Watertown Municipal Utilities electricity rates
Municipal utility · South Dakota · MRO region · SPP
Watertown Municipal Utilities is a city-owned municipal utility, governed locally rather than by the state commission, serving 11,775 homes in South Dakota. Its residential customers pay an average of 9.44¢/kWh including fixed and delivery charges, 48% less than the U.S. average.
Rate basis: EIA-861M monthly utility data, 12 months ending 2026-07.
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Watertown Municipal Utilities bill estimates
| Monthly use | At average all-in rate |
|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $47.20 |
| 1,000 kWh | $94.40 |
| 1,500 kWh | $141.60 |
| 2,000 kWh | $188.80 |
Watertown Municipal Utilities residential rate plans
| Plan | Effective | Customer charge | Energy charges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Service Ratetime-of-use | 2015-01-01 | $10.00 | 8.0¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
Source: OpenEI U.S. Utility Rate Database. Rates change. Check the linked tariff or your bill for current figures.
Watertown Municipal Utilities rate history
2015–2025: +12% change in the average residential rate (8.27¢ → 9.29¢). Annual EIA-861 data.
Outages & reliability
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Checking live outages…
Reliability history
| 2025 | Watertown Municipal Utilities | South Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outage minutes per customer (SAIDI) | 4 | 257 | 266 |
| Outages per customer (SAIFI) | 0.12 | 1.24 | 1.34 |
| Average restoration time (CAIDI) | 35 min | — | — |
| Outage minutes excluding major storms | 4 | 63 | 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 Watertown Municipal Utilities's counties, customers averaged 7 min without power.
| County | Outage min/customer | Days with outages | Peak customers out | Worst day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codington | 7 | 6 | 330 | 2025-12-10 |
Watertown Municipal Utilities service area
Watertown Municipal Utilities serves Codington County in South Dakota and 5 ZIP codes.
Codington
Cities: Watertown
Programs, smart meters & solar
| Smart meters (AMI) for homes | 0% |
| Time-based rate programs | None reported |
| Net-metered solar homes | 0 reported |
| Residential efficiency incentives paid (2025) | $7,058 |
| Residential energy saved by programs | 75 MWh |
Watertown Municipal Utilities at a glance
| Ownership | Municipal utility |
| Services | Distribution |
| Commercial rate | 9.27¢/kWh |
| Industrial rate | 8.02¢/kWh |
| Retail revenue (2025) | $33,551,000 |
| Electricity sold (2025) | 394,839 MWh |
| Peak demand | 76 MW summer · 70 MW winter |
| Line losses | 3.2% |
| Balancing authority | SWPP |
| EIA utility ID | 20187 |
Other utilities in South Dakota
Frequently asked questions
What is Watertown Municipal Utilities's electricity rate?
Watertown Municipal Utilities residential customers pay an average of 9.44¢ per kWh, all charges included (EIA-861M monthly utility data, 12 months ending 2026-07). That's 34% below the South Dakota average of 14.20¢ and 48% below the U.S. average.
What is the average Watertown Municipal Utilities electric bill?
About $84 a month. The average Watertown Municipal Utilities home uses 886 kWh a month. At 1,000 kWh the bill would be about $94.
How many customers does Watertown Municipal Utilities have?
Watertown Municipal Utilities serves 11,775 residential customers and 14,497 customers in total in South Dakota, across 1 county.
How reliable is Watertown Municipal Utilities?
In 2025, the average Watertown Municipal Utilities customer was without power for 4 min (SAIDI) over 0.12 interruptions (SAIFI), including major storms. Excluding major event days it was 4 min. The South Dakota average was 4 hr 17 min and the U.S. average 4 hr 26 min.
Does Watertown Municipal Utilities offer time-of-use rates?
Yes. The OpenEI rate database lists 1 time-of-use residential plan, including Residential Service Rate. Running big appliances off-peak can cut their cost. Pick the plan in the calculator above to see by how much.
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 Watertown Municipal Utilities before making decisions.