Energy costs in Portland, ME
Energy prices are published by state, not by city, so the rates and bills below are Maine figures and apply to Portland the same as anywhere else in the state. The solar production is different: that is modelled for Portland's own coordinates, and it varies a lot within a single state.
Solar at Portland's coordinates
7,872kWh a year from 6 kW
That is 5% more than the Maine average, which is the sort of gap that makes a state figure the wrong one to plan with. At 28.63¢ a kilowatt hour it pays back in about 5.4 years with full net metering.
Electricity · Maine
28.63¢
per kWh, statewide ›
Typical bill · Maine
$155
a month, statewide ›
Air conditioning
$104
a year, statewide ›
Heating
$2871
a season, statewide ›
Common questions
What is the electricity rate in Portland?
28.63¢ per kilowatt hour. That is the Maine residential average from the EIA — rates are published per state, not per city, so it applies across Portland and the rest of Maine alike.
What is the average electric bill in Portland?
About $155 a month for a typical Maine household. Again this is a state figure: EIA reports revenue and customer counts by state, so a city-level bill would be an invention.
Is solar worth it in Portland?
A 6 kW system at Portland's coordinates is modelled at about 7,872 kilowatt hours a year, which pays for itself in roughly 5.4 years at Maine electricity prices with full net metering. This one is genuinely local — production is modelled for this point, not the state.
Everything for Maine
Rates, bills, heating, cooling and solar for the whole state, with the working behind each figure.
Maine energy costsCoordinates from the US Census Bureau place gazetteer. Solar production modelled by NREL PVWatts for those coordinates, south-facing at 20°. Prices from the US Energy Information Administration, residential sector, 2026-05, published per state.