Washington's Monthly Energy Costs Among Lowest In The U.S.

OLYMPIA, WA — With summer heating up and A/C units finding their annual placement in windows across Washington and the Pacific Northwest, now's as good a time as any to see what your summer energy costs are going to look like. Thankfully, according to personal finance website WalletHub.com, Washington is one of the least expensive states for energy costs overall.

Granted, the weather in Washington so far this summer has been pretty mild compared to other parts of the country — like Alaska, where a 90-degree July 4 was recorded for the first time ever at Anchorage International Airport — and with mostly 70-degree days expected throughout July, setting up those A/Cs might not be completely necessary.

Nevertheless, it still ought to be a point of pride that Washington's ranking among low energy cost states include natural gas, motor fuel, and home heating oil, as well as basic electricity. And while Washington has some of the highest prices for petrol, the relatively low costs of other energy sources help bring down the overall average.

According to WalletHub, energy costs across the country generally take up between 5 and 22 percent of a family's total after-tax income. In Connecticut, for example, the most energy expensive state, the average monthly energy cost for electricity, natural gas, motor fuel, and home heating oil comes out to around $370, with electricity and home heating also in the top five most expensive nationwide.

Of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Washington ranked a respectable 49th with a total monthly energy bill averaging around $265. Only Colorado and Washington, D.C. had lower average monthly costs of $251 and $204, respectively.

For its breakdown, WalletHub found Washington was 43rd for monthly electric costs ($109), 30th for monthly natural gas ($29), 35th for monthly motor fuel ($125), and 19th for monthly heating oil ($2). Of general electricity rates from utility providers across the state, Washington actually ranked 51st — the best in the nation.

For its average price of a gallon at the pump, Washington ranked 3rd highest, just below California (1st) and Hawaii (2nd), and just above Nevada (4th) and Alaska (5th). Conversely, Washington ranked 47th in the nation for lowest motor fuel consumption — meaning, gas may be pricey in the Evergreen State, but folks don't really tend to use that much anyway.

If you're planning to move this summer, these are the top five most expensive states for energy costs:

1. Connecticut - $373
2. Wyoming - $363
3. Alaska - $359
4. Georgia - $344
5. Massachusetts - $336

The bottom five least expensive are:

• Arkansas - $275
• Louisiana - $271
• Washington - $265
• Colorado - $251
• District of Columbia - $204

For more information on this WalletHub study's methodology, visit wallethub.com.