Methodology
How the bill check works
Every number on this site comes from public U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Nothing is hand-entered.
Your usage compared with similar homes
EIA's Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS 2020) measured a year of electricity use for about 18,000 homes, weighted to represent every U.S. household. We group those homes by climate zone, home size and number of people, and record the spread of their yearly use.
- Your state is matched to the mix of climate zones its households live in.
- If fewer than 40 surveyed homes match exactly, we widen the group, first dropping household size, then home size.
- A single month is converted to a yearly figure using your state's seasonal pattern from EIA monthly sales. A July bill in a hot state is compared with other Julys, not with April.
Your rate compared with the average
Your rate is the amount due divided by the kWh used, so it includes everything on the bill: fixed service charges, surcharges and taxes. The comparison rate is EIA's average: total residential revenue divided by kWh sold. That revenue includes service charges, fuel adjustments and other surcharges, but taxes added to customers' bills, such as sales tax, may not be in it. So a rate a few percent above average can simply be local taxes.
- State averages use the latest 12 months of EIA monthly data, through July 2026. Recent months are preliminary and get revised.
- Utility averages use EIA Form 861 for 2025, the latest final annual data.
- Where a company only sells the energy part (or only delivers it), we add the state average for the other part and label the rate an estimate.
What this can't tell you
- Whether your bill has a mistake. Check meter readings and rate plan with your utility for that.
- Why your usage is high. Electric heat, a pool pump, an EV or an old fridge can each move you up the chart.
- Exact rates for your plan. Averages blend every plan and customer in the area.
Privacy
Your ZIP code is only used in your browser to pick a state and is never sent to us.
When you press Check my bill, we save the state, home size, household size, bill month, kWh, rate and your result, with the date but not the time. We don't save your IP address, ZIP code or any ID, so a saved check can't be traced back to you. These records power the "people who checked here" numbers, which only appear once a state has at least 20 checks.
Result links contain the numbers you entered and nothing else. Opening a shared link isn't counted.