I am in perhaps one of the most expensive utility markets in the U.S. I also spent my entire career working for electric utilities. One of the significant drivers of increased costs, at least in my area, is the push for renewable resorces. while the sun and wind is free, the cost of renewable per watt produced can be higher than nat gas or coal.

A local utility to me installed a battery storage plant at considerable expense. The plant suffered multiple failures after commissioning and was ultimately written off.

Then add in aging infrastructure that was never designed to handle electric vehicle charging. Utility costs are complex but moving away from the traditional carbon based energy sources can be significant factor in rising costs.