City utilities and co-ops set their own rules: see our Florida net metering guide.
Texas
In areas of Texas with a choice of electricity provider, what you're paid for power you send back is part of your contract with your retail provider, and the Public Utility Commission says it's usually lower than the retail price you pay. City utilities and co-ops set their own buyback rates. Our Texas buyback plans guide compares the terms.
California
New systems since April 15, 2023 are on net billing: power sent to the grid earns hourly export credits based on the state's avoided cost values, usually lower than what you pay for power, and the year's charges and credits are settled at an annual true-up, according to the California Public Utilities Commission.
New York
The Public Service Commission's rules for new home systems credit power sent to the grid at the same per-kWh rate you pay and carry extra credit forward to later bills, for 20 years, with no cash payout for leftover credit.
For Florida and Texas, our guides on the best time to install solar in Florida and in Texas cover permits, weather and timing in more detail.
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Common questions
What month is the electric bill highest?
Usually a summer month. In 2025 federal EIA data, the average home's biggest bill came in August in Florida, August in Texas, September in California and July in New York. In 2024, every one of those states peaked in July or August.
Why is my electric bill so high in summer?
Mostly because you use more power. In Florida, Texas and New York the price per kWh changed only a little through 2025, while use on the summer peak bill was about 1.7 to 1.8 times the spring low. In California, the price also rose in summer.
What month has the lowest electric bill?
A spring month. In 2025 it was March in Florida and April in Texas, California and New York, in federal EIA data.
Why is my electric bill high in January?
Use rises again in winter. In 2025 the average January bill was $174 in Texas and $172 in New York, above each state's spring low, though below the summer peak.
Do solar panels make more power in summer?
In most places, yes. In NREL's model, June through September make about 39% of a year's output in Dallas and 40% in New York City. In Tampa, the best months are March through May, before Florida's summer rainy season.
Related guides
- Solar savings calculator, every state
- Why is my electric bill so high in Florida?
- Why is my electric bill so high in Texas?
- Average electric bill in Florida
- Average electric bill in Texas
- Best time to install solar in Florida
Averages are for each state's homes as a whole; your own bill depends on your home, your utility and the weather. Sources: U.S. EIA: Form EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue, 2024 and 2025 · NREL: PVWatts · National Weather Service Melbourne, The Florida Rain Machine · Florida Administrative Code Rule 25-6.065 · PUCT: Thinking about solar panels for your home? · CPUC: Net Energy Metering and Net Billing · NY PSC, Case 15-E-0751, order of August 13, 2021 (PDF copy). Reviewed November 2026.
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