New York has some of the highest household energy prices in the nation, according to Empire Center and U.S. Energy Information Administration data. In December, the state’s average residential electricity price reached 27.39 cents per kilowatt-hour—sixth highest in the U.S. and 59 percent above the national average. Prices increased 3.7 percent from November and 12 percent over the past year, rising twice as fast as the national average and four times faster than inflation. 

Natural gas prices moved in the opposite direction. New York’s average residential natural gas price fell 10.5 percent from November to $16.06 per thousand cubic feet. Although prices remain 14 percent above the U.S. average, New York’s year-over-year increase of 4.7 percent was lower than the national trend. 

Since 2019, New York’s average residential electricity prices have risen 58 percent, outpacing the national average increase of 36 percent. As of December 2025, the roughly 10 cents per kilowatt-hour gap between New York’s electricity prices and the U.S. average was the widest since 2001. 

“Electricity demand is increasing everywhere,” said Zilvinas Silenas, President of the Empire Center. “Yet other states manage to provide electricity for almost half the price.” 

The Empire Center publishes monthly updates through its Energy Data Bulletin, tracking electricity and natural gas prices across New York and neighboring states. The Center urges lawmakers to adopt policies that curb rising costs and ensure reliable, competitive, and affordable energy for all New Yorkers.