As Mississippi settles into consistently cold winter temperatures, residents are turning up the heat and preparing for rising energy costs as a result. That, plus the state’s sweltering summers and rural transportation demands make Mississippi one of the most energy-expensive states in the country.
WalletHub did a study in July 2017 to determine how each state (plus Washington D.C.) ranked when it came to monthly residential energy costs including electricity, natural gas, motor fuel and home heating oil.

The data ranks Mississippi No. 8 in energy consumption cost primarily due to electricity consumption per consumer (3rd in the nation) and motor fuel consumption per driver (2nd in the nation).
On average, Mississippians pay $159 a month for electricity (5th-highest in the nation), and $131 for monthly motor fuel costs (4th-highest in the nation). While gas prices are substantially lower in the South compared to other parts of the country, rural residents typically drive more than those living in more populated areas. (It’s worth noting, however, that Mississippi is the only Southern state ranked among the top five for gas consumption per driver.)
Energy costs vary in different parts of the country depending on the type of energy used and how much is consumed.
“Some states depend on more expensive energy sources, like nuclear or coal, which were efficient when they were installed many years ago, but today are more expensive than natural gas, wind or solar,” said Nancy Loeb, environmental law professor at Northwestern University.
Residential energy only accounts for about 18 percent of the state’s total consumption whereas industrial and transportation energy account for about 70 percent. The rest is due to commercial energy.
Read the entire study.