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The Average Electric Bill in Delaware
- David Kranker
- 1 day ago
- 10 min read
Table of Contents
If you live in Wilmington, Dover, or anywhere else in Delaware, you may have noticed your electric bill climb in the summer or rise again in the winter, even when you haven’t changed your routine. In July and August, air conditioners run for long stretches because daytime and evening temperatures stay high, and that steady operation adds a large number of kilowatt hours to a monthly bill. In January and February, heat pumps switch on more frequently as the outdoor temperature drops, so winter bills climb for homes that depend on electric heating.
Delaware’s utilities set a fixed monthly charge and a kilowatt-hour rate that stays in place until regulators approve an adjustment. The fixed charge appears every month, and the kilowatt-hour rate multiplies directly with usage. When a rate adjustment takes effect, the next bill reflects the new pricing even if a home’s consumption stays the same.
This blog outlines how Delaware’s rate structure works, why homes use electricity differently throughout the year, and what conditions create higher or lower monthly totals. We also review how solar panel installation can address these fluctuations while saving you money.
What Is the Average Electric Bill in Delaware?
Publicly available data shows a wide range of average electric bill totals:
According to EnergySage, a “typical residential” monthly bill in Delaware is about US $213/month, based on an estimated average consumption of 1,348 kWh/month and a rate of roughly 16 ¢/kWh.PowerOutage.com lists an average of $154.32 per month, which uses a lower estimated consumption level of about 912 kilowatt hours at a rate near 16.9 cents per kilowatt hour.
Save on Energy quotes a similar average of $153.14 per month using a rate of about 16.8 cents per kilowatt hour.
These figures vary because Delaware homes don’t use electricity at a single statewide rate. For example:
A home with a heat pump that runs throughout January will use more kilowatt hours than a home with natural gas heat, so its winter bill will land closer to the higher end of the range.
A home with central air conditioning will record higher summer usage than a home that cools with window units or fans, which raises its July or August bill even if both homes pay the same price per kilowatt hour.
The fixed monthly charge on Delaware electric bills remains the same regardless of consumption, so the largest swings come from kilowatt-hour usage. A home that uses 1,300 kilowatt hours in a hot month will land near the $200 range, while a home that uses around 900 kilowatt hours in a mild month will fall closer to $150. These examples match the publicly listed averages and show how kilowatt-hour usage drives the differences between households.
What Drives Electric Rates in Delaware?
Electric rates in Delaware come from defined cost categories that utilities calculate, document, and submit through regulated filings. Each category reflects a direct operational requirement, and changes happen only when the underlying expense changes. These cost drivers appear on every bill through the supply charge, distribution charge, and transmission-related components.
Supply Costs: The supply charge reflects the cost of generating or purchasing electricity. Utilities adjust this component when fuel prices shift or when new power contracts take effect. If natural gas prices rise during periods of high demand, the supply charge increases because many regional power plants rely on natural gas.
Distribution Costs: The distribution charge covers equipment that delivers electricity to homes, including poles, wires, transformers, and substations. Utilities revise this charge when maintenance, replacement, or upgrade work increases the cost of operating these assets. These adjustments appear after utilities submit filings that document the new expenses.
Transmission Fees: Transmission fees come from the cost of using high-voltage lines that move electricity across long distances. These fees change when grid operators complete reliability projects or upgrade transmission equipment. When transmission fees rise, utilities incorporate the updated amounts into the distribution-related charges on customer bills.
Regulatory Filings: Rate changes follow a documented approval process. Utilities file updated cost information, and new rates take effect only after the review is complete. This timing explains why rate adjustments don’t align instantly with fuel price changes or infrastructure work.
Electric bills rise or fall when any of these categories shift. Each adjustment reflects a direct and measurable expense, and the final rate combines all approved components into the supply and distribution charges that appear on every residential bill.
Differences in Delaware by Region and Utility Provider
Electric bills in Delaware vary because each utility sets its own fixed charge and kilowatt-hour rate based on the cost of serving its territory. These territories differ in population density, equipment age, and system layout, and each of those factors creates a measurable change in operating costs. As a result, homes in different parts of the state can pay different totals even when their monthly usage is identical.
Delmarva Power: Delmarva Power serves a large portion of Delaware’s residential customers. Its rates reflect the cost of maintaining wide service areas that include both dense neighborhoods and rural stretches. These mixed conditions need a combination of high-capacity equipment in towns and longer distribution lines in outlying areas, which adds to the overall cost of service.
Delaware Electric Cooperative: Delaware Electric Cooperative sets rates based on a member-owned model, and its service area includes many rural communities. Rural layouts require more distribution lines per customer because homes sit farther apart, and that spacing increases maintenance and replacement costs. These conditions explain why the cooperative’s rate structure differs from the structure used by investor-owned utilities.
Municipal Utilities: Cities such as Newark, Dover, and Milford operate their own electric systems. Each city maintains its own substations, lines, and metering equipment, and the cost of running those systems appears directly in the city’s rate schedule. Because each municipality faces different infrastructure needs, its rate can fall above or below the statewide range.
Electric bills across Delaware differ because each utility manages a distinct grid footprint with its own equipment, operating expenses, and maintenance demands. A home’s bill reflects the rate schedule of the utility that serves its address, which is why identical usage can produce different totals in different parts of the state.
Why Individual Households Pay Different Amounts
Homes that use the same utility and pay the same published rate can still see very different monthly bills. These differences come from measurable conditions inside the home, the type of equipment installed, and the length of time each system runs during the day.
Home Size and Insulation: A larger home needs more conditioned air, so its heating and cooling systems run longer to maintain the same temperature. Insulation levels also change energy use because thin or aging insulation allows heat to move in or out more quickly. When a home loses conditioned air faster, its HVAC system cycles more often and raises total consumption.
Heating and Cooling Equipment: Electric heat pumps draw more power during cold periods because they operate for longer stretches as temperatures fall. Central air conditioning systems raise summer usage by running through the hottest hours of the afternoon and early evening. If both systems operate in the same home, summer and winter bills will land above the amounts seen in homes that use gas heat or smaller cooling units.
Appliances and Electronics: Older refrigerators, freezers, and dryers use more electricity per cycle than current models built with higher-efficiency components. Electronics that remain plugged in, such as televisions, routers, and gaming systems, draw steady standby power throughout the day. When a home contains multiple older appliances or several always-on devices, its base usage increases even when no one is actively using them.
Number of Occupants: A home with more people runs more laundry cycles, washes more dishes, and uses lighting for longer periods. Showers also raise electricity use in homes with electric water heaters, as the heater must reheat the tank after each use. These repeated cycles lead to higher monthly consumption compared to a home with the same layout but fewer occupants.
Daily Routines: Work-from-home schedules keep lights, computers, and heating or cooling systems running through hours that would otherwise be idle. Homes where occupants cook frequently, run multiple loads of laundry per week, or use space heaters on cold mornings record higher totals. These routine-based increases show up directly as higher kilowatt-hour usage.
Different households pay different amounts because each of these conditions adds or reduces the kilowatt hours used during the month. The bill reflects the exact combination of equipment, habits, and building characteristics inside the home.
Delaware Programs and Policies That Can Influence Bills
Delaware offers several programs that lower electricity use by improving home efficiency or updating older equipment. These programs create measurable reductions because they target appliances and systems that run every day. When a household upgrades equipment or completes an efficiency project through one of these programs, the lower kilowatt-hour usage shows up directly on future bills.
Appliance and Equipment Rebates: State-supported programs offer rebates for items such as high-efficiency heat pumps, water heaters, refrigerators, and freezers. These appliances use less electricity per cycle than older models, so households that replace outdated equipment record lower monthly consumption. The rebate reduces the upfront cost of the upgrade, and the reduced electricity use lowers ongoing bills.
Home Weatherization Support: Weatherization programs address air leakage, insulation gaps, and draft-heavy areas in older homes. Improvements such as air sealing, attic insulation, and duct repairs limit the amount of conditioned air that escapes the building. When a home holds heated or cooled air more effectively, the HVAC system runs fewer cycles and uses fewer kilowatt hours.
Energy Assessments: Some programs offer home assessments that identify inefficient equipment, high-use appliances, and building areas with measurable heat loss. These assessments provide itemized findings that a homeowner can use to make targeted efficiency upgrades. When the homeowner completes the recommended improvements, the reduced load appears as lower monthly usage.
Net Metering Rules: Delaware’s net metering policy allows solar customers to receive bill credits when their system produces more electricity than they use. These credits offset kilowatt-hour charges during periods of higher consumption. Homes with consistent excess production may carry credits into future months, which reduces billed usage across the year.
These programs and policies influence bills by lowering a home’s electricity demand or by offsetting usage with earned credits. When a household completes an upgrade or participates in a qualifying program, the reduced consumption appears as a smaller total on future bills.
Practical Tips to Reduce Your Electric Bill in Delaware
Households can lower their electric bills by reducing the number of kilowatt hours they use each month. The most effective changes target equipment that runs for long periods, such as HVAC systems, water heaters, and refrigerators. When a home reduces the load on these items, the lower usage appears directly on the next bill.
Improve Air Sealing and Insulation: Closing gaps around windows, doors, and attic access panels prevents conditioned air from escaping. A home that loses less air requires fewer heating and cooling cycles to maintain the set temperature. This reduction in HVAC runtime lowers monthly electricity use.
Update Older Appliances: Refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, and dryers built decades ago draw more electricity per cycle than modern models. Replacing an older refrigerator alone can remove several kilowatt hours of daily usage. These reductions add up to meaningful monthly savings.
Adjust Thermostat Settings: Raising the thermostat by one or two degrees in the summer reduces the amount of time the air conditioner runs. Lowering it slightly in the winter produces a similar reduction for homes with electric heat. These small changes can trim usage without altering daily comfort.
Maintain HVAC Equipment: Dirty filters restrict airflow and force HVAC systems to run longer to reach the desired temperature. A simple filter change restores proper airflow and reduces the number of cycles required. Routine servicing keeps compressors, fans, and coils operating at steady efficiency.
Turn Off Standby Loads: Electronics such as televisions, gaming systems, and streaming devices draw power even when not in use. Plugging these items into switched power strips allows the homeowner to cut their standby draw with one action. Lowering this constant background load reduces the home’s baseline usage.
Use Lighting Efficiently: LED bulbs use a fraction of the electricity consumed by older incandescent bulbs. Replacing high-use bulbs in kitchens, hallways, and living areas removes repeated wattage draw from daily routines. Over a month, the reduction becomes visible in the total kilowatt hours.
Reduce Water Heating Demand: Electric water heaters run frequently in homes with multiple daily showers. Installing low-flow showerheads or washing clothes with cold water reduces the amount of heated water used each day. The water heater cycles less often, which lowers electricity use.
Lowering electricity use doesn’t require major changes; it requires steady reductions in the systems that run every day. When a home updates equipment, adjusts settings, or reduces standby loads, the bill reflects the lower kilowatt-hour total immediately.
Why More Delaware Homeowners Are Exploring Solar
Many Delaware homeowners are evaluating solar because monthly electric bills show clear seasonal swings, and solar panels produce their highest output during the same months when air conditioners run the most. This alignment lowers the amount of electricity a home draws from the grid during the periods of highest demand. When a system generates steady daytime output, the billed usage drops, and the homeowner sees smaller totals on summer statements.
Rising Electricity Use in Hot Months: Solar panels produce the most electricity during long, sunny summer days. Air conditioners also draw their highest kilowatt-hour totals during these months. When daytime production offsets that demand, the home records fewer kilowatt hours from the grid, which reduces the cost of the most expensive months of the year.
Federal Tax Incentives: The federal investment tax credit lowers the net cost of a solar installation. This credit applies to residential systems and reduces federal tax liability for the year the system is installed. The lower upfront cost makes long-term bill reduction more accessible to many homeowners.
Long-Term Bill Stability: Solar output is consistent from year to year, and homeowners can see the kilowatt hours their system produces through monitoring software. Because production remains steady, the home relies less on grid electricity even when utility rates change. This creates predictable long-term usage patterns and steadier monthly bills.
Net Metering Credits: Delaware’s net metering rules allow solar customers to receive credits when their system produces more electricity than the home uses at that time. These credits offset future kilowatt-hour charges and lower the amount billed during months with higher consumption. Homes with strong summer production may carry credits into the fall, reducing several months of bills.
Solar interest continues to grow because homeowners can see the direct impact of lower grid usage on their statements. By generating their own electricity, they reduce the portion of the bill tied to kilowatt hours and create a more stable monthly cost over time.
Want to Talk About Lowering Your Electricity Bill?
Electric bills in Delaware rise and fall for clear reasons tied to usage, seasonal conditions, and the rate structure set by each utility. A home’s monthly total reflects the amount of electricity its systems and appliances draw, along with the fixed and variable charges approved through regulated filings. When homeowners understand how equipment, routines, and weather patterns influence their kilowatt-hour use, they can take practical steps that reduce demand and create steadier bills throughout the year.
If you want to review your home’s electricity use or see how solar could reduce your grid demand, Solair Green Energy Advisors can complete an evaluation and outline your options for saving on electricity consumption. For more information or to schedule a no-obligation estimate, call 302-841-1108 or fill out our simple contact form.
