Wire & Watts

Electricity cost in Louisiana, 2026

Homes in Louisiana paid an average of 13.35¢ per kWh from January–July 2026 — 27% below the U.S. average of 18.19¢, and up 5.9% from the same months of 2025. That ranks 5th cheapest of the 50 states and DC.

Updated by Biel Vazquez · Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B

$36.05a month (30 days)

Per hour of use
$0.20
Per day
$1.20 · 9.00 kWh
Per month
270.0 kWh
Per year
$438.55 · 3,285 kWh

Wattage on the nameplate is the maximum. Thermostat-controlled appliances (fridges, heaters, AC) cycle, so their real cost is usually lower; a plug-in meter tells you exactly.

What appliances cost to run in Louisiana

At 13.35¢/kWh, 30-day month. Your utility's rate and fixed charges will differ; your bill's total divided by its kWh is your real price.

ApplianceWattsh/dayPer monthPer year
Refrigerator (modern, ENERGY STAR)15010$6.01$73.09
Central AC, 3 ton3,5008$112.14$1,364
Window AC, 10,000 BTU9008$28.84$350.84
Space heater1,5006$36.05$438.55
Electric water heater4,5003$54.07$657.82
Electric clothes dryer5,4000.75$16.22$197.35
Dehumidifier78512$37.73$459.01
55" LED TV1005$2.00$24.36
Desktop computer1208$3.84$46.78
Gaming PC under load4503$5.41$65.78
Wi-Fi router + modem2524$2.40$29.24
Level 2 EV charging, 32 A7,6801.50$46.14$561.34

Louisiana compared with its neighbors

Louisiana is in the EIA's West South Central region. July's price (12.72¢) was below the year-to-date average. It had the lowest price in its region.

State¢/kWh 2026 YTDChange vs 2025National rank
Louisiana13.35+5.9%5 of 51
Oklahoma13.58+7.8%7 of 51
Arkansas13.61+8.0%8 of 51
Texas16.06+5.7%27 of 51

Charging an EV in Louisiana

At this price, a car that goes 3.5 miles per kWh costs about $4.24 per 100 miles charged at home (counting 10% charging losses). A 40-mile daily commute adds about $50.86 a month to the bill. Size the circuit with the EV charger calculator.

Solar panels in Louisiana

NREL's PVWatts model puts a south-facing, 20° roof array in New Orleans at about 1,479 kWh per kW of panels a year (5.3 peak sun hours a day). Covering the average US home's 899 kWh a month takes about 7.3 kW, or 19 panels of 400 W; at 13.35¢/kWh that power is worth about $1,501 a year. Output peaks in May (149 kWh per kW) and bottoms out in Jan (93). Run your own numbers in the solar panel calculator.

Running backup power instead

A 7.5 kW portable generator at half load burns about 0.75 gallons of gasoline an hour, roughly 3.75 kWh. At $3.20 a gallon that is about 64¢ per kWh — 4.8 times Louisiana's grid price. Generators are for outages, not savings. Compare with the fuel consumption calculator.

Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Tables 5.6.B (year to date) and 5.6.A (month), July 2026 data, preliminary. All states.