Electricity rates — NorthWestern Energy
NorthWestern Energy's customers paid 12.6¢ per kWh in 2024, riders included (EIA-861): about $113 a month for 903 kWh. Rate 10: Residential Electric, the one open plan at 1,000 kWh a month, comes to $2,131 a year. Schedule retrieved October 8, 2026.
Every priced NorthWestern Energy plan, 1,000 kWh/mo
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate 10: Residential Electric✓ cheapesttiered · in effect since May 2025 | $2,130.72 | — | 17.8¢ |
| Priced but not ranked — restricted, older, or not verifiable as a bill | |||
| Rate 14: Residential Space Heating and Coolingflat rate · in effect since May 2025 · needs electric heating | $1,356.12 | −$774.60 | 11.3¢ |
| Rate 15: Residential Dual Fuel and Controlled Service.flat rate · in effect since May 2025 · needs a dual-fuel or interruptible system | $1,356.12 | −$774.60 | 11.3¢ |
| Rate 11: Residential Service with Space Heatingtiered · in effect since May 2025 · needs electric heating | $2,130.72 | — | 17.8¢ |
Price NorthWestern Energy’s plans at your own usage
What the one NorthWestern Energy 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 NorthWestern Energy's customers were billed in 2024
NorthWestern Energy's open plans and its customers' bills disagree by more than a quarter: at 903 kWh a month, the median plan is 17.9¢ per kWh against 12.6¢ billed in 2024. Before relying on a plan price here, test it against a real NorthWestern Energy bill in the bill analyzer.
| Ownership, as EIA classes it | Investor-owned |
|---|---|
| Full-service homes in South Dakota | 51,467 |
| Share of South Dakota's households | 12% |
| Average use per home | 903 kWh a month |
| Average bill per home | $113.36 a month |
| Billed per kWh, riders included | 12.6¢ |
| Median open plan here, at that use | 17.9¢ |
NorthWestern Energy - (SD) in U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861, 2024 (Sales_Ult_Cust_2024.xlsx), retrieved September 23, 2026.
How the Rate 10: Residential Electric bill at 1,000 kWh has moved since 2015
NorthWestern Energy's Rate 10: Residential Electric cost $111.73 a month under its November 2015 version and costs $177.56 under its May 2025 one, 59% more. Its biggest single step, in August 2024, added $33.78 (28%). In South Dakota, EIA's average price rose 21% between 2015 and 2025.
Every version of Rate 10: Residential Electric
| Took effect | At 1,000 kWh | Change | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | $177.56 | +$22.23 (+14.3%) | URDB |
| August 2024 | $155.33 | +$33.78 (+27.8%) | URDB |
| May 2016 | $121.55 | −$2.24 (−1.8%) | URDB |
| January 2016 | $123.79 | +$12.06 (+10.8%) | URDB |
| November 2015 | $111.73 | First on record | URDB |
In the guides: Why electricity rates change
How it compares
Among the 100 utilities indexed, NorthWestern Energy's cheapest open plan is the 37th-highest, 14% more than their median of $1,877.14. It sits between Idaho Power Co ($2,124.20) and Wisconsin Power & Light Co ($2,132.93).
Its fixed charge, $7.00 a month on Rate 10: Residential Electric, is lower than on the cheapest plan of 94 of the other 99 utilities.
Rate 10: Residential Electric is tiered: past 1,200 kWh a month, each kWh costs 4.3¢ less. Of the 47 utilities whose plans step, that is the 12th-largest step.
In the guides: What a bill costs before a single kilowatt-hour · The price that changes once the meter passes a line
Cheapest 4 plans at 1,000 kWh a month
Rate 10: Residential Electric — $2,130.72 a year, 17.8¢ per kWh effective, tiered. It carries a $7.00 monthly standing charge. In effect since May 2025.
Rate 14: Residential Space Heating and Cooling — $1,356.12 a year, 11.3¢ per kWh effective, flat rate. It carries a $4.00 monthly standing charge. In effect since May 2025. Restricted: needs electric heating.
Rate 15: Residential Dual Fuel and Controlled Service. — $1,356.12 a year, 11.3¢ per kWh effective, flat rate. It carries a $4.00 monthly standing charge. In effect since May 2025. Restricted: needs a dual-fuel or interruptible system.
Rate 11: Residential Service with Space Heating — $2,130.72 a year, 17.8¢ per kWh effective, tiered. It carries a $7.00 monthly standing charge. In effect since May 2025. Restricted: needs electric heating.
How NorthWestern Energy's plans are structured
Of 4 priceable plans: 2 tiered, 2 flat-rate.
Fixed monthly charges run from $4.00 to $7.00.
NorthWestern Energy's published schedules
EIA-861 lists NorthWestern Energy serving homes in South Dakota and in no other state, which is how its plans are placed there. 4 of its 4 published residential schedules can be priced.