Your Hawaiian Electric Bill Is About to Get a Lot Higher

April 1, 2026

Your Hawaiian Electric Bill Is About to Get a Lot Higher

– Here's What You Can Do About It

If you haven’t heard the news yet, brace yourself: your electricity bill is going up **significantly** and soon.
Hawaiian Electric has confirmed that typical residential bills may rise between 20% and 30% over the next several months. Oʻahu customers will start seeing the increases on their April bills, with Hawaiʻi Island and Maui County customers following in May and June.

Why Is This Happening?

Our skyrocketing electric bills trace back to one cause: the conflict in Iran. Rising global oil prices are hitting Hawaiian Electric customers hard and bills are about to reflect it. As an island state that relies heavily on imported fuel for electricity generation and transportation, Hawaiʻi is particularly sensitive to global fossil fuel price fluctuations.

Oil prices surged immediately after the Iran conflict began on Feb. 28 and rose about 50% in March. That kind of spike hits gas at the pump, shipping costs, and yes, your electric bill.

The timing and scale of the impact on Hawaii is especially acute. While consumer gas prices shot up almost immediately after the conflict began, there’s generally a 60-day lag between the time Hawaiian Electric purchases its fuel oil and when those costs are reflected in ratepayers’ bills. In other words, the worst is still ahead of us.

This Is Exactly Why Hawaii’s Oil Dependency Is a Problem

This situation is nothing new. It’s a recurring vulnerability built into our state’s energy structure and we’ve seen versions of this story play out before, as with the Russia/Ukraine conflict. The difference now is the magnitude.

Hawaiian Electric has reduced its use of oil by 55 million gallons annually since 2008 and is bringing more than a dozen fixed-price renewable energy projects online in the coming years. Progress is being made at the utility level, but waiting for the grid to catch up means continuing to absorb these shocks in your monthly bill.

The good news? You don’t have to wait.

☀️ Solar Is Your Hedge Against Volatile Energy Prices

At Malama Solar, we’ve been saying this for years: rooftop solar isn’t just about being green, it’s about being financially resilient. When you generate your own power from the sun, global oil markets become someone else’s problem.

A solar installation locks in a significant portion of your energy costs at a predictable rate. No geopolitical surprises. No 20–30% spikes. Just clean, locally generated electricity from the most abundant resource Hawaii has: sunshine.

Hawaiian Electric itself now recommends that customers consider rooftop solar as one of the primary strategies for managing energy costs going forward. When your own utility is pointing customers toward solar, that’s a signal worth paying attention to.

🕑 What Can You Do Right Now?

If you’re an existing Hawaiian Electric customer, starting April 6, Hawaiian Electric is offering interest-free payment plans for up to six months to help smooth short-term billing spikes. That’s a helpful short-term measure — but it doesn’t solve the underlying problem.

The real solution is reducing your dependence on the grid altogether. If you’ve been on the fence about going solar, this moment is a clear reminder of why it matters.

We’re offering free consultations for Hawaii homeowners and businesses who want to understand their solar options. Now is the time to act before the next global event sends your bill even higher.