Electricity prices have been on a roller coaster in the last few years, and at the moment they’re climbing — just in time for the start of winter.

Nationally, residential electricity prices rose 10.5% between January and August of this year, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA). That’s more than three times the annual rate of overall inflation .

But the national average hides a lot of regional variation. While three states actually saw electricity prices drop in that nine-month period, nine states saw an increase of more than 20% — topped by Missouri at 37.4% and North Dakota at 30.3%. Another 19 states saw increases between 10% and 20%.

The chance that prices are going to level out soon is slim, even as energy affordability becomes a hot-button po

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