Fuel costs drive electricity rates higher on Oahu and Maui

In June, on Oahu and Maui, residential electricity rates rose, while they fell on Hawaii island and Kauai. Hawaiian Electric Co. said a typical 600-kilowatt-hour bill for Oahu residential customers rose to $195.50 in June from $188.88 in May. The effective rate for electricity in Honolulu is 31.2 cents per kilowatt-hour in June, up from the 30.1 cents last month.

Elsewhere in the state:

• Maui Electric Co. customers saw rates rise to 37.6 cents per kilowatt-hour this month from May's 35.9 cents. The typical Maui bill rose by $10.22 to $233.43.
• Hawaii island residential rates fell to 41.8 cents a kilowatt-hour from last month's 42.4 cents. The typical bill fell by $3.92 to $262.04.
• On Kauai, the rate fell to 44.05 cents per kilowatt-hour. Last month the rate charged by the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative was 44.27 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Hawaii typically has the highest cost for electricity in the nation. The national average was 11.64 cents per kilowatt-hour in March, the most recent numbers available from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.