Electricity rates — Tennessee
EIA puts the average residential price in Tennessee at 13.5¢ per kWh over the 12 months to June 2026, the 8th-lowest of 51 against 17.9¢ for the US. The 5 ranked plans below come from utilities serving about 35% of its homes, so they are listed, not presented as the state's price. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- Average price
- 13.5¢ per kWh
- 12 months to June 2026
- Against the 12 months before
- +4.7%
- The 36th-largest rise of the 50 states
- Average bill
- $163 a month
- 12 months to June 2026, up 6.5% on the 12 months before, and homes used 1.8% more
Every priced plan in Tennessee, 1,000 kWh/mo
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential✓ cheapestMiddle Tennessee E M Cflat rate · in effect since April 2026 | $1,680.72 | — | 14.0¢ |
| Time-of-Use Residential - NITEFLEXMiddle Tennessee E M Ctime-of-use · in effect since April 2026 | $1,710.16 | +$29.44 | 14.3¢ |
| RS Time-of-Use Residential RateCity of Memphis, Tennessee (Utility Company)time-of-use · in effect since March 2026 | $1,826.45 | +$145.73 | 15.2¢ |
| RS Residential Service (500 kWh - 2000kWh)Nashville Electric Servicepriced by season · in effect since March 2026 | $1,850.36 | +$169.64 | 15.4¢ |
| RS Standard Residential RateCity of Memphis, Tennessee (Utility Company)priced by season · tiered · in effect since March 2026 | $1,898.46 | +$217.74 | 15.8¢ |
| Priced but not ranked — restricted, older, or not verifiable as a bill | |||
| Residential - Thermal StorageSouth Kentucky Rural Electric Coop Corp (Tennessee)flat rate · in effect since April 2012 · older schedule, not ranked | $816.12 | −$864.60 | 6.8¢ |
| ResidentialSouth Kentucky Rural Electric Coop Corp (Tennessee)flat rate · in effect since April 2012 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,179.00 | −$501.72 | 9.8¢ |
| Schedule RSKnoxville Utilities Boardpriced by season · in effect since June 2019 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,301.48 | −$379.24 | 10.8¢ |
| ResidentialVolunteer Electric Cooppriced by season · tiered · in effect since July 2018 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,337.12 | −$343.60 | 11.1¢ |
| Residential Rate (RS)Cumberland Elec Member Corpflat rate · in effect since June 2018 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,529.64 | −$151.08 | 12.7¢ |
| Residential RS(122)City of Clarksville, Tennessee (Utility Company)flat rate · in effect since June 2015 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,619.64 | −$61.08 | 13.5¢ |
| RS Residential Service (Less than 500 kWh)Nashville Electric Servicepriced by season · in effect since March 2026 · needs a household using under 500 kWh a month | $1,757.60 | +$76.88 | 14.6¢ |
| Supplemental Residential (SRS)Middle Tennessee E M Cflat rate · in effect since April 2026 · a supplemental service class | $1,885.32 | +$204.60 | 15.7¢ |
| RS Residential Service (2000 kWh - 4000kWh)Nashville Electric Servicepriced by season · in effect since March 2026 · needs a household using 2,000 to 4,000 kWh a month | $1,946.36 | +$265.64 | 16.2¢ |
| RS Residential Service (4000 kWh - 6000kWh)Nashville Electric Servicepriced by season · in effect since March 2026 · needs a household using 4,000 to 6,000 kWh a month | $2,021.36 | +$340.64 | 16.8¢ |
| RS Residential Service (Over 6000kWh)Nashville Electric Servicepriced by season · in effect since March 2026 · needs a household using over 6,000 kWh a month | $2,093.84 | +$413.12 | 17.4¢ |
The cheapest plan in Tennessee at each level of use
- 500 kWh/mo — cheapest $971.24 (Residential), dearest $1,070.96, a $99.72 range
- 1,000 kWh/mo — cheapest $1,680.72 (Residential), dearest $1,898.46, a $217.74 range
- 2,000 kWh/mo — cheapest $3,099.72 (Residential), dearest $3,608.66, a $508.94 range
What households in Tennessee pay, by EIA's count
Tennessee sits between Utah (13.4¢) and Oklahoma (13.6¢).
EIA lists 87 utilities serving homes in Tennessee. By homes served, the largest 5 are Nashville Electric Service (417,640), City of Memphis - (TN) (380,286), Middle Tennessee E M C (307,370), Knoxville Utilities Board (193,707), and City of Chattanooga - (TN) (164,417). Municipal utilities supply about 66% and member-owned cooperatives supply about 33% of its households.
Tennessee homes used the most electricity in July and the least in November (2021–2025): a summer peak, 1.7 times the lightest month. November was the dearest month per kWh, 11% above February.
The utilities with a ranked plan on this page serve about 35% of Tennessee's households: Nashville Electric Service (417,640), City of Memphis, Tennessee (Utility Company) (380,286), Middle Tennessee E M C (307,370). That is less than half the state, so the plans below describe those utilities, not Tennessee; EIA's figure is the state's. Their median plan at 1,000 kWh a month works out to 15.2¢ per kWh.
| Average price, 12 months to June 2026 | 13.5¢ |
|---|---|
| Among the 50 states and DC | 8 of 51, 1 = lowest |
| US average, same months | 17.9¢ |
| Change on the 12 months before | ↑ +4.7% |
| Change over five years | ↑ +25.6% (US ↑ +34.7%) |
| Average price in 2001 | 6.3¢ |
| Households, 2024 | 3,166,103 |
| Average use per home, 2024 | 1,154 kWh a month (US 872) |
| Average bill per home, 2024 | $143.32 a month (US $143.64) |
Chart of this for reuse (PNG), free to republish under CC BY 4.0 with credit to WattClear.
Every year’s figure for Tennessee
| Year | Tennessee | US |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13.2¢ | 17.3¢ |
| 2024 | 12.4¢ | 16.5¢ |
| 2023 | 12.2¢ | 16.0¢ |
| 2022 | 12.2¢ | 15.0¢ |
| 2021 | 11.1¢ | 13.7¢ |
| 2020 | 10.8¢ | 13.2¢ |
| 2019 | 10.9¢ | 13.0¢ |
| 2018 | 10.7¢ | 12.9¢ |
| 2017 | 10.7¢ | 12.9¢ |
| 2016 | 10.4¢ | 12.5¢ |
| 2015 | 10.3¢ | 12.7¢ |
| 2014 | 10.3¢ | 12.5¢ |
| 2013 | 10.0¢ | 12.1¢ |
| 2012 | 10.1¢ | 11.9¢ |
| 2011 | 10.0¢ | 11.7¢ |
| 2010 | 9.2¢ | 11.5¢ |
| 2009 | 9.3¢ | 11.5¢ |
| 2008 | 8.9¢ | 11.3¢ |
| 2007 | 7.8¢ | 10.7¢ |
| 2006 | 7.8¢ | 10.4¢ |
| 2005 | 7.0¢ | 9.4¢ |
| 2004 | 6.9¢ | 8.9¢ |
| 2003 | 6.5¢ | 8.7¢ |
| 2002 | 6.4¢ | 8.4¢ |
| 2001 | 6.3¢ | 8.6¢ |
Highest in August, $183; lowest in May, $111.
Every month’s bill in Tennessee
| Month | Average bill |
|---|---|
| January | $167 |
| February | $160 |
| March | $129 |
| April | $111 |
| May | $111 |
| June | $143 |
| July | $183 |
| August | $183 |
| September | $154 |
| October | $117 |
| November | $113 |
| December | $145 |
In the guides: Summer and winter bills, state by state
What each provider in Tennessee costs
3 utilities serve customers across Tennessee in this data. At 1,000 kWh a month the cheapest of them is Middle Tennessee E M C at $1,680.72 a year on Residential; the dearest is Nashville Electric Service at $1,850.36.
That is $169.64 a year between the best each provider offers.
Cheapest available plan by provider: Middle Tennessee E M C $1,680.72; City of Memphis, Tennessee (Utility Company) $1,826.45; Nashville Electric Service $1,850.36.
How Tennessee's plans are structured
Of 16 priceable plans: 2 tiered, 2 time-of-use, 8 priced by season, 6 flat-rate.
Fixed monthly charges run from $11.71 to $44.58.
Who provides Tennessee's plans
These plans come from 8 utilities: City of Clarksville, Tennessee (Utility Company), City of Memphis, Tennessee (Utility Company), Cumberland Elec Member Corp, Knoxville Utilities Board, Middle Tennessee E M C, Nashville Electric Service, South Kentucky Rural Electric Coop Corp (Tennessee), Volunteer Electric Coop.