Residential rates by utility (EIA-861, average all-in ¢/kWh)
| Utility | 2023 ¢/kWh | 2024 ¢/kWh | Customers (2024) | Ownership | vs state avg, $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown Municipal Utilities | 8.99 | 9.30 | 11,633 | Municipal | -$402 |
| City of Pierre | 9.93 | 10.65 | 6,126 | Municipal | -$256 |
| Otter Tail Power Co | 11.12 | 10.93 | 9,048 | Investor-owned | -$226 |
| City of Brookings | 10.83 | 11.12 | 10,544 | Municipal | -$205 |
| Northern Electric Coop, Inc | 10.13 | 11.29 | 5,757 | Co-op | -$187 |
| Southeastern Electric Coop Inc | 11.44 | 12.41 | 20,160 | Co-op | -$66 |
| NorthWestern Energy | 11.26 | 12.56 | 51,467 | Investor-owned | -$50 |
| Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop | 12.02 | 12.94 | 22,213 | Co-op | -$9 |
| Central Electric Coop, Inc | 12.48 | 13.64 | 6,483 | Co-op | +$67 |
| Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | 14.15 | 13.87 | 92,204 | Investor-owned | +$91 |
| West River Electric Assn Inc | 13.40 | 14.25 | 18,423 | Co-op | +$133 |
| Black Hills Power, Inc. | 13.67 | 14.37 | 60,951 | Investor-owned | +$146 |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | 12.49 | 14.60 | 6,367 | Investor-owned | +$170 |
| Black Hills Electric Coop, Inc | 14.28 | 14.77 | 9,227 | Co-op | +$188 |
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 = 13.02¢/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 South Dakota?
Electric supply choice: no · Gas supply choice: no
Fully regulated.
Official rate information: puc.sd.gov.
Heating: which fuel is cheapest per million BTU in South Dakota?
| Fuel | Native price | As of | $ per MMBTU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility natural gas | $1.089 /therm | Feb 2026 | 10.89 |
| Propane | $1.840 /gal | Mar 30, 2026 | 20.12 |
| Electricity (resistance) | 13.24 ¢/kWh | Feb 2026 | 38.80 |
Utility natural gas is the cheapest residential energy per BTU in South Dakota at $10.89/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 South Dakota.)
Electricity price trend, last 12 months
South Dakota's average residential price went from 11.84¢/kWh in Feb '25 to 13.24¢/kWh in Feb '26 — up 12% year-over-year. The 12-month peak was 14.76¢ in Sep '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 | 11.84 | 12.75 | 13.37 | 14.33 | 14.22 | 14.52 | 13.98 | 14.76 | 14.09 | 13.81 | 12.51 | 13.60 | 13.24 |
Head-to-head utility comparisons in South Dakota
- Northern States Power Co - Minnesota vs NorthWestern Energy — who's cheaper?
Questions people ask
- Who has the cheapest electricity in South Dakota?
- NorthWestern Energy, at an average 12.6 cents per kWh for 2024 among South Dakota utilities with at least 50,000 customers (EIA-861). The most expensive, Black Hills Power, Inc., averaged 14.4 cents — a difference of about $196 per year at 10,800 kWh.
- Can I choose my electric company in South Dakota?
- No. South Dakota 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 (puc.sd.gov).
- Is gas or electric heat cheaper in South Dakota?
- Per million BTU of site energy, utility natural gas was $10.89 (Feb 2026) versus $38.80 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 South Dakota?
- At South Dakota's February 2026 average price of 13.24 cents/kWh and typical usage of 900 kWh per month, a household pays about $119 per month ($1430 per year) for electricity. Actual bills vary with usage, utility territory, and tariff.