Empire District Electric Co. electricity rates
Investor-owned utility · Kansas
Empire District Electric Co. is a for-profit, investor-owned utility regulated by the state utility commission, serving 8,465 homes in Kansas. Its residential customers pay an average of 13.65¢/kWh including fixed and delivery charges, 24% less than the U.S. average.
Rate basis: EIA-861M monthly utility data, 12 months ending 2026-07.
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Empire District Electric Co. bill estimates
| Monthly use | At average all-in rate | Base tariff charges* |
|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $68.25 | $42.74 |
| 1,000 kWh | $136.50 | $71.48 |
| 1,500 kWh | $204.75 | $100.22 |
| 2,000 kWh | $273.00 | $128.96 |
*Residential Heating (effective 2014-05-01, $14.00/month customer charge), energy and fixed charges from the OpenEI Utility Rate Database. Riders, fuel adjustments and taxes are often billed separately, so real bills usually land closer to the all-in column. Calculate your bill.
Empire District Electric Co. residential rate plans
| Plan | Effective | Customer charge | Energy charges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Heating | 2014-05-01 | $14.00 | 5.75¢ |
| Residential Service (Schedule RG)time-of-use | 2016-12-01 | $13.00 | 12.6¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
| Residential Service (Schedule RG) Time of Usetime-of-use | 2016-12-01 | $23.00 | 11.5¢ (12am–9am, 10pm–12am) · 12.2¢ (9am–12pm, 7pm–10pm) · 15.3¢ (12pm–7pm) — summer weekdays |
| Time Choice Residential Rate Plan (Schedule TC-RG)time-of-use | 2016-12-01 | $13.00 | 14.1¢ (6am–10pm) · 12.1¢ (12am–6am, 10pm–12am) — summer weekdays |
| Residential General Servicetime-of-use | 2014-05-01 | $10.00 | 6.8¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
| Residential Heating Service: Schedule RHtime-of-use | 2003-08-01 | $12.50 | 0.0¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
| Residential General Service: Schedule RGtime-of-use | 2003-08-01 | $12.50 | 0.0¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
Source: OpenEI U.S. Utility Rate Database. Rates change. Check the linked tariff or your bill for current figures.
Empire District Electric Co. rate history
2015–2025: +17% change in the average residential rate (11.41¢ → 13.35¢). Annual EIA-861 data.
Outages & reliability
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Reliability history
| 2025 | Empire District Electric Co. | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outage minutes per customer (SAIDI) | 146 | 199 | 266 |
| Outages per customer (SAIFI) | 1.44 | 1.30 | 1.34 |
| Average restoration time (CAIDI) | 102 min | — | — |
| Outage minutes excluding major storms | 91 | 99 | 121 |
Outages in counties served (2025)
From ORNL EAGLE-I, which tracks customers without power every 15 minutes. These counts cover every utility in each county. Weighted across Empire District Electric Co.'s counties, customers averaged 3 hr 16 min without power.
| County | Outage min/customer | Days with outages | Peak customers out | Worst day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee | 750 | 21 | 1,399 | 2025-05-20 |
| Labette | 54 | 15 | 1,312 | 2025-01-31 |
Empire District Electric Co. service area
Empire District Electric Co. serves 2 counties in Kansas and 12 ZIP codes.
Cherokee, Labette
Cities: Pittsburg, Baxter Springs, Columbus, Galena, Oswego, Chetopa
Programs, smart meters & solar
| Smart meters (AMI) for homes | 100% |
| Time-based rate programs | None reported |
| Net-metered solar homes | 146 |
Empire District Electric Co. at a glance
| Ownership | Investor-owned utility |
| Services | — |
| Commercial rate | 12.08¢/kWh |
| Industrial rate | 9.65¢/kWh |
| Retail revenue (2025) | $26,942,900 |
| Electricity sold (2025) | 228,442 MWh |
| Balancing authority | SWPP |
| EIA utility ID | 5860 |
Other utilities in Kansas
Frequently asked questions
What is Empire District Electric Co.'s electricity rate?
Empire District Electric Co. residential customers pay an average of 13.65¢ per kWh, all charges included (EIA-861M monthly utility data, 12 months ending 2026-07). That's 10% below the Kansas average of 15.09¢ and 24% below the U.S. average.
What is the average Empire District Electric Co. electric bill?
About $145 a month. The average Empire District Electric Co. home uses 1,064 kWh a month. At 1,000 kWh the bill would be about $137.
How many customers does Empire District Electric Co. have?
Empire District Electric Co. serves 8,465 residential customers and 9,987 customers in total in Kansas, across 2 counties.
How reliable is Empire District Electric Co.?
In 2025, the average Empire District Electric Co. customer was without power for 2 hr 26 min (SAIDI) over 1.44 interruptions (SAIFI), including major storms. Excluding major event days it was 91 min. The Kansas average was 3 hr 19 min and the U.S. average 4 hr 26 min.
Does Empire District Electric Co. offer time-of-use rates?
Yes. The OpenEI rate database lists 6 time-of-use residential plans, including Residential Service (Schedule RG). Running big appliances off-peak can cut their cost. Pick the plan in the calculator above to see by how much.
Does Empire District Electric Co. offer net metering for solar?
Empire District Electric Co. had 146 residential net-metered customers in 2025 with 1.5 MW of capacity. Estimate solar savings at this utility's rate.
Sources: EIA-861 2025 and EIA-861M (through July 2026), OpenEI URDB, ORNL EAGLE-I, U.S. Census. Methodology. Spot an error? Rates change often, so confirm with Empire District Electric Co. before making decisions.