Electric bills in California have doubled in the last 10 years.
Posted by On with Kara Swisher, Checked
- Sources
- 1 contradict2 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 55%
On with Kara SwisherAug 10, 2026
The claim that California electric bills doubled over 10 years is supported by some measures but not others.
What was said
… I mean, we can go through the data, but it's bad. I mean, we have the highest poverty rate in the country right now, tied with Louisiana; highest unemployment rate of all 50 states; the highest cost of living by far; highest gas prices; electric bills have doubled in the last 10 years. They're now double the national average. Grocery is the most expensive. A lot of that is driven by energy costs. Housing, the most expensive in the country. It's just really tough to live here. This is not a new thing, Steve. This is not a new thing. …
On with Kara Swisher · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. EIA data as summarized by energyfactbook.com shows California's average residential rate rising 58% over ten years (18.87¢ to 29.75¢ per kWh), well short of doubling and above the U.S. rise of 41%.[3]
Supports. A 2024 Public Advocates analysis reported 10-year increases of 90% (SCE), 82% (SDG&E) and 110% (PG&E), and described electric bills as having 'essentially doubled' over the decade.[4]
Supports. The CPUC's 2026 SB 695 report says residential average rates rose about 8%, 10% and 8% per year from 2017 to 2026 for PG&E, SCE and SDG&E, which compounds to roughly a doubling over that span.[1]
Context. The figure depends on the measure: average rates, utility-specific rates and average monthly bills give different 10-year changes, and no source reports a 10-year change in the average monthly bill itself.[1][3][4]
Context. The CPUC Q2 2026 report attributes California rate increases mainly to wildfire mitigation, transmission and distribution investments, and rooftop solar incentives.[2]
Sources
4 sources: 2 primary, 2 not rated
- 1PUBLISHED OCTOBER 2026 - webproda.cpuc.ca.govwebproda.cpuc.ca.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context
- 2Q2 2026 Electric Rates Reportcpuc.ca.gov · primary source · cited for: context
- 3Why Is Electricity So Expensive in California? 29.75¢/kWh ...energyfactbook.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts, context
- 4California electric bills have essentially doubled over the past decadeeastbaytimes.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post