Some of the Cheapest Electricity is Found in Montana

Whenever we get a cold snap in Montana one of the first things that crosses my mind is how this is going to affect my electricity bill. This is normally the time of year that Montanans see the highest bills of the year for electricity usage. Unless you are on a "budget billing" plan, which averages the entire year so you just pay the same bill each month.

Compared to other states, Montana has some of the lowest electricity bills in the country. According to Home Energy Club, Montana is just shy of the top five lowest average electricity bills in the country.

U.S. National Average is $137 per month

According to their report, the national average for a household electricity bill is $137 a month, which comes out to over $1,644 annually. Montana is below the national average. The state with the highest average electricity bill is Hawaii at $222 a month, followed by Connecticut at $176 and Alabama at $168.

Utah Pays the Least for Electricity

The state with the lowest average electricity bills is Utah at $85 per month, followed by New Mexico ($91), the District of Columbia ($97), Colorado ($98), and Wyoming ($99). Montana comes in at number six on the list with an average electricity bill of $103 per month. This is 24% below the national average.

Credit: Home Energy Club

NorthWestern Energy's map on their website shows the comparison prices for electricity from January of 2024. At the time the U.S. national average was $107 per month. Most cities in Montana, as of last January, were also below the national average.

Even though our bills are lower than the national average, we are still paying a bigger percentage of our income on the actual bill. This is similar to the grocery prices we pay in Montana.

When it comes to how much Montanans spend as a percentage of median income, Montana ranks fifteenth in the country. The state that pays the most of their median income for electricity is Louisiana. The state that pays the least is Utah.