Electricity rates — South Dakota
EIA puts the average residential price in South Dakota at 14.1¢ per kWh over the 12 months to June 2026, the 16th-lowest of 51 against 17.9¢ for the US. The one ranked plan below comes from a utility serving about 12% of its homes, so it is listed, not presented as the state's price. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- Average price
- 14.1¢ per kWh
- 12 months to June 2026
- Against the 12 months before
- +7.7%
- The joint 14th-largest rise of the 50 states
- Average bill
- $138 a month
- 12 months to June 2026, up 5.0% on the 12 months before, though homes used 2.5% less
25 of 32 priced plans, 1,000 kWh/mo
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate 10: Residential Electric✓ cheapestNorthWestern Energytiered · in effect since May 2025 | $2,130.72 | — | 17.8¢ |
| Priced but not ranked — restricted, older, or not verifiable as a bill | |||
| Electric Heat - Residential SubmeteredWest River Electric Assn Incflat rate · in effect since October 2011 · needs electric heating | $624.00 | −$1,506.72 | 5.2¢ |
| Residential Heat Pump Service (E06)Northern States Power Co - Minnesota (South Dakota)priced by season · in effect since May 2013 · needs a heat pump | $713.00 | −$1,417.72 | 5.9¢ |
| Energy Controlled Service/Non-Demand Metered (E10 )-ResidentialNorthern States Power Co - Minnesota (South Dakota)priced by season · in effect since May 2013 · needs controlled load equipment | $732.64 | −$1,398.08 | 6.1¢ |
| Off Peak Water Heating (Rate code 191)Otter Tail Power Co (South Dakota)priced by season · in effect since July 2014 · needs electric heating | $773.60 | −$1,357.12 | 6.4¢ |
| Rate 53 Special Residential Electric Dual Fuel Space Heating Service (CLOSED)Montana-Dakota Utilities Co (South Dakota)flat rate · in effect since May 2017 · closed to new customers | $803.04 | −$1,327.68 | 6.7¢ |
| Residential Demand Control Service( Rate Code 241)Otter Tail Power Co (South Dakota)priced by season · demand charge · in effect since July 2014 · older schedule, not ranked | $867.53 | −$1,263.19 | 7.2¢ |
| Electric Heat - Residential Direct WiredWest River Electric Assn Incpriced by season · in effect since October 2011 · needs electric heating | $894.00 | −$1,236.72 | 7.4¢ |
| Residential Service RateWatertown Municipal Utilitiespriced by season · in effect since January 2015 · older schedule, not ranked | $972.00 | −$1,158.72 | 8.1¢ |
| Residential All-Electric RateBlack Hills Electric Coop, Incflat rate · in effect since October 2011 · needs an all-electric home | $984.00 | −$1,146.72 | 8.2¢ |
| Rate RSW Residential Water Heating ServiceMidAmerican Energy Co (South Dakota)priced by season · tiered · in effect since July 2015 · needs electric heating | $1,024.28 | −$1,106.44 | 8.5¢ |
| RED Residential, All ElectricMidAmerican Energy Co (South Dakota)priced by season · tiered · in effect since July 2015 · needs an all-electric home | $1,024.28 | −$1,106.44 | 8.5¢ |
| Rate RST-Residential, Time-of-Use ServiceMidAmerican Energy Co (South Dakota)time-of-use · in effect since July 2015 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,042.17 | −$1,088.55 | 8.7¢ |
| Residential Electrical RateCity of Brookings, South Dakota (Utility Company)priced by season · in effect since January 2014 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,086.00 | −$1,044.72 | 9.0¢ |
| Rate RS Residential ServiceMidAmerican Energy Co (South Dakota)priced by season · tiered · in effect since July 2015 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,138.68 | −$992.04 | 9.5¢ |
| Rate RSH-Residential Space Heating ServiceMidAmerican Energy Co (South Dakota)priced by season · tiered · in effect since July 2015 · needs electric heating | $1,138.68 | −$992.04 | 9.5¢ |
| Farm Service (Rate code 361)Otter Tail Power Co (South Dakota)priced by season · tiered · in effect since July 2014 · farm or irrigation service | $1,155.36 | −$975.36 | 9.6¢ |
| Residential Service - Underground (E03) Electric Space HeatingNorthern States Power Co - Minnesota (South Dakota)priced by season · tiered · in effect since May 2017 · needs electric heating | $1,234.76 | −$895.96 | 10.3¢ |
| ResidentialBlack Hills Electric Coop, Inctiered · in effect since October 2011 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,235.40 | −$895.32 | 10.3¢ |
| RS Rate 10Montana-Dakota Utilities Co (South Dakota)priced by season · tiered · in effect since May 2017 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,336.92 | −$793.80 | 11.1¢ |
| Rate 14: Residential Space Heating and CoolingNorthWestern Energyflat rate · in effect since May 2025 · needs electric heating | $1,356.12 | −$774.60 | 11.3¢ |
| Rate 15: Residential Dual Fuel and Controlled Service.NorthWestern Energyflat rate · in effect since May 2025 · needs a dual-fuel or interruptible system | $1,356.12 | −$774.60 | 11.3¢ |
| Rate 16 Optional Time-Of-Day RESMontana-Dakota Utilities Co (South Dakota)time-of-use · in effect since May 2017 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,378.98 | −$751.74 | 11.5¢ |
| Residential Service Time Of Day - Overhead (E02) Electric Space HeatingNorthern States Power Co - Minnesota (South Dakota)time-of-use · in effect since May 2017 · needs electric heating | $1,394.43 | −$736.29 | 11.6¢ |
| Residential Service Time Of Day - Undergound (E04) Electric Space HeatingNorthern States Power Co - Minnesota (South Dakota)time-of-use · in effect since May 2017 · needs electric heating | $1,418.43 | −$712.29 | 11.8¢ |
7 further schedules are published and priced but not listed here — mostly regional and seasonal variants of the plans above. The dearest of them costs $2,130.72 a year at this usage.
What the one South Dakota plan ranked here costs at each level of use
- 500 kWh/mo — $1,122.60 (Rate 10: Residential Electric), the one plan ranked here
- 1,000 kWh/mo — $2,130.72 (Rate 10: Residential Electric), the one plan ranked here
- 2,000 kWh/mo — $3,410.88 (Rate 10: Residential Electric), the one plan ranked here
What households in South Dakota pay, by EIA's count
South Dakota sits between Iowa (14.0¢) and North Carolina (14.6¢).
EIA lists 20 utilities serving homes in South Dakota. By homes served, the largest 5 are Northern States Power Co - Minnesota (92,204), Black Hills Power, Inc. (60,951), NorthWestern Energy - (SD) (51,467), Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop (22,213), and Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (SD) (20,160). Member-owned cooperatives supply about 21% and municipal utilities supply about 7% of its households.
Over five years they rose 16.7%, well behind the US's 34.7%.
South Dakota homes used the most electricity in January and the least in May (2021–2025): a winter peak, 1.7 times the lightest month. September was the dearest month per kWh, 20% above January.
The utilities with a ranked plan on this page serve about 12% of South Dakota's households: NorthWestern Energy (51,467). That is less than half the state, so the plans below describe those utilities, not South Dakota; EIA's figure is the state's. Their median plan at 1,000 kWh a month works out to 17.8¢ per kWh.
| Average price, 12 months to June 2026 | 14.1¢ |
|---|---|
| Among the 50 states and DC | 16 of 51, 1 = lowest |
| US average, same months | 17.9¢ |
| Change on the 12 months before | ↑ +7.7% |
| Change over five years | ↑ +16.7% (US ↑ +34.7%) |
| Average price in 2001 | 7.4¢ |
| Households, 2024 | 433,548 |
| Average use per home, 2024 | 994 kWh a month (US 872) |
| Average bill per home, 2024 | $127.81 a month (US $143.64) |
Chart of this for reuse (PNG), free to republish under CC BY 4.0 with credit to WattClear.
Every year’s figure for South Dakota
| Year | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13.4¢ | 17.3¢ |
| 2024 | 12.9¢ | 16.5¢ |
| 2023 | 12.3¢ | 16.0¢ |
| 2022 | 12.1¢ | 15.0¢ |
| 2021 | 12.2¢ | 13.7¢ |
| 2020 | 11.7¢ | 13.2¢ |
| 2019 | 11.6¢ | 13.0¢ |
| 2018 | 11.6¢ | 12.9¢ |
| 2017 | 11.8¢ | 12.9¢ |
| 2016 | 11.5¢ | 12.5¢ |
| 2015 | 11.1¢ | 12.7¢ |
| 2014 | 10.5¢ | 12.5¢ |
| 2013 | 10.3¢ | 12.1¢ |
| 2012 | 10.1¢ | 11.9¢ |
| 2011 | 9.4¢ | 11.7¢ |
| 2010 | 9.0¢ | 11.5¢ |
| 2009 | 8.5¢ | 11.5¢ |
| 2008 | 8.3¢ | 11.3¢ |
| 2007 | 8.1¢ | 10.7¢ |
| 2006 | 7.8¢ | 10.4¢ |
| 2005 | 7.8¢ | 9.4¢ |
| 2004 | 7.6¢ | 8.9¢ |
| 2003 | 7.5¢ | 8.7¢ |
| 2002 | 7.4¢ | 8.4¢ |
| 2001 | 7.4¢ | 8.6¢ |
Highest in January, $152; lowest in October, $107.
Every month’s bill in South Dakota
| Month | Average bill |
|---|---|
| January | $152 |
| February | $145 |
| March | $131 |
| April | $115 |
| May | $107 |
| June | $122 |
| July | $143 |
| August | $142 |
| September | $120 |
| October | $107 |
| November | $114 |
| December | $141 |
In the guides: Summer and winter bills, state by state
How South Dakota's plans are structured
Of 32 priceable plans: 14 tiered, 6 time-of-use, 17 priced by season, 1 with demand charges, 5 flat-rate.
Fixed monthly charges run from $2.50 to $16.73.
Who provides South Dakota's plans
These plans come from 9 utilities: Black Hills Electric Coop, Inc, City of Brookings, South Dakota (Utility Company), MidAmerican Energy Co (South Dakota), Montana-Dakota Utilities Co (South Dakota), NorthWestern Energy, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota (South Dakota), Otter Tail Power Co (South Dakota), Watertown Municipal Utilities, West River Electric Assn Inc.