Nevada doesn't have an electricity marketplace to shop, and that's not an oversight — voters looked at the question directly and said no. One utility serves nearly every address in the state, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN) approves what it can charge, and the "which plan is cheapest" question that dominates deregulated states simply doesn't apply here. Here's why that's the arrangement, what power actually costs in 2026, and the concrete moves a homeowner can make when the provider itself isn't one of them.
The straight answer: no, you can't choose
Nevada is a regulated electricity state. There is no residential provider choice, no comparison site, and no competing suppliers bidding for your account. NV Energy holds the exclusive right to serve almost every residential customer in the state, and the PUCN reviews and approves the rates it can charge. That's the entire arrangement: one utility, one PUC-approved rate, no shopping.
Nevada is also one of the few states where this was put directly to voters. Question 3, a 2018 ballot initiative, would have amended the state constitution to require a competitive retail electricity market and end NV Energy's monopoly. It passed its first vote in 2016 but needed a second passage in 2018 to take effect — and in 2018 it failed. The result: NV Energy remains the default and, for residential customers, the only option. A separate "departing load" process exists for very large commercial and industrial customers who can prove they meet strict eligibility thresholds, but it isn't available to homeowners. If anyone offers to "switch your electricity provider" in Nevada, it's not a real option for a residential account — treat it as a scam.
What power costs in Nevada
Nevada residential electricity averaged 13.2 cents per kWh in 2025 (EIA preliminary). The chart below shows the full federal price history for Nevada since 1990, with a dashed projection of where prices go if the last decade's pace simply continues.
Full Nevada electricity price data (1990–2025)
| Year | Nevada (¢/kWh) | US avg (¢/kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 5.7 | 7.8 |
| 1991 | 5.9 | 8.0 |
| 1992 | 6.2 | 8.2 |
| 1993 | 6.5 | 8.3 |
| 1994 | 7.2 | 8.4 |
| 1995 | 7.1 | 8.4 |
| 1996 | 6.9 | 8.4 |
| 1997 | 6.8 | 8.4 |
| 1998 | 7.0 | 8.3 |
| 1999 | 7.1 | 8.2 |
| 2000 | 7.3 | 8.2 |
| 2001 | 9.1 | 8.6 |
| 2002 | 9.4 | 8.4 |
| 2003 | 9.0 | 8.7 |
| 2004 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| 2005 | 10.2 | 9.5 |
| 2006 | 11.1 | 10.4 |
| 2007 | 11.8 | 10.7 |
| 2008 | 11.9 | 11.3 |
| 2009 | 12.9 | 11.5 |
| 2010 | 12.4 | 11.5 |
| 2011 | 11.6 | 11.7 |
| 2012 | 11.8 | 11.9 |
| 2013 | 11.9 | 12.1 |
| 2014 | 12.9 | 12.5 |
| 2015 | 12.8 | 12.7 |
| 2016 | 11.4 | 12.6 |
| 2017 | 12.0 | 12.9 |
| 2018 | 11.9 | 12.9 |
| 2019 | 12.0 | 13.0 |
| 2020 | 11.3 | 13.2 |
| 2021 | 11.5 | 13.7 |
| 2022 | 13.8 | 15.0 |
| 2023 | 16.7 | 16.0 |
| 2024 | 15.0 | 16.5 |
| 2025 * | 13.2 | 17.3 |
Source: US EIA, average residential retail electricity price. Values in cents per kWh. * 2025 is preliminary.
Two things stand out in that trend. First, the rate has risen about 29 percent since 2005 — a real increase, but a notably gentler cumulative climb than most states have seen over the same twenty years. Second, the last decade's pace has been almost flat, roughly 0.3 percent a year, which is unusual for a state that's added population and demand as fast as Nevada has. Put together, the honest read is a state where rate cases have kept pace with costs without compounding into a steep long-term trend — electricity has gotten a little more expensive here, not dramatically so, and the recent trajectory looks stable rather than accelerating.
Why your rate is set the way it is
In a regulated monopoly, NV Energy doesn't set its own price and hope you pay it — it files a rate case with the PUCN, laying out its costs, and the commission decides what's a fair rate of return. Three things drive that number over time: the fuel mix used to generate power (Nevada relies heavily on natural gas plus a growing share of solar and geothermal, which shapes exposure to fuel-price swings), ongoing grid maintenance and infrastructure investment (poles, wires, substations, and capacity added to serve Las Vegas and Reno's rapid growth), and periodic rate cases where NV Energy asks to recover rising costs and the commission negotiates the increase down, approves it, or rejects parts of it.
This is also why your rate doesn't behave like a stock price. There's no daily fluctuation, no surge pricing, and no plan you might have missed — the number moves only when NV Energy files and the commission rules, typically on a multi-year cycle. The tradeoff for giving up choice is that stability, and Nevada's flat last-decade trend is a fairly clean example of it working as designed.
How to actually lower your bill
Since the rate itself isn't negotiable, the lever that's actually yours is usage — and a few billing options NV Energy may offer without advertising loudly.
Efficiency first. Attic insulation, sealing air leaks, and an AC tune-up (or upgrade, if your system is old) do more for a Nevada bill than anything else on this list, because desert summer heat means air conditioning dominates residential usage across Las Vegas, Henderson, and Reno. Shading west-facing windows, a programmable or smart thermostat, and swapping remaining bulbs to LED are lower-effort versions of the same idea.
Ask about time-of-use and budget billing. NV Energy offers time-of-use rate schedules that charge less for power used outside peak summer afternoon and evening hours — worth asking about if you can shift laundry, dishwashing, pool pumps, or EV charging to off-peak hours. Separately, budget billing (sometimes called levelized or average billing) spreads your annual usage into equal monthly payments, so a July air-conditioning bill doesn't blindside you even though it doesn't change what you pay over a year. Neither is automatic — call and ask what's available on your account.
Rooftop solar, measured honestly. Solar payback math runs directly off your utility's rate and your sun exposure, and Nevada does unusually well on both counts: a 13.2-cent rate paired with some of the most consistent, intense sunshine in the country. That combination shortens payback compared with cloudier or lower-rate states, though roof orientation, shading, NV Energy's net-metering terms, and your real usage still decide the actual number. Run the math against your actual bill before signing anything; our solar panels guide walks through the full calculation.
The practical checklist
Twenty minutes with your last few utility bills:
- Confirm you're on NV Energy. It serves almost every residential address in the state; your bill states it, and it's who to call for programs and outages.
- Ask about time-of-use and budget billing. Call NV Energy directly; these programs are opt-in and rarely advertised on the bill itself.
- Fix the biggest usage driver first. Insulation, air sealing, and an AC tune-up move the needle more than any thermostat habit in a desert cooling climate.
- Check for efficiency rebates. NV Energy offers rebates on insulation, smart thermostats, and AC upgrades — ask before you pay full price.
- Run solar numbers against your real bill. Nevada's rate and sun exposure both help the math; get a quote and calculate payback at your actual 13.2-cent baseline and usage.
- Ignore any "switch your provider" pitch. Question 3 failed in 2018 — there is nothing residential to switch to.
For the house-side fundamentals behind these numbers — panel capacity, wiring, and what actually drives usage — see our electrical guide.
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — Nevada average residential rate (13.2 cents/kWh, 2025 preliminary), the 29 percent increase since 2005, and the 1990–2025 historical price series in the chart.