Rates by state / Montana
Residential electricity · updated July 2026
Average electric bill in Montana
The average Montana home paid 13.8¢ per kWh and about $115 a month over the 12 months to July 2026, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data. That rate is 23% below the U.S. average of 18.0¢, the 42nd highest of 50 states and D.C.
Average rate
12 months to Jul 2026. Latest month 15.0¢.
Average bill
Average use × average rate
Average use
Per residential customer
1-year change
5 years: +24.2%
Montana electric bills by month
What the average residential customer actually paid each month: total residential revenue ÷ customers. Source: EIA.
| Month | Avg use | Avg rate | Avg bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 889 kWh | 15.0¢ | $133 |
| June 2026 | 677 kWh | 15.1¢ | $102 |
| May 2026 | 693 kWh | 14.7¢ | $102 |
| April 2026 | 785 kWh | 13.9¢ | $109 |
| March 2026 | 876 kWh | 13.5¢ | $118 |
| February 2026 | 974 kWh | 13.3¢ | $130 |
| January 2026 | 1,100 kWh | 12.9¢ | $141 |
| December 2025 | 990 kWh | 12.8¢ | $126 |
| November 2025 | 771 kWh | 12.8¢ | $99 |
| October 2025 | 663 kWh | 14.3¢ | $95 |
| September 2025 | 708 kWh | 14.6¢ | $104 |
| August 2025 | 819 kWh | 14.3¢ | $117 |
Typical bill by home size in Montana
Monthly use of typical homes, all household sizes, priced at Montana's average rate of 13.8¢. Source: EIA RECS 2020 and EIA retail sales.
| Home size | Typical use | Most homes | Typical bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1,000 sq ft | 399 kWh | 253–608 kWh | $55 |
| 1,000–1,499 sq ft | 567 kWh | 394–811 kWh | $78 |
| 1,500–1,999 sq ft | 709 kWh | 501–994 kWh | $98 |
| 2,000–2,999 sq ft | 832 kWh | 616–1,157 kWh | $115 |
| 3,000+ sq ft | 1,067 kWh | 789–1,544 kWh | $148 |
Summer and winter months run higher than these yearly averages. Check your own bill to compare a specific month.
What uses the most electricity in Montana homes
Average yearly use by purpose for Montana homes, priced at 13.8¢ per kWh. Source: EIA RECS 2020 (172 surveyed homes).
- 24% of Montana homes heat mainly with electricity.
Monthly rate, last 5 years
Monthly prices swing with the season because fixed charges are spread over fewer or more kWh.
How much electricity Montana homes use
Electricity rates by utility in Montana
Average residential revenue per kWh in 2025, largest 14 of 14 by customers. Source: EIA-861.
| Utility | Customers | Rate | Avg use / mo | 1-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) | 333,713 | 14.4¢ | 707 kWh | +1.3% |
| Flathead Electric Coop Inc | 64,334 | 10.0¢ | 1,184 kWh | +3.8% |
| Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op | 21,471 | 14.2¢ | 893 kWh | +6.5% |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | 19,626 | 12.3¢ | 773 kWh | -4.3% |
| USBIA-Mission Valley Power | 16,353 | 9.4¢ | 1,274 kWh | +5.4% |
| Missoula Electric Coop, Inc | 14,867 | 10.9¢ | 1,068 kWh | +4.1% |
| Fergus Electric Coop, Inc | 6,855 | 15.9¢ | 896 kWh | +2.5% |
| Northern Lights, Inc | 4,700 | 13.1¢ | 905 kWh | +4.3% |
| Lower Yellowstone R E A, Inc | 3,247 | 9.2¢ | 1,160 kWh | +4.2% |
| Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc | 1,525 | 11.1¢ | 1,102 kWh | -2.5% |
| Powder River Energy Corp | 51 | 13.2¢ | 848 kWh | +4.0% |
| McKenzie Electric Coop Inc | 25 | 8.9¢ | 1,333 kWh | +3.6% |
| Black Hills Power, Inc. | 13 | 7.0¢ | 788 kWh | +0.4% |
| Avista Corp | 10 | 8.7¢ | 1,633 kWh | +2.0% |
Montana electricity: common questions
- What is the average electric bill in Montana?
- The average Montana household pays about $115 a month for electricity, based on 829 kWh of use at 13.8¢ per kWh over the 12 months to July 2026 (U.S. Energy Information Administration data).
- How much does electricity cost per kWh in Montana?
- Residential electricity in Montana averaged 13.8¢ per kWh over the 12 months to July 2026, and 15.0¢ in July 2026 alone. That is 23% below the U.S. average of 18.0¢, the 42nd highest of the 50 states and D.C. These averages spread fixed service charges and surcharges over each kWh. Sales taxes added to bills may not be included.
- When are electric bills highest in Montana?
- In the last 12 months, the average Montana bill peaked in January 2026 at $141 and was lowest in October 2025 at $95.
- How much electricity does a 1,500–1,999 sq ft home use in Montana?
- A typical Montana home of 1,500–1,999 square feet uses about 709 kWh a month, and most use between 501 and 994 kWh. At the state's average rate that is roughly $98 a month. Based on EIA's Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS 2020).
- Are electricity rates going up in Montana?
- Montana's average residential rate changed +9.5% compared with the previous 12 months and +24.2% over five years.
- What uses the most electricity in Montana homes?
- In a typical Montana home, space heating uses the most electricity (about 2,232 kWh a year, 24% of the total), followed by everything else plugged in (16%) and water heating (14%). Source: EIA RECS 2020.
- How do I know if my Montana electric bill is too high?
- Compare two things: how many kWh you used against similar homes, and what you paid per kWh against the state average. The free bill check on AverageElectricBill.com does both from the numbers on your bill, adjusting for the month and your home's size.