The average electricity cost for small business accounts starts at 14.04¢ per kWh, the U.S. commercial average for January through August 2026, according to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA). At that price, average commercial usage costs about $899.44 a month (plus taxes and fees).
Don’t budget off either number. Both blend corner shops with office towers, hiding the two things that set your bill: how many kWh you use, and how hard you pull power at your busiest moment. Below, we estimate costs by business type in Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, then show the demand math.
Key Takeaways
- From January through August 2026, the EIA’s average commercial price was 8.60¢ per kWh in Texas, 13.61¢ in Ohio, and 13.90¢ in Pennsylvania.
- Usage moves the bill as much as price: the average Texas commercial account used about 9,509 kWh a month in 2025, roughly double the Pennsylvania average.
- Per square foot, restaurants use about three times the electricity of offices, based on the EIA’s 2018 survey of commercial buildings.
- If you have a demand meter, a higher peak can add hundreds of dollars a month at the same kWh.
What a Small Business Pays for Electricity on Average
The EIA publishes two figures worth knowing: the average commercial price per kWh each month, and how much the average commercial account uses, from every utility’s annual sales and customer counts. Multiply the two for a current average monthly bill.
| Market | Average monthly use (2025) | Estimated average monthly bill at Jan to Aug 2026 prices | Average price, Jan to Aug 2026 |
| United States | 6,406 kWh | $899.44 | 14.04¢ |
| Texas | 9,509 kWh | $817.76 | 8.60¢ |
| Ohio | 7,699 kWh | $1,047.86 | 13.61¢ |
| Pennsylvania | 4,522 kWh | $628.49 | 13.90¢ |
The 2026 prices come from the EIA’s Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.B (year-to-date). The 2025 usage comes from the EIA’s annual electric power industry data (Form EIA-861), released in October 2026, and each bill estimate multiplies that usage by the state’s January to August 2026 price (plus taxes and fees).
One thing stands out: Texas has the lowest price but the highest usage. Its average bill lands close to the national figure even though its price per kWh is far lower.
See current rates. Compare commercial plans for your state, with business rates updated daily. Shop Commercial Rates
Why Your Bill May Not Match the Average
The EIA’s average price is total commercial revenue divided by total commercial kWh, so the biggest buildings carry the most weight. Your own bill can land well above or below it.
- Usage. Square footage, operating hours, and equipment set your kWh. A 24-hour store and a weekday office of the same size are very different customers.
- Demand. Larger accounts pay part of their delivery charge based on their peak kW, so two businesses with identical kWh can get different bills.
- Season. Cooling loads climb in summer, so a July bill can run well above an April bill.
- Location. Each utility sets its own delivery charges, approved by the state regulator.
- Signing date. A fixed rate locks the supply price on the day you sign, so the business next to yours that signed last year will pay different rates.
Treat the average as a reference point, and treat twelve months of your own bills as the real benchmark.
Estimate Your Bill by Business Type
The quickest estimate starts with square footage. The EIA’s 2018 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) reports average electricity use per square foot for each building type, and we multiplied that by a sample floor size and each state’s January to August 2026 commercial price.
To run it for your own space:
- Find your building type’s annual kWh per square foot in the table below.
- Multiply by your square footage, then divide by 12 for a monthly figure.
- Multiply that monthly kWh by your state’s average price per kWh.
| Business type (CBECS category) | Sample size | kWh per sq ft per year | Estimated monthly kWh | Texas (8.60¢ average) | Ohio (13.61¢ averge) | Pennsylvania (13.90¢ average) |
| Small office (office) | 2,000 sq ft | 13.6 | 2,267 | $194.93 | $308.49 | $315.07 |
| Retail shop (retail other than mall) | 3,000 sq ft | 13.7 | 3,425 | $294.55 | $466.14 | $476.07 |
| Restaurant (food service) | 2,500 sq ft | 43.8 | 9,125 | $784.75 | $1,241.91 | $1,268.38 |
| Convenience store or grocery (food sales) | 3,000 sq ft | 53.3 | 13,325 | $1,145.95 | $1,813.53 | $1,852.17 |
| Medical clinic (outpatient health care) | 2,500 sq ft | 17.4 | 3,625 | $311.75 | $493.36 | $503.88 |
| Warehouse (warehouse and storage) | 10,000 sq ft | 5.8 | 4,833 | $415.67 | $657.82 | $671.83 |
Read these as planning estimates (plus taxes and fees):
- The kWh per square foot figures are 2018 national averages for each building type.
- The price is an all-in average across every commercial customer in the state, so a demand-billed account can pay more per kWh.
- Hours, equipment age, and insulation move your real number up or down.
Small Office
An office averaged 13.6 kWh per square foot a year in the CBECS data, one of the lighter loads on the list.
- A 2,000-square-foot office comes to about 2,267 kWh a month.
- Estimated cost: $194.93 a month in Texas, $308.49 in Ohio, and $315.07 in Pennsylvania.
- Check your lease first. Some landlords let you put the meter in your name; others pass electricity through as an allocated charge you can’t shop.
Retail Shop
Stand-alone stores averaged 13.7 kWh per square foot, nearly the same as offices.
- A 3,000 square foot shop uses about 3,425 kWh a month.
- Estimated cost: $294.55 in Texas, $466.14 in Ohio, and $476.07 in Pennsylvania.
- A storefront in a strip or enclosed mall sits in a separate CBECS category that averaged 19.6 kWh per square foot, so expect more if you share a center.
Restaurant
Food service buildings averaged 43.8 kWh per square foot, about 3.2 times the office figure.
- A 2,500-square-foot restaurant uses about 9,125 kWh a month.
- Estimated cost: $784.75 in Texas, $1,241.91 in Ohio, and $1,268.38 in Pennsylvania.
- Run the demand math too. Even a perfectly flat 9,125 kWh month averages about 12.7 kW of draw (9,125 kWh divided by the 720 hours in a 30-day month). That pushes you over Texas’ 10 kW line where you start getting billed for demand.
Our page on electricity for restaurants covers shopping for a kitchen-heavy account.
Convenience Store or Grocery
Food sales buildings, which CBECS defines to include grocery stores and convenience stores with or without a gas station, averaged 53.3 kWh per square foot. That’s the highest of the six types here.
- A 3,000-square-foot store uses about 13,325 kWh a month.
- Estimated cost: $1,145.95 in Texas, $1,813.53 in Ohio, and $1,852.17 in Pennsylvania.
- If your coolers run around the clock, your use is steady, which means a high load factor and a lower demand charge per kWh.
Medical Clinic
CBECS counts a medical office as outpatient health care only if it uses diagnostic equipment; otherwise, it falls under offices. Outpatient buildings averaged 17.4 kWh per square foot.
- A 2,500-square-foot clinic uses about 3,625 kWh a month.
- Estimated cost: $311.75 in Texas, $493.36 in Ohio, and $503.88 in Pennsylvania.
- Imaging or lab equipment may set a high peak demand in a short burst, so check the kW line on your bill.
Warehouse or Storage
Warehouses averaged just 5.8 kWh per square foot, the lowest of the six.
- A 10,000 square foot warehouse uses about 4,833 kWh a month.
- Estimated cost: $415.67 in Texas, $657.82 in Ohio, and $671.83 in Pennsylvania.
- The CBECS category blends refrigerated and non-refrigerated space, so a cold-storage site should expect well above the average.
Small business prices by state. See how ElectricityPlans helps small businesses shop electricity in Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Explore Small Business Electricity
How to Read the Four Parts of a Business Electric Bill
Every small business bill in these three states breaks into the same four pieces, though the names change at the state line. Our guide on reading your business electricity bill walks through a Texas bill line by line.
| Bill part | What it pays for | Texas Line Item | Ohio and Pennsylvania Line Item | Can you shop it? |
| Energy or supply | The electricity itself, per kWh | Energy charge from your Retail Electric Provider (REP) | Generation or supply charge from your supplier or the utility’s default service | Yes |
| Delivery | Poles, wires, and meters, as fixed monthly charges plus per-kWh or per-kW charges | TDU delivery charges, passed through on your REP’s bill | Distribution charges from your utility | No |
| Demand | Your highest kW draw in the billing cycle, on larger accounts | Part of TDU delivery on demand-billed service | Set by your utility’s tariff | No, but you can lower your peak |
| Taxes and fees | State and local taxes and regulatory charges | Listed on your REP’s bill | Listed on your utility bill | No |
A few state details matter:
- Texas. Oncor, one of the Texas transmission and distribution utilities (TDUs), bills its two most common business schedules by size: Secondary Service up to 10 kW, and Secondary Service over 10 kW, where the distribution charge is set by billing kW, per its Delivery Charges 101 page.
- Texas disclosure. Under 16 TAC 25.475, a small commercial Electricity Facts Label (EFL) shows average prices at 1,500, 2,500, and 3,500 kWh, assuming a 30 percent load factor when demand charges apply.
- Ohio. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) defines the Price to Compare as the per-kWh generation price your utility charges under its standard service offer, which makes it the number a supplier’s offer has to beat.
- Pennsylvania. Generation makes up most of an average bill, and if you use a competitive supplier, transmission (but not delivery) rolls into the generation charge, according to PAPowerSwitch, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s shopping site.
How Demand Charges Change the Same kWh
In Texas, your peak demand is set based on your highest usage during specific 15-minute intervals from June – September. Your monthly demand is the highest 15-minute usage for each month. You’ll be billed on the greater of your peak demand or that month’s demand.
Here’s what demand does to two Texas shops using the same 6,000 kWh in a 30-day month. These are hypothetical round inputs, so check your TDU’s current numbers on our Texas commercial TDU charges page:
- Supply rate: 7.0¢ per kWh for both shops.
- Fixed delivery charges: $35.00 a month.
- Demand charge: $10.00 per kW of peak demand.
| Line item | Shop A | Shop B |
| Peak demand | 15 kW | 35 kW |
| Load factor (kWh ÷ peak kW ÷ 720 hours) | 55.6% | 23.8% |
| Energy (6,000 kWh at 7.0¢) | $420.00 | $420.00 |
| Fixed delivery (hypothetical example) | $35.00 | $35.00 |
| Demand (peak kW at $10.00/kW) | $150.00 | $350.00 |
| Estimated bill (plus taxes and fees) | $605.00 | $805.00 |
| Average price per kWh | 10.08¢ | 13.42¢ |
Same kWh, same supply rate, and Shop B pays $200.00 more a month, or $2,400.00 a year.
The crazy part? If Shop B negotiated half a cent off its supply rate, it would save $30.00 a month, while trimming its peak by 10 kW would save $100.00.
Our guide to load factor and demand charges shows how to calculate yours from a bill.
How to Lower Your Energy Rate for Your Business
Here are three steps you can make to lower your electricity rate for your business: start with your own usage records, shop the supply charge next, and work on your peak last.
Evaluate 12 Months of Your Usage
A single bill tells you little, because season and demand swing it, especially if your location has heating or cooling needs. Gather a full year before you shop:
- Monthly kWh for each of the last 12 months.
- Peak kW for each month, if your bill shows a demand line.
- Your highest and lowest months, so you can see your seasonal range.
Shop the Supply Charge Before Your Contract Ends
The supply charge is the part of the bill you control. If your contract ends, you’ll pay a variable rate until you lock in again.
- Texas. Compare energy charges side-by-side, since that’s the part of your bill you can control. Your provider will send you a renewal offer at least 30 days before your contract ends. Compare that to available offers for Texas business electricity plans.
- Ohio. Compare each offer’s price per kWh with your utility’s Price to Compare, then browse Ohio business electricity plans.
- Pennsylvania. Use the same Price to Compare test, then see Pennsylvania business plans.
Our guide to shopping a business electricity contract covers terms, timing, and credit checks.
Flatten Your Peak Demand
On a demand-billed account, lowering the peak often saves more than a better supply rate, as the Shop B math shows:
- Stagger start-ups of large loads, such as rooftop units, ovens, and compressors, so they don’t hit the same 15 minutes.
- Check the peak kW line on every bill and note what was running that day.
- Set after-hours equipment to come on outside your busiest window.
Frequently Asked Questions – Business Electricity
Owners checking a business electric bill for the first time usually want to know these four things.
Per kWh, usually yes. From January through August 2026, U.S. commercial customers paid an average of 14.04¢ per kWh against 18.19¢ for homes, and Texas businesses paid 8.60¢ against 16.03¢ for Texas homes, according to the EIA. (Note that the Texas business rate is energy only and does not include delivery charges.)
Look for a line billed in kW on your statement. In Texas, accounts on Secondary Service over 10 kW have a demand charge. In Ohio and Pennsylvania, check your utility’s commercial tariff.
No. A fixed rate holds the supply price per kWh, but your usage, delivery charges, and any demand charge still change the total.
The Bottom Line
National and state averages tell you whether your bill is in the neighborhood. Your own kWh and your own peak kW decide what you actually pay, and both are on the bills you already have.
Pull your last 12 months, run your square footage through the table above, and compare plans at your real usage before your contract ends.
Price plans side-by-side. Always shop your rate to see if your business can save on electricity bills. Compare plans side by side before you sign. Shop Commercial Rates
