Residential rates by utility (EIA-861, average all-in ¢/kWh)
| Utility | 2023 ¢/kWh | 2024 ¢/kWh | Customers (2024) | Ownership | vs state avg, $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North West Rural Electric Coop | 8.90 | 9.26 | 9,400 | Co-op | -$456 |
| Cedar Falls Utilities | 10.01 | 10.42 | 17,772 | Municipal | -$332 |
| MidAmerican Energy Co | 11.00 | 11.01 | 632,436 | Investor-owned | -$268 |
| City of Ames | 12.19 | 12.10 | 24,979 | Municipal | -$151 |
| Board of Water Electric & Communications | 12.58 | 12.63 | 10,123 | Municipal | -$93 |
| East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop | 13.02 | 13.28 | 7,368 | Co-op | -$22 |
| Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop | 13.69 | 13.56 | 20,749 | Co-op | +$7 |
| Midland Power Coop | 13.10 | 13.60 | 11,939 | Co-op | +$12 |
| Maquoketa Valley Rrl Elec Coop | 13.17 | 13.76 | 11,051 | Co-op | +$29 |
| Iowa Lakes Electric Coop | 12.73 | 13.78 | 9,714 | Co-op | +$31 |
| Linn County REC | 14.25 | 14.23 | 30,323 | Co-op | +$80 |
| Access Energy Coop | 13.98 | 14.95 | 8,850 | Co-op | +$158 |
| Consumers Energy Coop | 14.98 | 15.00 | 6,922 | Co-op | +$164 |
| MiEnergy Cooperative | 16.43 | 16.91 | 6,006 | Co-op | +$369 |
| Interstate Power and Light Co | 17.86 | 17.90 | 417,153 | Investor-owned | +$477 |
Average price = residential revenue ÷ residential sales from each utility's federal EIA-861 filing (bundled service — supply + delivery + riders, not a quoted tariff rate). State average = 13.49¢/kWh, volume-weighted across these utilities (2024). Your distribution utility is fixed by address; these gaps measure what households in different territories actually paid.
Can you choose your electric company in Iowa?
Electric supply choice: no · Gas supply choice: no
Fully regulated.
Official rate information: iub.iowa.gov.
Heating: which fuel is cheapest per million BTU in Iowa?
| Fuel | Native price | As of | $ per MMBTU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility natural gas | $1.257 /therm | Feb 2026 | 12.57 |
| Propane | $1.660 /gal | Mar 30, 2026 | 18.15 |
| Heating oil (No. 2) | $4.224 /gal | Mar 30, 2026 | 30.50 |
| Electricity (resistance) | 12.74 ¢/kWh | Feb 2026 | 37.34 |
Utility natural gas is the cheapest heating fuel in Iowa at $12.57/MMBTU — heating oil costs 2.4× as much per BTU. Conversions: 1 kWh = 3,412 BTU; 1 therm = 100,000 BTU; heating oil 138,500 BTU/gal; propane 91,452 BTU/gal. Site-energy prices — appliance efficiency changes delivered-heat cost: a 95% AFUE gas furnace delivers heat near the gas figure, while a heat pump at seasonal COP 2.5–3 cuts the effective electric figure by 60–70%.
Electricity price trend, last 12 months
Iowa's average residential price went from 12.14¢/kWh in Feb '25 to 12.74¢/kWh in Feb '26 — up 5% year-over-year. The 12-month peak was 15.58¢ in Aug '25.
| Month | Feb '25 | Mar '25 | Apr '25 | May '25 | Jun '25 | Jul '25 | Aug '25 | Sep '25 | Oct '25 | Nov '25 | Dec '25 | Jan '26 | Feb '26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¢/kWh | 12.14 | 12.48 | 13.34 | 14.16 | 15.33 | 15.31 | 15.58 | 14.79 | 13.48 | 13.55 | 12.60 | 12.83 | 12.74 |
Head-to-head utility comparisons in Iowa
- MidAmerican Energy Co vs Interstate Power and Light Co — who's cheaper?
Questions people ask
- Who has the cheapest electricity in Iowa?
- MidAmerican Energy Co, at an average 11.0 cents per kWh for 2024 among Iowa utilities with at least 50,000 customers (EIA-861). The most expensive, Interstate Power and Light Co, averaged 17.9 cents — a difference of about $744 per year at 10,800 kWh.
- Can I choose my electric company in Iowa?
- No. Iowa is a regulated retail market: your utility is set by address and there is no residential supplier shopping. Rates are set in state utility-commission proceedings (iub.iowa.gov).
- Is gas or electric heat cheaper in Iowa?
- Per million BTU of site energy, utility natural gas was $12.57 (Feb 2026) versus $37.34 for electric resistance heat, $30.50 for heating oil. A heat pump delivering 2.5-3 units of heat per unit of electricity brings electric heating to roughly $12-15 per MMBTU.
- What is the average electric bill in Iowa?
- At Iowa's February 2026 average price of 12.74 cents/kWh and typical usage of 900 kWh per month, a household pays about $115 per month ($1376 per year) for electricity. Actual bills vary with usage, utility territory, and tariff.