HomeWattCost

MidAmerican RS vs RST

For a typical Iowa home using 856 kWh a month, RST is cheaper by about $38 a year ($97 against $100 a month). RST is cheaper below about 1,300 kWh a month and RS above it, with the same daily pattern of use.

Utility MidAmericanTariffs checked 2026-09-28Typical use 856 kWh/mo, Iowa

Head to head

ScenarioRSRSTCheaper
Typical home, per month$100$97RST
All-in price per kWh11.7¢11.3¢RST
Home + EV, charged at the cheapest hour$127$120RST
Home + EV, plugged in at 6 pm$127$125RST
Fixed charge$8.50$8.50

Typical home: Iowa average use by month (EIA), shaped hour by hour (NREL ResStock), before taxes. EV: Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD, 1,000 miles a month; cheapest start any hour on RS, 12 am on RST.

Month by month

Typical-home bill each month on each plan.

PlanJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
RS$112$94$88$74$77$114$158$130$102$78$74$104
RST$107$88$82$69$73$114$159$130$102$73$70$98

RS: price by hour

July weekday.

Same price all day
12.4¢12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p12a

RST: price by hour

July weekday.

Off-peakMid-peakPeak
8.3¢10.8¢22.7¢10.8¢8.3¢12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p12a

How the two plans work

RS: Residential Service

  • In July the first 0 kWh a month cost 12.4¢ each; then .
  • An average Iowa home (1,209 kWh in July) stays within the first tier.
  • Fixed charge: $8.50 a month.

RST: Residential Time-of-Use

  • Mid-peak 8 am–1 pm, Peak 1 pm–6 pm, Mid-peak 6 pm–10 pm on July weekdays; 5 of 24 hours carry the top price of 22.7¢.
  • The cheapest July weekday hour costs 8.3¢, so moving 1 kWh out of the top hours saves 14.4¢.
  • January weekdays range from 8.4¢ to 9.6¢.
  • Summer pricing applies Jun–Sep; winter pricing Oct–May.
  • Weekends follow a different schedule from weekdays.
  • Fixed charge: $8.50 a month.

Your own pattern of use decides the winner: compare every MidAmerican plan on your usage, or see all MidAmerican plans, sources and peak hours.