The most expensive power in America
Hawaiian Electric's average residential electricity price has risen from 28.02 cents per kWh in 2015 to 40.54 cents in 2025, an increase of about 45 percent, or roughly 3.8 percent per year. The chart shows Hawaiian Electric's average residential price by year. Hover any point for the exact figure.
The export menu since NEM died
13.5 cents at noon, 32.9 cents at dinner
Hawaii retired retail net metering in 2015, long before California made headlines doing the same. New rooftop systems join Smart Renewable Energy Export, which pays fixed credits of 13.5 cents per kWh for daytime exports, 18.9 overnight, and 32.9 cents during the 5 to 9 pm evening peak, locked for 7 years at enrollment. The 2.4x gap between midday and evening export value is the whole battery argument on one line: store the noon surplus, sell it back at dinner.
Current residential rates
Hawaiian Electric residential rates are shown below, from the utility's published tariffs and the public Utility Rate Database. Rates vary by plan, season, and usage and change over time.
| Plan | Energy charge | Fixed / basic |
|---|---|---|
| Residential Schedule R (Oahu), effective July 1, 2026 | Effective all-in energy rates of 44.06 cents/kWh for the first 350 kWh, 45.45 cents for the next 850, and 47.72 cents above 1,200 kWh, dominated by a 27.3 cent per kWh energy cost recovery component that resets monthly with fuel prices. | $13.90/month effective customer charge (single phase), $30.22 minimum bill |
| Optional residential TOU (Schedule ARD TOU R) | 22.5 cents/kWh daytime (9 am to 5 pm), 44.7 cents overnight, 66.9 cents during the 5 to 9 pm evening peak. The cheap daytime window is deliberately aligned with solar production. | $8.39 customer charge plus an $11.34 monthly grid access charge |
Figures are Oahu effective rates filed July 1, 2026, including the energy cost recovery clause and surcharges; HECO's rates move monthly with fuel costs, and Maui County and Hawaii Island run higher on some blocks. The 2025 series point (40.54 cents) is Hawaiian Electric's own published Oahu residential average for calendar 2025. A two year rate reset now before the PUC would raise Oahu revenue 3.5 percent in 2027 and 1.5 percent in 2028.
The export menu that replaced net metering
Hawaii retired retail net metering in 2015, and the current door for new rooftop solar is the Smart Renewable Energy family of programs. The export option pays fixed, time varying credits on Oahu of 13.5 cents per kWh for daytime exports, 18.9 cents overnight, and 32.9 cents during the 5 to 9 pm evening peak, locked for 7 years at enrollment and refreshed every 3 years after that. A non export option, a battery program (BYOD Plus, whose export credits do not expire), and shared solar round out the menu, while the legacy NEM, Customer Grid Supply, and Battery Bonus programs are closed to new customers. The structure heavily rewards batteries that shift solar into the evening peak, where the export credit is nearly two and a half times the daytime rate.
What rising Hawaiian Electric rates could cost you
Hawaiian Electric rates have risen about 3.8% per year. Enter your bill to see what that pace of increase could compound to over time, and what you have likely already absorbed. This is an estimate, not a guarantee.
Estimate only. Projects your current bill forward at Hawaiian Electric's historical average rate increase (3.8% per year, from EIA data); it assumes your usage stays the same except for any add-ons you select. Actual rates depend on your usage, rate plan, and the utility's future filings, and are not guaranteed. This is general information, not financial advice.
What 40-plus cents does to the math
Self-consumed solar on Oahu replaces some of the most expensive grid power in America, 44 to 48 cents per kWh at July 2026 effective rates, so the savings side of the equation is stronger here than anywhere on the mainland.
The export side is deliberately shaped: daytime credits are about a third of retail, evening credits about three quarters, and the optional TOU rate prices 9 am to 5 pm power at just 22.5 cents to soak up solar. Almost every new system here pairs with a battery, and the pending 2027 to 2028 rate reset would push retail higher still. Get an island-specific quote, since Maui County and Hawaii Island rates differ from Oahu's.
Hawaiian Electric service area
Hawaiian Electric serves Oahu, plus Maui County and Hawaii Island through its Maui Electric and Hawaii Electric Light units. Hawaiian Electric serves 95 percent of Hawaii's 1.4 million residents; each island has its own rate schedule, and the figures on this page are Oahu's..
To confirm whether a specific address is served by Hawaiian Electric, check your electricity bill. A ZIP lookup tool is coming to this site.
Full data and sources
Per-utility prices are computed from EIA Form 861 (bundled residential revenue divided by sales), which reconciles to the EIA's published figures. These are public-domain U.S. government data.
| Year | Hawaiian Electric (c/kWh) |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 28.02 |
| 2016 | 26.07 |
| 2017 | 28.22 |
| 2018 | 31.18 |
| 2019 | 31.04 |
| 2020 | 28.74 |
| 2021 | 32.47 |
| 2022 | 43.43 |
| 2023 | 43.22 |
| 2024 | 42.87 |
| 2025 | 40.54 |
Sources: EIA Form 861, Sales to Ultimate Customers (2015 to 2024) · Hawaiian Electric, Effective Rate Summary, July 2026 · Hawaiian Electric, average price of electricity · Hawaiian Electric, Smart Renewable Energy Export · Hawaiian Electric, customer renewable programs
FAQ
Why are Hawaiian Electric rates so high?
Each island runs an isolated grid with no mainland interconnection, historically fueled by imported oil, and rates move monthly with fuel costs through an energy cost recovery clause. Oahu's 2025 residential average was 40.54 cents per kWh by the utility's own published figure, with July 2026 effective rates of 44 to 48 cents depending on usage.
Does Hawaiian Electric still offer net metering?
No. Hawaii closed retail net metering to new customers in 2015. New systems use the Smart Renewable Energy programs, where the export option pays fixed time-varying credits, 13.5 cents daytime, 18.9 overnight, and 32.9 cents during the 5 to 9 pm peak on Oahu, locked for 7 years at enrollment.
Do I need a battery for solar in Hawaii?
The rate design strongly rewards one: exports at midday earn 13.5 cents while evening grid power costs roughly 67 cents on the TOU rate, so shifting solar into the evening captures several times its export value. Non-export and battery programs like BYOD Plus exist specifically for storage-first setups.
Are rates going up again?
A rate reset before the Hawaii PUC would raise Oahu revenue about 3.5 percent in 2027 and 1.5 percent in 2028, roughly 8 dollars a month for a typical bill in 2027 if approved. Month to month, rates already move with fuel prices through the energy cost recovery clause.