Residential rates by utility (EIA-861, average all-in ¢/kWh)
| Utility | 2023 ¢/kWh | 2024 ¢/kWh | Customers (2024) | Ownership | vs state avg, $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USBIA-Mission Valley Power | 7.87 | 8.91 | 16,292 | Federal | -$415 |
| Flathead Electric Coop Inc | 9.50 | 9.67 | 63,317 | Co-op | -$333 |
| Missoula Electric Coop, Inc | 9.92 | 10.50 | 14,686 | Co-op | -$243 |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | 11.84 | 12.89 | 19,616 | Investor-owned | +$15 |
| Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op | 12.54 | 13.35 | 21,182 | Co-op | +$64 |
| NorthWestern Energy LLC | 14.61 | 14.23 | 328,125 | Investor-owned | +$160 |
| Fergus Electric Coop, Inc | 15.53 | 15.52 | 6,682 | Co-op | +$299 |
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 = 12.75¢/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 Montana?
Electric supply choice: no · Gas supply choice: no
Electric restructuring repealed 2007 (NorthWestern re-regulated). Gas choice statute exists but supplier market inactive.
Official rate information: psc.mt.gov.
Heating: which fuel is cheapest per million BTU in Montana?
| Fuel | Native price | As of | $ per MMBTU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility natural gas | $0.829 /therm | Feb 2026 | 8.29 |
| Propane | $2.121 /gal | Mar 30, 2026 | 23.19 |
| Electricity (resistance) | 13.33 ¢/kWh | Feb 2026 | 39.07 |
Utility natural gas is the cheapest residential energy per BTU in Montana at $8.29/MMBTU. 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%. (No EIA weekly heating-oil survey price for Montana.)
Electricity price trend, last 12 months
Montana's average residential price went from 11.60¢/kWh in Feb '25 to 13.33¢/kWh in Feb '26 — up 15% year-over-year. The 12-month peak was 14.81¢ in Jun '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 | 11.60 | 11.93 | 12.31 | 12.88 | 14.81 | 14.27 | 14.28 | 14.64 | 14.27 | 12.82 | 12.77 | 12.86 | 13.33 |
Head-to-head utility comparisons in Montana
- NorthWestern Energy LLC vs Flathead Electric Coop Inc — who's cheaper?
Questions people ask
- Who has the cheapest electricity in Montana?
- Flathead Electric Coop Inc, at an average 9.7 cents per kWh for 2024 among Montana utilities with at least 50,000 customers (EIA-861). The most expensive, NorthWestern Energy LLC, averaged 14.2 cents — a difference of about $493 per year at 10,800 kWh.
- Can I choose my electric company in Montana?
- No. Montana 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 (psc.mt.gov).
- Is gas or electric heat cheaper in Montana?
- Per million BTU of site energy, utility natural gas was $8.29 (Feb 2026) versus $39.07 for electric resistance heat. A heat pump delivering 2.5-3 units of heat per unit of electricity brings electric heating to roughly $13-16 per MMBTU.
- What is the average electric bill in Montana?
- At Montana's February 2026 average price of 13.33 cents/kWh and typical usage of 900 kWh per month, a household pays about $120 per month ($1440 per year) for electricity. Actual bills vary with usage, utility territory, and tariff.