Electricity costs for a 2,000 square foot home vary by a factor of 2x or more depending on where you live, how you heat and cool, and the age of your appliances. The national average is roughly $120 per month, but that number is meaningless for budgeting because it averages homes in cheap-electricity Idaho with homes in expensive-electricity Connecticut.
The EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration) tracks residential electricity prices by state. As of 2025, rates range from $0.08 per kWh in states with abundant hydropower (Washington, Idaho) to $0.30+ per kWh in Hawaii and parts of New England. A 2,000 sqft home using 10,000 kWh per year pays $800 in Washington versus $3,000 in Massachusetts. Same house, same usage, 3.75x cost difference.
Climate drives the other major variable. Air conditioning in Houston costs $100 to $200 per month during summer. Heating with an electric heat pump in Minnesota adds $150 to $250 per month in winter. A home in San Diego with mild year-round temperatures might spend $60 per month total. This calculator lets you adjust both your rate and your home size to produce an estimate tailored to your situation.
Understanding your baseline cost is the first step toward reducing it. Once you know your estimated monthly bill, you can evaluate whether insulation upgrades, solar panels, or appliance replacements will produce meaningful savings.
A 2000 sqft home averages $90 to $220 per month in electricity depending on region, with the national average around $120.
The calculator uses a simple consumption model: national average residential electricity consumption is about 10,500 kWh per year for a home of roughly 2,300 sqft (the national median). For a 2,000 sqft home, consumption scales linearly to about 9,130 kWh per year. This baseline adjusts proportionally for other home sizes.
Monthly cost = (annual kWh / 12) x your electricity rate. At the national average rate of $0.14 per kWh: 9,130 / 12 x $0.14 = $106 per month. At California rates ($0.25/kWh): $190 per month. At Pacific Northwest rates ($0.09/kWh): $68 per month.
These are baseline estimates. Actual bills vary based on HVAC system type and age, insulation quality, number of occupants, and seasonal extremes. Homes with electric heating in cold climates can exceed the baseline by 40 to 60 percent in winter months. Homes with gas heating and mild summers may run 20 to 30 percent below the baseline year-round.
Use this estimate when budgeting for a new home purchase, comparing your current bill to regional averages, evaluating whether your bill is unusually high, or projecting the impact of rate increases. If your actual bill exceeds this estimate by more than 30 percent, your home may have insulation deficiencies, an inefficient HVAC system, or energy-wasting habits worth investigating. Start with the insulation calculator to evaluate upgrade potential.