Maine Tenth-Highest Nationwide To Run Your Dryer, Refrigerator, Dishwasher, Clothes Washer

A new survey shows Mainers are paying among the highest rates to run their appliances, a statistic on par with the state’s rising electricity costs.

The total annual cost to run common appliances in the Pine Tree State is $319.14.

The yearly cost of running a dryer tops the list at $131, followed by a refrigerator at $80, dishwasher at $48 and clothes washer at $21.

Maine residents are paying 19 percent more to run household appliances than the average American.

The appliance costs in Maine are 85 percent higher than the most affordable state, Utah.

The average annual cost to run all of these appliances in the U.S. is $268.40, according to an appliance-repair company that collated Energy Star data .

The state’s average electricity price per kWh is 30.73 cents compared to the national rate of 17.45 cents per kWh, according to ChooseEnergy.com.

Maine’s kilowatt price rose 17 percent in just the last year.

The state’s average residential energy costs increased by a staggering 36.3 percent in just one year, from May 2024 to May 2025 – the steepest rise in the country.

The numbers show Maine with the third-highest electric rates in the country, topped only by Hawaii, the most expensive, and Massachusetts at No. 2.

High-rate states often have policies driving energy efficiency, offsetting the high cost per unit of energy, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The average retail price for electricity in Maine between 2014 and 2024 increased by the third-highest rate in the country, according to an analysis a year ago by Tux Turkel of The Maine Monitor.