North Dakota Electricity Rates
Rate data for North Dakota 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 North Dakota?
No. North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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.
North Dakota pairs some of the lowest electricity prices in the nation (13.41¢/kWh residential in July 2026 vs 18.31¢ US) with a regulatory gap movers from other cold states won't expect: there is no supplier choice, the 16 rural electric cooperatives the PSC lists set their own rates, deposits and shutoff rules, which the PSC does not regulate at all, and even at the regulated utilities the PSC says its rules 'DO NOT PROHIBIT disconnect during winter months'.
Who will deliver your power in North Dakota
The utility is fixed by your address. These are the largest in the state, with what each says it needs from a new customer.
Xcel Energy (Northern States Power Company)investor-owned
One of the three investor-owned electric utilities whose rates the ND Public Service Commission regulates; its North Dakota regulatory filings are issued from Fargo (2302 Great Northern Drive). Xcel's own site did not expose a readable North Dakota service-territory or customer-count page for this research.
Xcel's 'New Customer' moving page is the start-service entry point; it does not state a lead time, ID or deposit requirement. Its North Dakota Residential Service rate (D01) is a $15.00 monthly customer charge plus 8.548¢/kWh June-September and 6.949¢/kWh October-May, with a 16.17% interim rate surcharge applied from February 1, 2025 under the PSC's interim-rate order in rate case PU-24-376 (the filing says interim rates stay in effect until final rates are approved), plus fuel, renewable, transmission and city-fee riders.
Start service with Xcel Energy →Sources: my.xcelenergy.com, psc.nd.gov, psc.nd.gov
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. (MDU)investor-owned
Headquartered in Bismarck (400 N. Fourth Street); its ND electric tariff lists Bismarck, Mandan, Dickinson, Williston, Watford City, Beulah, Hazen, Linton and about 110 other western and south-central ND communities (118 in all) in its Dakota Heartland and Badlands regions. About more than 435,350 electric and/or gas customers in 273 communities across Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming combined (per MDU About Us); ND electric-only count not stated.
New customers must call 800-638-3278 (7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday) to start service; online start/stop/transfer forms are for existing customers and MDU says not to use them if you need service within the next two business days or were disconnected for nonpayment. Under its PSC-filed General Provisions (Rate 100), MDU decides whether a deposit is required 'in accordance with Commission rules', the deposit cannot exceed an estimated 60-day bill, a guarantor contract may substitute for cash, interest accrues at the Bank of North Dakota six-month CD rate (2.25% for 2026) and is credited each December, and deposits are refunded to active customers after 12 months of prompt payment; connections requested outside normal business hours are billed at overtime labor rates.
Start service with Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. →Sources: montana-dakota.com, montana-dakota.com, montana-dakota.com, montana-dakota.com, montana-dakota.com
Otter Tail Power Companyinvestor-owned
Eastern and central North Dakota, from customer service centers in Devils Lake, Garrison, Jamestown, Rugby and Wahpeton, serving towns such as Jamestown, Devils Lake, Wahpeton, Rugby, Langdon, Carrington, Oakes, Lisbon, Casselton, Garrison, Washburn and Velva; the company's total territory spans 70,000 square miles across western Minnesota, eastern North Dakota and northeastern South Dakota.
Contact Otter Tail two business days in advance (the ND tariff requires 'not less than two business days prior notice to connect service'); start service online with no login or call 800-257-4044 during business hours Monday-Friday. The ND tariff sets a $15.00 connection charge per new account (overtime charges, two-hour minimum, outside normal hours), requires applicants to be 18, and allows a deposit of up to an estimated 60-day bill only if you have not established good credit; Otter Tail's FAQ says new or returning customers with a good credit history (fewer than three disconnection notices, no disconnection for nonpayment in 12 months) pay no deposit, otherwise it is based on two months of average bills and earns 2.25% interest in North Dakota; the tariff (Section 1.03) says a deposit is refunded when service ends or after 12 consecutive months of prompt payments.
Start service with Otter Tail Power Company →Cass County Electric Cooperativecooperative
Nearly 61,000 members across 10 southeastern ND counties (Cass, Barnes, Traill, Richland, Ransom, Sargent, Dickey, LaMoure, Steele and Stutsman), including growing parts of Fargo and West Fargo, with service centers in Fargo, Kindred, Arthur, Lisbon and Valley City; wholesale power comes from Minnkota Power Cooperative. About 60,974 members (per CCEC About Us).
Request residential service through the Residential 'Get Service' link on the co-op's Request Service page or call Member Service at 701-356-4400 / 800-248-3292, Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (office: 4100 32nd Ave. S., Fargo). The co-op's site does not state a membership fee, deposit, credit check or lead time, and as a rural electric cooperative it is not bound by PSC deposit or disconnection rules. Posted rates: urban residential $23.15 basic charge plus 8.9¢/kWh (rural $36.65, apartment $12.00) before the Purchased Power Adjustment.
Start service with Cass County Electric Cooperative →Sources: casscountyelectric.com, casscountyelectric.com, casscountyelectric.com, psc.nd.gov
Capital Electric Cooperativecooperative
Homes and businesses in Burleigh and southern Sheridan counties around Bismarck since 1948; headquartered at 7401 Yukon Drive, Bismarck. About 19,347 members and 22,800 meters (per Capital Electric About Us).
Capital Electric says to complete its secure online Application for Membership and Electric Service (separate residential, commercial and new-construction forms) or visit the office, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m., (855) 937-1736; on 2026-10-16 the residential online form page read 'closed to new submissions', so call if the form is unavailable. The site states no membership fee, deposit, connection fee or lead time, and its rates page posts no base-charge or per-kWh dollar figures; it explains that bills are built from a flat monthly base charge, energy (kWh), an On-Peak Demand (kW) charge tied to the wholesaler's monthly half-hour peak and a Grid Capacity (kW) charge based on the account's highest 15-minute demand in the past 12 months (the co-op says the average residence paid about $11.45 and $18.24 a month for those two in 2025), and an optional Coincident Peak rate rewards avoiding the monthly half-hour peak.
Start service with Capital Electric Cooperative →Sources: capitalelec.com, capitalelec.com, capitalelec.com, capitalelec.com, capitalelec.com
Deposits, ID, and supplier choice in North Dakota
Deposits. N.D. Admin. Code 69-09-02-04 lets a PSC-regulated electric utility require a deposit up to the estimated charge for 60 days of service, pays interest at the Bank of North Dakota six-month CD rate set each January (2.25% for 2026 per MDU and Otter Tail), and lets a signed guarantor contract stand in for cash; 69-09-02-05.1(10) bars disconnecting anyone for nonpayment of a deposit. These rules bind only the three investor-owned utilities (Xcel, MDU, Otter Tail); co-ops and municipal utilities set their own policies. (ndlegis.gov)
Choosing a supplier. No residential supplier choice: the PSC regulates the rates of the three investor-owned utilities, has no jurisdiction over the rates of rural electric cooperatives or municipal utilities, and settles territorial disputes between IOUs and co-ops, so your address determines your single supplier (https://www.psc.nd.gov/jurisdictions/electric-gas).
North Dakota has no winter shutoff moratorium: the PSC's own fact sheet says its rules 'DO NOT PROHIBIT disconnect during winter months' as long as the other protections are followed (ten days' written notice, personal delivery for customers 65+ or with a disability, no disconnects on weekends, Fridays, state holidays, the day before a holiday or after noon, a 30-day postponement for health, age or disability, and the right to a payment plan). Co-ops and municipals are not required to follow even those rules. Power is cheap: EIA's preliminary July 2026 residential average for ND is 13.41¢/kWh versus 18.31¢ nationally, and ND's 2024 all-sector average retail price of 7.93¢/kWh ranked 51st in EIA's state ranking; the state generated 42.6 million MWh in 2024 (primary source: coal) against 29.8 million MWh of in-state retail sales.
Sources: ndlegis.gov, psc.nd.gov, psc.nd.gov, montana-dakota.com, otpco.com, eia.gov, eia.gov
Help paying an electric bill in North Dakota
LIHEAP (North Dakota Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
North Dakota Health and Human Services, Economic Assistance Policy Division (applications through the Customer Support Center, 866-614-6005 / 701-328-1000, or local human service zone offices)
Homeowners and renters with household income at or below 60% of the state median; monthly limits effective Oct. 1, 2026-Sept. 30, 2027 are $3,446 for one person, $4,507 for two, $5,567 for three and $6,628 for four. Since 2025 applications are accepted year-round (online via the Self-Service Portal at hhs.nd.gov/applyforhelp, by mail, or at a zone office); the program pays part of heating costs for any fuel, plus weatherization, furnace cleaning/repair/replacement, cooling-device help and emergency assistance. HHS reported $15.3 million paid last year with an average monthly household benefit of $161; MDU notes crisis grants can pay reconnection fees but not deposits.
Sources: hhs.nd.gov, hhs.nd.gov, montana-dakota.com
Weatherization Assistance Program
North Dakota's Community Action Agencies (Community Action Partnership of North Dakota, 701-232-2452 / 800-726-7960), weatherizing homes since 1976
Owners and renters (manufactured homes, wood-framed homes and apartments) whose total household income is at or below 200% of the poverty level; the posted 2024 annual limits are $30,120 for one person, $40,880 for two, $51,640 for three and $62,400 for four, LIHEAP clients are automatically eligible, renters must also have a landlord who meets program requirements, and there is no fee. Apply through the Community Action Agency serving your county (eight regional offices: Williston, Minot, Devils Lake, Grand Forks, Fargo, Jamestown, Bismarck, Dickinson).
Nonprofit emergency energy fund delivered through local Community Action Agencies (MDU lists it at PO Box 507, Jamestown, 800-726-8179)
North Dakotans with emergency household energy bills not covered by other assistance programs, normally used only after all other resources are exhausted; the program page names low-income, disabled and elderly households but lists no formal income test. Contact your local Community Action Agency to apply.
Sources: capnd.org, montana-dakota.com
Utility payment arrangements and local hardship referrals
The utilities themselves (Otter Tail Power, Capital Electric) with referrals to county and charitable agencies
Otter Tail customers can request a payment arrangement or the Even Monthly Payment plan at 800-257-4044 and are pointed to the ND energy assistance program and Community Action Partnership of ND; its Uplift bill credit is for Minnesota customers only. Capital Electric asks members facing disconnection to call its billing department at (855) 937-1736 and lists Aid Inc. (701-663-1274), Community Action (701-258-2240), the Salvation Army (701-223-1889), Burleigh County Social Services (701-222-6622), St. Vincent de Paul (701-222-8011) and 211.
Sources: otpco.com, capitalelec.com
Programs that change what you pay
- Rooftop solar (net metering)limited
- N.D. Admin. Code 69-09-07-09(3)(a) entitles qualifying facilities of 100 kW or less to 'net energy billing' at PSC-regulated utilities, with the meter reversing as you export and the utility allowed to recover metering costs; in practice MDU and Otter Tail credit monthly excess at avoided cost rather than retail, MDU stating that ND excess is credited at $0.0269/kWh and that true net metering applies only in its Montana and Wyoming territories, and Otter Tail's ND Small Power Producer Rider (up to 100 kW) paying a $0.04571/kWh base avoided-cost credit plus a $0.00096 renewable or $0.00300 solar REC credit against a $1.33 monthly metering charge. Co-ops set their own terms: Cass County Electric offers net billing for systems up to 40 kW with a bi-directional meter.
Sources: ndlegis.gov, montana-dakota.com, otpco.com, casscountyelectric.com
- Community solarlimited
- There is no statewide program and MDU says it 'does not currently have a community solar program'; the one documented option is Cass County Electric's Prairie Sun array in Fargo, where any member can lease panels (324 total, 259.5 leased as of 3/29/23) for an upfront price and receive a monthly bill credit of about 10-45 kWh per panel, roughly $35 a year at current rates, capped at 75% of the account's lowest monthly usage.
Sources: casscountyelectric.com, montana-dakota.com
- Time-of-use ratesavailable
- Optional, not default: Xcel's ND Residential Time of Day rate (D02) has a $17.00 customer charge, on-peak energy of 17.070¢ June-September and 12.798¢ October-May, off-peak 3.450¢, and a three-month trial limited to 100 customers at a time with a $20 meter-removal charge if you quit; MDU's Rate 16 charges on-peak noon-8 p.m. weekdays (6.289¢ Oct-May, 7.789¢ Jun-Sep) and off-peak 3.289¢/4.789¢ plus a 26.118% interim increase, with a one-year minimum; Cass County Electric's Time of Day program bills 22.2¢ on-peak (weekdays 6-9 a.m. and 4-8 p.m.) and 5.2¢ all other hours versus its 8.9¢ standard rate. Otter Tail's North Dakota residential rate summary lists no time-of-use rate but does offer controlled off-peak water-heating, dual-fuel and demand-control rates.
Sources: psc.nd.gov, montana-dakota.com, casscountyelectric.com, otpco.com
Questions people ask before moving to North Dakota
How far ahead should I set up electricity before moving to North Dakota?
Otter Tail Power asks for two business days' notice (its tariff requires 'not less than two business days'), and MDU tells customers not to use its online forms if they need service within two business days but to call 800-638-3278 instead; Cass County Electric and Capital Electric publish no lead time, so call them a few days ahead (701-356-4400 and 855-937-1736). Xcel's new-customer page states no lead time.
Sources: otpco.com, otpco.com, montana-dakota.com, casscountyelectric.com, capitalelec.com, my.xcelenergy.com
Will I have to pay a deposit to start electric service in North Dakota?
At the three PSC-regulated utilities a deposit can be required only up to an estimated 60-day bill, earns interest at the Bank of North Dakota six-month CD rate (2.25% in 2026), can be replaced by a guarantor's signature, and MDU and Otter Tail refund it after 12 months of prompt payment; Otter Tail waives it entirely for customers with a good credit history (fewer than three disconnection notices, no shutoff for nonpayment in 12 months). Cooperatives such as Cass County Electric and Capital Electric are outside those rules and state no deposit policy on their sign-up pages.
Sources: ndlegis.gov, montana-dakota.com, otpco.com, otpco.com, casscountyelectric.com, capitalelec.com
Can I choose my electricity supplier in North Dakota?
No; the PSC regulates the rates of Xcel Energy, Montana-Dakota Utilities and Otter Tail Power, has no rate jurisdiction over rural electric cooperatives or municipal utilities, and resolves territorial disputes between IOUs and co-ops, so whichever utility holds your address is your only option (around Fargo and West Fargo that may be Cass County Electric, which serves growing parts of the metro; in Bismarck it may be MDU or Capital Electric).
Sources: psc.nd.gov, casscountyelectric.com, capitalelec.com, montana-dakota.com
Does North Dakota stop winter electricity shutoffs?
No. The PSC's fact sheet states its rules 'DO NOT PROHIBIT disconnect during winter months'; what you get at the investor-owned utilities is ten days' written notice (hand-delivered if you are 65+ or disabled), no shutoffs on weekends, Fridays, holidays or after noon, a 30-day postponement if you report a dangerous health condition, age 65+ or a disability during the notice period, and the right to a deferred payment plan. Co-ops and municipal utilities are not bound by those rules, so ask yours for its policy.
Sources: psc.nd.gov, ndlegis.gov
How much will electricity cost me in North Dakota?
Among the cheapest in the country: EIA's preliminary July 2026 residential average was 13.41¢/kWh against 18.31¢ nationally, and ND's 2024 all-sector average of 7.93¢ ranked 51st of 51. Published residential tariffs are Otter Tail $17.00 + $3.50 monthly plus 7.109¢ summer / 8.070¢ winter, MDU $0.501 a day plus 6.321¢ (3.321¢ over 750 kWh in winter) before a 26.118% interim increase and riders, Xcel $15.00 plus 8.548¢ summer / 6.949¢ winter before a 16.17% interim surcharge and riders, and Cass County Electric $23.15 plus 8.9¢ before its Purchased Power Adjustment.
Sources: eia.gov, eia.gov, otpco.com, montana-dakota.com, psc.nd.gov, casscountyelectric.com
Is there help paying electric bills for low-income households in North Dakota?
LIHEAP through ND Health and Human Services now takes applications year-round for households at or below 60% of state median income ($6,628 a month for four from Oct. 1, 2026), covers renters as well as owners, and includes weatherization, furnace repair and emergency help (866-614-6005); Community Action Agencies run the Weatherization Assistance Program (200% of poverty, LIHEAP clients automatically eligible) and Energy Share of North Dakota for emergencies other programs will not cover.
Sources: hhs.nd.gov, hhs.nd.gov, capnd.org, capnd.org
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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