Arkansas Electricity Rates
Rate data for Arkansas is being refreshed. The regulator and market facts below are current; figures return with the next data load.
Can you choose your electricity supplier in Arkansas?
No. Arkansas has not opened its residential electricity market to competition, so the utility that delivers your power also sells it. Its prices are set in rate cases before the Arkansas Public Service Commission, and the rate you pay depends on which utility serves your address, your rate schedule, and the season.
Grid operator: MISO and SPP (split). Wholesale power costs flow through to retail bills on the regulator's schedule rather than month to month, which is why regulated-state rates move more slowly than the market-based states listed below.
Want to shop for a supplier? Retail choice is open on this site in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington DC.
Arkansas offers no supplier choice and caps PSC-regulated deposits at two average bills payable half up front, yet your bill is built for summer: Entergy's residential energy charges run highest in June-September, Entergy's time-of-use plan prices 1-7 p.m. summer weekday power at $0.13880 per kWh against $0.05716 off-peak and OG&E's solar time-of-use rate charges 19 cents 2-7 p.m. against 3.8 cents off-peak, and if you buy a home with rooftop solar its pre-October-2024 interconnection keeps full-retail net-metering credit until 2040 while a new array under Act 278 of 2023 earns only the utility's avoided cost plus any approved adder.
Who will deliver your power in Arkansas
The utility is fixed by your address. These are the largest in the state, with what each says it needs from a new customer.
Entergy Arkansasinvestor-owned
Entergy subsidiary serving 63 Arkansas counties; it has served the state for more than 100 years and has been a member of the MISO grid region since December 2014, while SWEPCO and OG&E belong to the Southwest Power Pool. About approximately 738,000 electric customers in 63 counties as of Dec. 31, 2025 (per Entergy Arkansas).
New customers sign up at myEntergy.com or call 800-ENTERGY (800-368-3749), Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. excluding holidays. First-time customers may be charged a $240 refundable security deposit (twice the $120 state average, rounded down to the nearest $5, set under Arkansas PSC rules), payable half before service starts and half on the first bill, and refunded with accrued interest after 12 consecutive on-time residential billings; the Prepaid Electric Service Program waives the deposit for a $25 opening balance.
Start service with Entergy Arkansas →Sources: entergyarkansas.com, entergyarkansas.com, entergyarkansas.com, entergyarkansas.com, entergyarkansas.com, apsc.arkansas.gov
Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO)investor-owned
American Electric Power subsidiary headquartered in Shreveport, La., serving western Arkansas along with northwestern and central Louisiana and East Texas; registered to do business in Arkansas as American Electric Power. About 556,100 customers across three states, more than 130,610 homes and businesses in Arkansas (per SWEPCO).
Start service online by address or meter number, or call 888-216-3523; giving a Social Security number for the credit check is optional, but a deposit or other security is required if credit cannot be verified. SWEPCO's Arkansas handbook says there is generally no charge to connect service and routine service work runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays; a cash deposit can be replaced by a qualified guarantor or a letter of credit from another utility showing 12 months of on-time payments, earns interest at a rate the Arkansas PSC sets annually, and is credited back after 12 months of on-time payments.
Start service with Southwestern Electric Power Company →Sources: swepco.com, swepco.com, swepco.com, swepco.com, swepco.com
Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E)investor-owned
Oklahoma's oldest and largest investor-owned utility, formed in 1902, which also serves western Arkansas; its Arkansas bills carry PSC-approved riders such as the Energy Efficiency Cost Recovery tariff and the Formula Rate Plan rider.
OG&E handles new, stop and transfer service through its online Start/Stop/Transfer page (sign in or register for a myOGE account). Arkansas customers can use Levelized Billing (OG&E's name there for Average Monthly Billing) and the summer SmartHours time-of-use plans, which have separate Arkansas prices.
Start service with Oklahoma Gas & Electric →Sources: oge.com, oge.com, oge.com, oge.com, oge.com, oge.com
Carroll Electric Cooperativecooperative
Member-owned cooperative incorporated November 8, 1937 and headquartered in Berryville, serving 11 counties in northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri; its assistance-agency list covers Rogers, Bentonville, Gravette, Harrison, Berryville, Huntsville and Jasper. About more than 125,000 accounts across 11 counties in Arkansas and Missouri (per Carroll Electric).
Apply online (about 5-10 minutes) or bring a paper application to a Carroll Electric office; residential applicants need a valid U.S.-issued photo ID, Social Security number, a $25 membership fee for new members, a $40 connect/transfer fee and a $250 service deposit if applicable, and the application is reviewed for completeness before fees are processed. Customer service is (800) 432-9720, Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the residential availability charge is $23.75 per bill cycle, with summer rates applying May through September.
Start service with Carroll Electric Cooperative →Sources: carrollecc.com, carrollecc.com, carrollecc.com, carrollecc.com
First Electric Cooperativecooperative
Arkansas's first electric cooperative (incorporated April 26, 1937) and its second-largest distribution co-op, headquartered in Jacksonville with offices in Bryant, Heber Springs, Perryville and Stuttgart, serving parts of 18 counties in central and southeast Arkansas. About more than 108,000 member accounts, 93 percent residential (per First Electric).
Visit any First Electric office or call 1-800-489-7405 to connect service; the membership fee is $10.00 and a deposit may be required from new applicants, payable in two equal installments, capped at the estimated bill for two average billing periods, and waived for a satisfactory credit check, a responsible third-party guaranty, a good-payment letter from your previous electric utility or an Air Force military waiver. The deposit is automatically credited back after 12 consecutive months of paying before the due date; the residential rate is 12.863 cents per kWh in peak months (June-October), 12.863 cents for the first 500 kWh then 11.219 cents in off-peak months, with a $31.00 minimum bill.
Start service with First Electric Cooperative →Sources: firstelectric.coop, firstelectric.coop, firstelectric.coop, firstelectric.coop
North Little Rock Electricmunicipal
Department of the City of North Little Rock, consumer-owned for more than 100 years, serving North Little Rock, Sherwood and parts of Pulaski County; it owns the Murray Hydroelectric plant on the Arkansas River, which supplies about 14 percent of the city's electricity. About more than 38,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers (per NLRED).
Apply online or by phone at 501-975-8888 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) with a government-issued photo ID and Social Security number; a $2.97 credit check sets the deposit at a minimum of $100 (minimal risk), $200 (moderate) or $300 (substantial risk, no history, or no SSN provided), payable half at application and half within 14 days, and refunded with interest only when the account closes unless you choose the Prepaid program, which waives it. A $25 meter inspection applies if the meter has been inactive six months or more, after-hours connection costs $50, and NLRED is switching to a new customer portal and account numbers in January 2027.
Start service with North Little Rock Electric →Sources: nlrelectric.com, nlrelectric.com, nlrelectric.com, nlrelectric.com, nlrelectric.com, nlrelectric.com
Deposits, ID, and supplier choice in Arkansas
Deposits. Under the Arkansas PSC General Service Rules (23 CAR § 455-401), a regulated utility may demand a residential deposit only if the applicant cannot show 12 months of satisfactory payment history with the same kind of utility, owes an undisputed past-due balance, paid late twice in a row or three times in a year, bounced two checks, was disconnected in the past 24 months, or gave materially false information; the deposit is capped at two average bills (one if you prepay), payable half before service and half with the first bill, earns interest annually under Ark. Code § 23-4-206, and must be promptly refunded after 12 months of paying by the due date. Moving to a new address with the same utility within 90 days cannot trigger a new deposit (§ 455-408), but these rules bind only PSC-regulated utilities, so a municipal system such as North Little Rock Electric sets its own terms. (apps.apsc.arkansas.gov)
Choosing a supplier. No residential supplier choice: Act 204 of 2003, the Electric Utility Regulatory Reform Act, repealed Arkansas's retail-competition statutes and kept utility rates regulated, and EIA's 2024 Arkansas profile records zero energy-only (competitive supplier) retail sales, so your utility is fixed by your address (https://apsc.arkansas.gov/utilities/electric/; https://www.eia.gov/electricity/state/arkansas/).
The PSC regulates 24 electric utilities (four investor-owned, 17 distribution cooperatives, one generation-and-transmission co-op and two RTOs) but not municipal utilities, so the Commission's consumer-protection rules and complaint process do not cover municipal systems such as North Little Rock Electric. Regulated utilities must give at least 22 days to pay if they charge a late fee (capped at 10% of the first $30 and 2% of the rest) or 14 days with no late fee, cannot disconnect any residence when a 32°F forecast is in effect, and cannot disconnect identified customers 65 or older or with disabilities when 95°F is forecast; Arkansas's 2024 average retail price was 9.59 cents per kWh (EIA, 43rd of the states) and the July 2026 residential average was 14.33 cents, up from 13.26 a year earlier.
Sources: apps.apsc.arkansas.gov, apsc.arkansas.gov, apsc.arkansas.gov, apsc.arkansas.gov, apsc.arkansas.gov, eia.gov, eia.gov
Help paying an electric bill in Arkansas
Arkansas Energy Office (Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment), delivered by 15 community-based organizations covering all 75 counties
Residential households at or below 60% of state median income (150% of the federal poverty level for households of eight or more), which for FFY 2026 means $2,347 a month for one person and $4,514 for four; apply through the community-based organization for your county, not the Energy Office, with Social Security cards for members 18 and over and SSNs for minors, during first-come, first-served windows that typically run January to April 30 and July to September 30. FY 2026 benefits run $60-$570 for heating, $60-$344 for cooling and up to $600 for winter or summer crisis (LIHEAP Clearinghouse), and as of Oct. 16, 2026 the state page said 'The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is now closed'.
Sources: adeq.state.ar.us, adeq.state.ar.us, liheapch.acf.gov, nlrelectric.com, acf.gov
Arkansas Weatherization Assistance Program
Arkansas Energy Office, through five community action agencies and nonprofit service providers covering all 75 counties
Households with income not exceeding 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or categorically eligible if a member receives SSI or the household receives or is eligible for LIHEAP; apply with the local agency serving your county with income documentation, identifying documents and 12 months of utility bills. An average grant of about $5,000 per home pays for audited energy-efficiency and health-and-safety measures at no cost to the occupant, year-round.
Source: adeq.state.ar.us
The Power to Care (Entergy Arkansas)
Entergy Arkansas, funded by employee and customer donations and paid out through local nonprofit agencies
Emergency bill-payment help for Entergy customers who are 60 or older or have disabilities, applied for through the local agency list on the Bill Toolkit; the same page offers qualifying customers a deferred payment arrangement of up to four months or a due-date extension through myEntergy or the mobile app. Registered Entergy customers with annual household income under $12,000 are also exempt from sales tax on the first 500 kWh each month (LIHEAP Clearinghouse).
Sources: billtoolkit.entergy.com, liheapch.acf.gov
SWEPCO payment assistance (Dollar Energy Fund, Neighbor to Neighbor)
Southwestern Electric Power Company with Dollar Energy Fund
SWEPCO partners with Dollar Energy Fund to apply grants directly to accounts to prevent disconnection or restore service, and the Neighbor to Neighbor Fund applies donor-funded utility assistance grants to bills; the page also offers a one-time payment extension, extended payment arrangements and a free third-party notification service.
Sources: swepco.com, swepco.com
OG&E Lend a Hand and payment plans
OG&E, with local nonprofits
OG&E offers payment plans for qualified customers and routes Lend a Hand donations through local nonprofits; Arkansas customers must first qualify for LIHEAP, which OG&E notes is run by community-based organizations in all 75 Arkansas counties, before applying for OG&E's low-income assistance, and can use Levelized Billing, Cool Zones and fan donations in summer.
Source: oge.com
North Little Rock Electric Residential Assistance Program
North Little Rock Electric Department
Low-income NLRED customers who have had service for the last 12 consecutive months, are not on prepaid or levelized billing, and have a bill of at least $100.00 within 7 days of disconnection, with gross income under the FFY 2026 Arkansas chart ($2,347 a month for one, $4,514 for four); households whose utilities are included in subsidized rent are not eligible.
Source: nlrelectric.com
Cooperative payment arrangements (Carroll Electric, First Electric)
Carroll Electric Cooperative and First Electric Cooperative
Carroll Electric members can set up a payment arrangement (extension) through the myAccount portal or the automated phone line 24/7, or ask about a Deferred Payment Agreement by calling (800) 432-9720 during business hours before the due date; both co-ops post lists of local churches, community action agencies and charities that may help with bills, and Carroll accepts pledges from assistance agencies by email. LIHEAP is delivered through community action agencies.
Sources: carrollecc.com, firstelectric.coop
Programs that change what you pay
- Rooftop solar (net metering)limited
- Act 278 of 2023 (the Arkansas Cost-Shifting Prevention Act) ended full-retail net metering for new systems: a residential facility is capped at the lesser of 25 kW or 100% of the home's highest monthly usage, and only facilities whose interconnection agreement was submitted before September 30, 2024 keep the pre-2023 one-for-one retail credit (legacy status, which runs until June 1, 2040 and attaches to the premises, so it transfers to a buyer); later systems are billed retail for power drawn and credited at the utility's avoided cost (plus an adder of up to 40% if benefits are proven) for power exported. First Electric charges a $320 one-time fee for systems of 25 kW or less and requires the agreement 30 days before connecting, and installers must give you at least five business days to review a proposal, with complaints going to the Arkansas Attorney General.
Sources: apps.apsc.arkansas.gov, arkleg.state.ar.us, firstelectric.coop, entergyarkansas.com, nlrelectric.com, carrollecc.com
- Community solarlimited
- OG&E's Solar Power Program lets Arkansas homes, apartments and businesses buy output from OG&E solar farms with no rooftop panels, but subscribers are moved to a SmartHours Fixed time-of-use rate (Arkansas standard price 7.8 cents, 19 cents on summer weekday afternoons 2-7 p.m., 3.8 cents off-peak, 2.8 cents all month October-May, before fuel, taxes and fees), and Entergy Arkansas lists a Solar Energy Purchase Option (SEPO) schedule. Conway Corp buys the output of the 132 MWdc Conway Solar at Happy project under a 20-year power purchase agreement and runs the Blaney Hill solar farm on its closed landfill for its customers.
Sources: oge.com, entergyarkansas.com, conwaycorp.com
- Time-of-use ratesavailable
- Entergy Arkansas's Residential Energy Management Time-Of-Use schedule (REMT) charges $0.13880 per kWh on-peak (1-7 p.m. weekdays, June-September), $0.06698 mid-peak and $0.05716 off-peak (10 p.m.-6 a.m. every day) on top of an $8.40 customer charge before riders, while its older Optional Residential TOU (RT) closed to new applicants after June 30, 2010. OG&E's SmartHours plans discount 19 hours a day on summer weekdays and all weekends June 1-September 30 in exchange for higher 2-7 p.m. peak prices, publish separate Arkansas prices, and carry a first-year Best Bill Guarantee.
Sources: entergyarkansas.com, entergyarkansas.com, oge.com
Questions people ask before moving to Arkansas
How far ahead should I set up electricity before moving to Arkansas, and what do I need?
None of the start-service pages above states a required lead time, but Conway Corp connects the same day for free if you ask before 3 p.m., Carroll Electric's online application takes 5-10 minutes and is reviewed before fees are processed, and North Little Rock Electric needs 24 hours' notice when an electrician asks it to drop the service line for meter-loop or solar work. Expect to give a government photo ID and Social Security number (SWEPCO makes the SSN optional but requires a deposit if it cannot check credit), plus a lease or closing documents at Conway Corp and a $25 membership fee at Carroll Electric ($10 at First Electric).
Sources: conwaycorp.com, conwaycorp.com, carrollecc.com, nlrelectric.com, swepco.com, firstelectric.coop
Will I have to pay a deposit to start electric service in Arkansas?
Probably, if you cannot show 12 months of good payment history with an electric utility: PSC rules cap a regulated utility's deposit at two average bills, let you pay half up front and half on the first bill, and require a refund with interest after 12 months of on-time payments; under those rules Entergy Arkansas charges first-time customers $240 (twice the $120 state average), and Carroll Electric lists a $250 service deposit 'if applicable'. SWEPCO and First Electric accept a guarantor or a good-payment letter from your old utility instead, Entergy and North Little Rock Electric waive deposits on prepaid plans, and NLRED (a city department outside PSC regulation) charges a minimum of $100, $200 or $300 by credit risk and holds the deposit until the account closes.
Sources: apps.apsc.arkansas.gov, entergyarkansas.com, carrollecc.com, swepco.com, firstelectric.coop, entergyarkansas.com, nlrelectric.com
Can I shop for a cheaper electricity supplier in Arkansas?
No. Act 204 of 2003 repealed Arkansas's retail-competition laws and kept electric rates regulated, EIA reports zero competitive-supplier sales in the state in 2024, and the PSC approves the tariffs of the four investor-owned utilities and 17 distribution co-ops while municipal systems set their own; your address determines whether Entergy Arkansas, SWEPCO, OG&E, a co-op or a city utility serves you.
Sources: apsc.arkansas.gov, eia.gov
What will electricity cost me in Arkansas?
Arkansas residential customers paid an average 14.33 cents per kWh in July 2026 (13.26 cents a year earlier) and the state's 2024 all-sector average of 9.59 cents ranked 43rd among the states; Entergy Arkansas's posted sample bill for 1,000 kWh in October 2026 comes to $143.81 before state, city or local taxes once nine riders are added to the $8.40 customer charge and $69.90 energy charge. Municipal rates are posted plainly: Conway Corp charges $18.00 plus 7.08 cents per kWh (adjusted for power cost) and North Little Rock Electric $17.40 plus 9.431 cents per kWh, while First Electric's co-op rate is 12.863 cents in June-October with a $31.00 minimum bill.
Sources: eia.gov, eia.gov, entergyarkansas.com, entergyarkansas.com, conwaycorp.com, nlrelectric.com, firstelectric.coop
What help is there if I fall behind on my electric bill in Arkansas?
Apply for LIHEAP through the community-based organization for your county (windows typically January-April 30 and July-September 30), and ask your utility about The Power to Care (Entergy, age 60+ or disabled), Dollar Energy Fund grants (SWEPCO), Lend a Hand (OG&E) or NLRED's Residential Assistance Program. PSC rules also entitle customers of regulated utilities to a delayed payment agreement (one-fourth down, the rest over three months) if requested before the shut-off date, an extended due date for people living on Social Security, SSI or VA benefits, and protection from disconnection when 32°F is forecast (or 95°F for customers 65 and older or with disabilities).
Sources: adeq.state.ar.us, billtoolkit.entergy.com, swepco.com, oge.com, nlrelectric.com, apsc.arkansas.gov, apsc.arkansas.gov
Researched 2026-10-16 from utility, regulator, and agency pages; every statement links to where it was read. Rules change: confirm deposits and program dates with the utility or agency before you rely on them.
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