Electricity rate data sources

Primary data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration electricity datasets, including EIA-826 for monthly state residential retail-rate context and EIA-861 for annual utility references.

These records are public benchmarks, not a substitute for the tariff or account terms that apply to one household. Electricity bills can include fixed charges, taxes, riders, tiered prices, time-of-use periods, credits, and service-specific rules that are outside a state average. The site therefore labels its source form and vintage instead of presenting an estimate as a current utility quote.

What each source supports

• EIA retail-sales API: monthly residential average-rate context by state. The reporting period travels with the stored value so a state page can identify its data vintage.
• EIA-861 annual data: utility-level reference context. It is not used as a live rate quote and should be read with its visible annual vintage.
• EIA electricity data catalog: the public catalog for checking source scope, releases, and documentation.

How wattbenchs uses the records

Production ingestion uses monthly EIA-826 fetches and can use bulk downloads for backfills to avoid unnecessary API load. The adapter stores the state, residential sector, reporting period, cents-per-kWh value, source form, and vintage. When a fresher stored monthly record is available, state pages use it for rate context; otherwise they retain the site's labelled baseline data. Utility pages use EIA-861 only as a separately labelled annual reference.

State averages are a benchmark for interpreting kWh usage and the broad price environment. They are not a replacement for a utility bill, a plan disclosure, or a customer-specific quote. A newer page does not make an older source period current, and a newer source period still does not establish the exact charges on an individual account.

Reader verification checklist

1. Check the source form and vintage shown on the wattbenchs page.
2. Compare the benchmark with the billing period and kWh on the actual utility bill.
3. Open the utility's current tariff, plan disclosure, or customer notice for account-specific rates and fees.
4. For affordability programs, confirm deadlines, funding, documents, and program eligibility with the administering agency; a guide cannot determine eligibility.
5. Send a correction request through the contact page with the page URL, the disputed item, and a public supporting source.

Limits and corrections

Source links document the inputs used for public context. They do not certify a provider, recommend a plan, or guarantee savings. When a public source changes or a page needs clarification, the editorial process can update, qualify, or remove the affected statement. Read the methodology for the estimate boundary and the editorial policy for source, correction, and advertising-separation standards.