--- title: How to Read Your Hawaiian Electric Bill description: A plain-language guide to every line on your Hawaiian Electric bill, what you really pay per kWh on Oahu and Hawaii Island, and the numbers that matter when you're thinking about solar. image: https://www.alohasolarpro.com/hubfs/dji_fly_20250314_124934_952_1741992730317_photo_optimized%202.jpeg --- [Skip to content](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops/how-to-read-your-hawaiian-electric-bill#main-content) ![Aloha Solar Pro](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/aloha-solar-pro-side.png?width=240&height=74&name=aloha-solar-pro-side.png)Homepage - [Home](https://www.alohasolarpro.com) - [About](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/about) - [Contact](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/contact) - [Scoops](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops) [Free consultation](https://meetings.hubspot.com/anela-havellana) - [Home](https://www.alohasolarpro.com) - [About](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/about) - [Contact](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/contact) - [Scoops](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops) [Free consultation](https://meetings.hubspot.com/anela-havellana) ![](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/dji_fly_20250314_124934_952_1741992730317_photo_optimized%202.jpeg?width=4000&height=3000&name=dji_fly_20250314_124934_952_1741992730317_photo_optimized%202.jpeg) # How to Read Your Hawaiian Electric Bill ![Anela Havellana](https://7528315.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/7528315/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_d-cms-elevate-theme_hubspot/elevate/images/avatar-placeholder.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=avatar-placeholder.jpg) Anela Havellana October 10, 2026 Aloha! Your Hawaiian Electric bill is the first thing I ask to see in every solar consultation. It tells me how your family uses power and what each kilowatt-hour really costs you. But the bill can feel like it's written in code, so here's a line-by-line guide. ## Start with two numbers Before you get lost in the details, find these two things: - **kWh used:** how much electricity you used this billing period. A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the unit you pay for. - **Total current charges:** what you owe for this period. Divide your total charges by your kWh and you get your real cost per kWh, all fees included. For many Oahu homes right now that comes out to somewhere in the mid-40s of cents per kWh, and often higher on Hawaii Island. That's more than double the U.S. average. ## What each line on your bill means Here's what Hawaiian Electric lists under your current charges, in plain words: - **Customer Charge:** a flat monthly fee you pay even if you use no power. It covers things like your meter and billing. - **Non Fuel Energy:** the cost of running the power plants and the grid, based on how many kWh you use. - **Energy Cost Recovery:** the cost of fuel and power Hawaiian Electric buys. It changes every month with oil and fuel prices, which is why your bill can jump even when your usage doesn't. - **Purchased Power Adjustment:** non-fuel costs of power bought from independent power producers, like solar and wind farms. - **IRP Cost Recovery:** costs of long-term energy planning and some energy programs. - **PBF Surcharge:** funds Hawaii Energy's efficiency rebates and programs. - **RBA Rate Adjustment:** a credit or charge the Public Utilities Commission approves to keep the utility's revenue on track. - **Renewable Infrastructure:** covers projects that help add renewable energy to the grid (may not appear on Hawaii Island bills). - **Interim Increase:** a temporary rate change the PUC has approved while a rate case is decided. - **Green Infrastructure Fee:** supports a state program that offers low-cost loans for clean energy upgrades. The takeaway: most of these charges grow with every kWh you use. Using less grid power, or making and storing your own, shrinks almost every line. ## Your rate gets higher as you use more Most homes are on Hawaiian Electric's standard residential rate, Schedule R. It's tiered, so the price per kWh goes up as you use more. As of July 2026: - **Oahu:** about 44¢ per kWh for the first 350 kWh a month, about 45¢ for the next 850, and about 48¢ above 1,200 kWh, plus a monthly customer charge of about $14 - **Hawaii Island:** about 46¢ per kWh for the first 300 kWh, about 50¢ for the next 700, and about 52¢ above 1,000 kWh, plus a monthly customer charge of about $13 Those effective rates change month to month with fuel costs, so yours may look a little different. ## Check your program If you already have solar, your bill will show which program you're on, such as net energy metering (NEM), Customer Grid-Supply, Smart Export, or Smart DER (Hawaiian Electric's current program, also called Smart Renewable Energy). Each one credits the power you send to the grid differently. If you're on an older program, don't change your system before talking to someone who knows the rules, because you may not be able to get back on it. ## Look at the 12-month graph Most bills include a bar graph of your usage over the past year. That graph tells me a lot: - Higher usage in summer usually means air conditioning - A big jump partway through the year might be a new EV, a new baby or family moving in - Flat, high usage all year can mean an older water heater or pool pump You can also log in to your Hawaiian Electric account online to see more detailed usage. Having a full year of history lets us size your system for real life, not a guess. ## What I look at when you send me your bill 1. Your average monthly kWh and your highest months 2. Your true cost per kWh, all charges included 3. Which island and rate schedule you're on 4. Whether you already have solar, and on which program 5. When during the day your family uses the most power, which tells us how to size your battery ## Want a second set of eyes? Grab a recent bill and book a free 45-minute consultation. I'll walk you through it, show you where your money goes, and what solar and a battery could save you. [**Book your free consultation**](https://meetings.hubspot.com/anela-havellana) or call or text [(808) 388-8880](tel:+18083888880). Mahalo, Anela *Rates from Hawaiian Electric's Schedule R effective rate summary, July 2026. Rates change monthly; check your own bill for current numbers.* ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alohasolarpro.com%2Fscoops%2Fhow-to-read-your-hawaiian-electric-bill](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alohasolarpro.com%2Fscoops%2Fhow-to-read-your-hawaiian-electric-bill) ## Keep reading ### [![](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/dji_fly_20250314_125026_956_1741992730308_photo_optimized%202.jpeg?width=4000&height=3000&name=dji_fly_20250314_125026_956_1741992730308_photo_optimized%202.jpeg) Is Battery Storage Worth It in Hawaii?](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops/is-battery-storage-worth-it-in-hawaii) ### [5 Questions to Ask Before Going Solar on Oahu or the Big Island](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops/5-questions-to-ask-before-going-solar-on-oahu-or-the-big-island) [![Aloha Solar Pro](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/aloha-solar-pro-side.png?width=220&height=68&name=aloha-solar-pro-side.png "Aloha Solar Pro")](https://alohasolarpro.com) - [Home](https://www.alohasolarpro.com) - [About](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/about) - [Contact](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/contact) - [Scoops](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops) --- Privacy Policy · Legal · © 2026 Aloha Solar Pro. 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