Oahu electricity rates rise

Island dwellers in the Hawaiian city of Oahu may not be getting the best electricity rates they could be, considering the average residential electricity bill in the city went up this month, bringing an end to months of lower electricity rates, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reports.

According to the news source, residential electricity rates jumped in October, which ended the three months of declining electricity rates the island's residents had seen. Hawaii Electric Company announced that the average Oahu residential customer, who pays for about 600 kilowatt hours per month, will see an increase of 55 cents to $210.37 this month.

This is compared with the $209.82 residents paid in September. According to the media outlet, the effective rate for power on Oahu is currently 33.6 cents per kilowatt-hour, an increase from the 33.4 cents per kilowatt-hour residents paid last months.

This came after electricity rates fell consistently from July through September, the Star Advertiser reported.

Hawaii pays the highest electricity rates of any state in the country, however this could change if officials passed energy deregulation laws that opened the market up to retail energy providers. In doing so, residents would be able to shop around for the best electricity rates.