West River Electric Association electricity rates
Electric cooperative · South Dakota · MRO region · SPP
West River Electric Association is a member-owned electric cooperative, so its customers own it and elect its board, serving 18,975 homes in South Dakota. Its residential customers pay an average of 16.05¢/kWh including fixed and delivery charges, 11% less than the U.S. average.
Rate basis: EIA-861M monthly utility data, 12 months ending 2026-07.
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West River Electric Association bill estimates
| Monthly use | At average all-in rate | Base tariff charges* |
|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $80.25 | $75.25 |
| 1,000 kWh | $160.50 | $130.35 |
| 1,500 kWh | $240.75 | $183.35 |
| 2,000 kWh | $321.00 | $236.35 |
*Rural and Urban Residential (effective 2011-10-18, $15.25/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.
West River Electric Association residential rate plans
| Plan | Effective | Customer charge | Energy charges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rural and Urban Residential | 2011-10-18 | $15.25 | 12.00¢ first 650 kWh, 10.60¢ after |
| Electric Heat - Residential Direct Wiredtime-of-use | 2011-10-18 | — | 10.6¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
| Electric Heat - Residential Submetered | 2011-10-18 | — | 5.20¢ |
Source: OpenEI U.S. Utility Rate Database. Rates change. Check the linked tariff or your bill for current figures.
West River Electric Association rate history
2015–2025: +24% change in the average residential rate (12.24¢ → 15.16¢). Annual EIA-861 data.
Outages & reliability
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Reliability history
| 2025 | West River Electric Association | South Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outage minutes per customer (SAIDI) | 24 | 257 | 266 |
| Outages per customer (SAIFI) | 0.30 | 1.24 | 1.34 |
| Average restoration time (CAIDI) | 80 min | — | — |
| Outage minutes excluding major storms | 24 | 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 West River Electric Association's counties, customers averaged 11 hr 38 min without power.
| County | Outage min/customer | Days with outages | Peak customers out | Worst day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ziebach | 1,510 | 14 | 1,571 | 2025-11-14 |
| Pennington | 777 | 37 | 41,253 | 2025-11-13 |
| Meade | 505 | 34 | 10,065 | 2025-11-13 |
| Haakon | 136 | 13 | 464 | 2025-12-18 |
| Oglala Lakota | 126 | 8 | 816 | 2025-06-01 |
| Jackson | 87 | 2 | 130 | 2025-07-30 |
West River Electric Association service area
West River Electric Association serves 6 counties in South Dakota and 38 ZIP codes.
Haakon, Jackson, Meade, Oglala Lakota, Pennington, Ziebach
Cities: Rapid City, Box Elder, Rapid Valley, Ellsworth Air Force Base, Sturgis, Blackhawk, Colonial Pine Hills, Summerset, Porcupine
Programs, smart meters & solar
| Smart meters (AMI) for homes | 100% |
| Customers with daily usage data online | 18,975 |
| Time-based rate programs | Time-of-use rates |
| Homes on time-based rates | 44 |
| Net-metered solar homes | 212 |
| Homes in demand response (e.g. thermostat rebates) | 6,057 |
| Residential efficiency incentives paid (2025) | $13,280 |
| Residential energy saved by programs | 84 MWh |
West River Electric Association at a glance
| Ownership | Electric cooperative |
| Services | Transmission, Distribution |
| Commercial rate | 14.47¢/kWh |
| Industrial rate | 11.42¢/kWh |
| Retail revenue (2025) | $49,508,000 |
| Electricity sold (2025) | 348,596 MWh |
| Peak demand | 75 MW summer · 79 MW winter |
| Line losses | 4.8% |
| Balancing authority | SWPP |
| EIA utility ID | 20401 |
| Website | We only have Residential Heat Pumps, Per Adam, We discontinued the Lighting Rebate Program in 2025 and did not issue any rebates for the program in 2025. https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/heat-and-cool/heat-pump-systems/air-source-heat-pumps |
Other utilities in South Dakota
Frequently asked questions
What is West River Electric Association's electricity rate?
West River Electric Association residential customers pay an average of 16.05¢ per kWh, all charges included (EIA-861M monthly utility data, 12 months ending 2026-07). That's 13% above the South Dakota average of 14.20¢ and 11% below the U.S. average.
What is the average West River Electric Association electric bill?
About $144 a month. The average West River Electric Association home uses 896 kWh a month. At 1,000 kWh the bill would be about $161.
How many customers does West River Electric Association have?
West River Electric Association serves 18,975 residential customers and 21,332 customers in total in South Dakota, across 6 counties.
How reliable is West River Electric Association?
In 2025, the average West River Electric Association customer was without power for 24 min (SAIDI) over 0.30 interruptions (SAIFI), including major storms. Excluding major event days it was 24 min. The South Dakota average was 4 hr 17 min and the U.S. average 4 hr 26 min.
Does West River Electric Association offer time-of-use rates?
Yes. The OpenEI rate database lists 1 time-of-use residential plan, including Electric Heat - Residential Direct Wired. Running big appliances off-peak can cut their cost. Pick the plan in the calculator above to see by how much.
Does West River Electric Association offer net metering for solar?
West River Electric Association had 212 residential net-metered customers in 2025 with 1.4 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 West River Electric Association before making decisions.