If your electric bill feels like it’s been creeping up lately, even if you haven’t changed much at home, you’re not imagining it. Hawaiian Electric’s published Oʻahu residential “effective” rates have moved up since February, and the May schedule is even higher than the months before it.
To make the trend easy to see at a glance, we put together an infographic showing how prices changed from February through May using a consistent household benchmark.
What Changed
Hawaiian Electric publishes a monthly “Effective Rate Summary” that reflects the rate schedule plus approved adjustments. For Oʻahu households on the residential Schedule R rate, the published tiered effective energy charges increased from February through May 2026.
This infographic is built from HECO’s published Oʻahu Residential Schedule R monthly “effective” energy charges (tiered prices per kWh).
To make comparisons easier, it also includes:
- An apples-to-apples blended price per kWh at 500 kWh usage
- A “500 kWh + fixed fees” monthly bill estimate
HECO describes ~500 kWh/month as a typical household usage level on Oʻahu.
Tracking this trend in effective energy charge changes is important because even when your household usage stays about the same, these fluctuations can cause your bill to rise and fall. It's important to note, however, that sometimes a bill can look higher simply because your billing period is a few days longer one month than another.
What You Can Do Right Now
If this rate jump has you thinking, "Okay... so what can I actually do at home?" you're not alone.
In our previous post, we shared practical home cooling strategies. Cooling is one of the biggest day-to-day drivers for energy use in many Hawai'i Homes, so we felt it was important to highlight ways to remain comfortable while minimizing energy use. In future installments, we'll be covering a variety of energy-related topics, including a comparison of different air conditioning types, water heaters, and more.
Even better, we've created a centralized Lōkahi Energy Hub where we'll be posting this guide and all future topics in this series, so it's easy to bookmark, share, and come back to at anytime.
What’s next in this series
Next up, we’re going to talk story about A/C choices (portable, window, minisplit, and central) and keep it real about what it costs to run. We’ll compare energy use and estimated operating costs, plus pros/cons that don’t always show up on the price tag.
After that, we’ll move on to water heating and a few other upgrades that can help cut costs.
Thinking about an energy-saving upgrade?
If you’ve got a project in mind, even if you’re still in the “maybe” stage, we’re here to help you talk it through and run the numbers.
- Solar + Energy Storage: our Eco-Personal Loan can help with installation costs
- Replacing an older appliance: like a fridge, washer, or A/C, our EcoSmart Appliance Loan can help with eligible upgrades
- For projects that don't fit neatly in one box: for eligible homeowners, a HELOC can be a convenient and flexible option
Want to learn more? Call us at 808.440.5380 — we’ll help you compare options and figure out what fits your home and budget.
Disclosures and Sources
This article is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not financial, legal, tax, or energy-efficiency advice, and it should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional guidance. Figures and examples are based on publicly available Hawaiian Electric information (including monthly “Effective Rate Summary” materials) and are intended to illustrate month-to-month trends using a consistent benchmark; actual electric bills vary based on usage, billing period length, rate changes, taxes, adjustments, and other bill components. Information is current as of the publication date and may change without notice. For official rate schedules and the most up-to-date information, refer to Hawaiian Electric’s published materials, including the Effective Rate Summary page and your monthly bill.
All loans are subject to qualifications and approval. Certain terms and conditions apply. Lōkahi FCU membership required.
Typical usage benchmark: HECO defines a “typical residential bill” as reflecting approximate average household kWh usage by island (Oʻahu: about 500 kWh/month).
Blended average calculation (500 kWh):
Blended $/kWh @ 500 = (350×Tier 1 + 150×Tier 2) ÷ 500.
Monthly bill estimate (500 kWh + fixed fees):
Monthly bill total estimate = energy charges at 500 kWh + $15.41 fixed fees (customer charge + Green Infrastructure Fee, per Schedule R filings).
