Electricity rates in Montana
Updated 2026-10-21 with EIA data through July 2026
Homes in Montana paid an average of 13.84¢ per kWh over the last 12 months, up from 10.94¢ in 2016. Businesses paid 12.58¢ and industry 6.88¢. Electricity is regulated, so your utility is set by your address.
What things cost to run in Montana
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Montana electricity price trend
Annual average residential price, 2010–2025. Since 2016, prices have risen +19%.
Power outages in Montana right now
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Electric utilities in Montana
30 utilities serve homes in Montana. Rates are average residential revenue per kWh, so they include fixed charges. Click a utility for rate plans, outage history and its service map.
Click or tap a county to see the electric companies that serve it.
| Utility | Type | Homes served | Rate | Avg bill | Outage min/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthWestern Energy | Investor-owned | 334K | 15.71¢ | $111 | 125 |
| Flathead Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 64K | 10.37¢ | $123 | 886 |
| Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 21K | 14.79¢ | $132 | — |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. | Investor-owned | 20K | 12.93¢ | $100 | 146 |
| USBIA-Mission Valley Power | Federal | 16K | 9.56¢ | $122 | — |
| Missoula Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 15K | 11.41¢ | $122 | 1,332 |
| Ravalli County Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 12K | 12.38¢ | $160 | 189 |
| Vigilante Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 11K | 10.68¢ | $152 | — |
| Glacier Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 7,964 | 11.00¢ | $197 | — |
| Lincoln Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 6,909 | 12.32¢ | $197 | 431 |
| Park Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 6,891 | 10.10¢ | $226 | — |
| Fergus Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 6,855 | 16.97¢ | $152 | 480 |
| Beartooth Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 6,538 | 14.44¢ | $132 | — |
| Sun River Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 6,300 | 14.31¢ | $191 | 79 |
| McCone Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 5,481 | 17.82¢ | $186 | — |
| Tongue River Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 5,229 | 15.71¢ | $230 | — |
| Northern Lights | Electric cooperative | 4,700 | 13.93¢ | $126 | 223 |
| Marias River Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 3,819 | 11.57¢ | $190 | — |
| Big Horn County Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 3,709 | 16.25¢ | $196 | — |
| Lower Yellowstone R E A | Electric cooperative | 3,247 | 9.82¢ | $114 | 259 |
| Big Flat Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 2,062 | 14.37¢ | $171 | — |
| Mid-Yellowstone Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 2,053 | 16.35¢ | $185 | 207 |
| NorVal Electric Cooperative | Electric cooperative | 1,930 | 17.00¢ | $383 | — |
| Fall River Rural Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 1,525 | 11.85¢ | $131 | 14 |
| City of Troy | Municipal | 1,073 | 9.49¢ | $126 | — |
| Powder River Energy Corp. | Electric cooperative | 51 | 13.51¢ | $115 | — |
| McKenzie Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 25 | 9.28¢ | $124 | — |
| Grand Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 16 | 15.80¢ | $111 | — |
| Black Hills Power | Investor-owned | 13 | 7.02¢ | $55 | 756 |
| Avista Corp. | Investor-owned | 10 | 8.69¢ | $142 | — |
Retail electricity providers in Montana
| Provider | Homes | Supply rate |
|---|---|---|
| Talen Energy Marketing | 0 | — |
Average revenue per kWh from residential customers in 2025 (EIA-861), adjusted to current state trend.
Montana vs. neighboring states
Energy costs at a glance
| Natural gas (homes) | $1.00/therm |
| Gasoline (regular) | $4.47/gal |
| Driving cost: EV vs. gas | 4.3¢ vs. 16¢/mi |
| Solar output (1 kW, Billings) | 1,344 kWh/yr |
| Avg. outage time (2025) | 4 hr 45 min/yr |
| Commercial rate | 12.58¢ |
| Industrial rate | 6.88¢ |
What appliances cost to run in Montana
| Appliance | Per month | Per year | vs. U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Space heater | $22.82 | $114 | −$34 |
| Central air conditioner | $79.62 | $398 | −$119 |
| Refrigerator | $5.77 | $69 | −$21 |
| Electric car | $51.44 | $617 | −$185 |
| Electric clothes dryer | $9.49 | $114 | −$34 |
| Electric water heater | $51.90 | $623 | −$187 |
| Hot tub | $34.60 | $415 | −$124 |
| TV | $1.73 | $21 | −$6 |
| Pool pump (single-speed) | $57.29 | $286 | −$86 |
| Heat pump | $142 | $708 | −$212 |
Electricity rates by city in Montana
- Billings
- Missoula
- Great Falls
- Bozeman
- Butte
- Helena
- Kalispell
- Havre
- Anaconda
- Miles City
- Helena Valley Southeast
- Belgrade
- Helena Valley West Central
- Evergreen
- Livingston
- Whitefish
- Laurel
- Sidney
- Lockwood
- Lewistown
- Glendive
- Orchard Homes
- Columbia Falls
- Polson
- Hamilton
- Bigfork
- Dillon
- Lolo
- Hardin
- Malmstrom Air Force Base
- Glasgow
- Shelby
- Four Corners
- Cut Bank
- Warm Springs
- Helena Valley Northeast
- Deer Lodge
- Wolf Point
- Montana City
- Lakeside
- Libby
- Conrad
- North Browning
- Colstrip
- Big Sky
- Pablo
- Red Lodge
- East Missoula
- East Helena
- Lame Deer
- Columbus
- Baker
- Ronan
- Malta
- Townsend
- West Glendive
- Three Forks
- Plentywood
- Stevensville
- Forsyth
- Roundup
- Frenchtown
- South Browning
- Choteau
- Bonner-West Riverside
- Clancy
- Seeley Lake
- Big Timber
- Helena West Side
- Manhattan
- Crow Agency
- Fort Benton
- West Yellowstone
- Thompson Falls
- Fort Belknap Agency
- Chinook
- Boulder
- Absarokee
- Somers
- Whitehall
- Eureka
- Clinton
- Plains
- Scobey
- Browning
- Lincoln
Frequently asked questions
What is the average electricity rate in Montana?
The average residential rate in Montana was 13.84¢ per kWh over the 12 months ending July 2026. That is 23% below the U.S. average of 17.99¢. In July 2026 alone it was 14.99¢, +5.0% from a year earlier.
What is the average electric bill in Montana?
About $118 a month. The average Montana home uses 853 kWh a month (EIA 2025), and we priced that at the current average rate. Bills vary with your utility, home size, heating type and season.
Is electricity expensive in Montana?
Montana ranks 10th cheapest of 51 (50 states plus DC) for residential electricity. That puts it among the cheapest states in the country.
Can I choose my electricity provider in Montana?
No. Montana homes buy electricity from the utility that serves their address: an investor-owned utility, electric cooperative or municipal utility.
Which electric company is cheapest in Montana?
Among utilities with at least 1,000 residential customers, City of Troy has the lowest average rate at 9.49¢/kWh. The highest is McCone Electric Co-op at 17.82¢. Most homes can't switch utilities, since your address determines which one serves you.
How reliable is the power grid in Montana?
In 2025, the average Montana customer was without power for 4 hr 45 min (SAIDI, including major storms) across about 1.3 outages. Excluding major event days it was 2 hr 16 min. Figures are customer-weighted across utilities that report to EIA.
Sources: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue (through July 2026), EIA-861 2025 utility data, EIA fuel prices, NREL PVWatts. Methodology.