HomeWattCost

NorthWestern Energy (Montana) rates

NorthWestern Energy has one residential plan modelled here. A typical Montana home using 829 kWh a month pays about $143 a month.

Investor-owned 328,127 residential customers (EIA-861, 2024) Tariffs checked September 28, 2026

Typical all-in priceREDS-1

01234567890123456789.0123456789¢/kWh
REDS-1$143/mo

Residential plans

PlanTypeFixed/moJuly pricesJanuary pricesJuly weekday windows
REDS-1
Residential Electric Default Supply		 Flat $4.20 16.8¢ all hours 16.8¢ all hours None

Charging an EV on NorthWestern Energy

1,000 miles a month in a Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD (275 kWh from the wall, EPA 27.5 kWh/100 mi) at 7.2 kW, added to a typical Montana home’s use, on each plan’s cheapest start hour versus plugging in at 6 pm. Averaged over the year.

PlanBest startCharging, best startCharging from 6 pmWhole bill with EV
REDS-1Any$46/mo$46/mo$190/mo

With an EV charged at its best hour, the cheapest plan overall is REDS-1. Compare plans on your own usage.

How NorthWestern Energy’s plans work

REDS-1 (Residential Electric Default Supply). One price per kWh at every hour, all year: 16.8¢. Shifting use to other hours changes nothing on this plan; using less is the only lever. Fixed charge: $4.20 a month.

Prices on this page are all-in per kWh, before taxes: base rates, supply and every per-kWh rider in the utility’s current tariff sheets. Your bill shows them as separate lines, and riders can change between tariff revisions.

As a cross-check, NorthWestern Energy billed its residential customers an average of 14.23¢ per kWh in 2024 (revenue ÷ sales, EIA-861). A plan taken from URDB is shown only if its all-in price is consistent with that figure, adjusted for Montana’s price change since.

Sources for each plan

PlanEffectiveSeasonsSolar exportsSource and status
REDS-1
Transcribed from the utility’s tariff		 July 1, 2026 Same pricing all year Not recorded in URDB Checked September 28, 2026
NorthWestern Energy MT Schedule REDS-1 Residential Electric Delivery Service, sheet 10.1 (76th Rev., eff. 2/1/2026) · NorthWestern Energy MT Schedule ESS-1 Electricity Supply Service, sheets 60.1-60.2 (eff. 7/1/2026) · NorthWestern Energy MT Schedule CTC-QF-1, sheet 61.1 (eff. 7/1/2026) · NorthWestern Energy MT Schedule WMBA-1, sheet 87.2 (eff. 5/1/2026) · NorthWestern Energy MT Schedule E-USBC-1, sheet 50.1 · NorthWestern Energy MT Rates at a Glance (rate summary as of 9/1/2026) · Montana PSC 2026 Residential Rate Summary (NWE Electric total $.168045/kWh Jul-Sep 2026, $4.20/month) · NorthWestern Energy Montana Electric Bill Rates (Oct 1, 2026 supply decrease notice)

Plans marked “Checked” were transcribed from the utility’s current tariff and rider sheets, all charges included, and are re-checked on the date shown in each file. Other plans come from the OpenEI U.S. Utility Rate Database (CC BY 4.0) and have not yet been checked line by line against the utility’s tariff. Always confirm the current rates on your utility’s website before switching plans.

Run the numbers on NorthWestern Energy

EV charging cost Which plan is cheaper Best time to run things Appliance cost Solar payback Heat pump vs gas