Last checked October 29, 2026.
On NorthWestern Energy, Montana’s largest utility, a standard 750 kWh electric bill was about $124 and a standard 100-therm gas bill about $71 in May 2026. Which utility you get depends on where you live, and in Billings electricity and gas come from two different companies.
Who supplies power and gas in the larger towns
| Town | Electric | Natural gas |
|---|---|---|
| Bozeman, Missoula, Helena | NorthWestern Energy | NorthWestern Energy |
| Billings | NorthWestern Energy | Montana-Dakota Utilities |
| Great Falls | NorthWestern Energy | NorthWestern Energy Great Falls (formerly Energy West) |
| Kalispell | Flathead Electric Cooperative | NorthWestern Energy |
| Eastern towns such as Glendive, Miles City, Sidney and Wolf Point | Montana-Dakota Utilities | Montana-Dakota Utilities |
Sources: NorthWestern Energy service summary; Montana-Dakota electric and gas community lists. Rural areas are often served by electric cooperatives and heat with propane.
Typical monthly bills, May 2026
| Utility | Rate | Typical bill | January 2026 bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| NorthWestern Energy electric | 16.0¢/kWh | $124.34 (750 kWh) | $118.10 |
| Montana-Dakota electric | 9.9¢/kWh | $100.93 (750 kWh) | $89.25 |
| NorthWestern Energy gas | $0.65/therm | $71.06 (100 therms) | $81.90 |
| Montana-Dakota gas | $0.73/therm | $88.62 (100 therms) | $92.77 |
| NorthWestern Great Falls gas | $0.44/ccf | $59.96 | $72.55 |
Source: Montana Public Service Commission, 2026 gas and electric rate summary. These bills use fixed amounts (750 kWh, 100 therms) so utilities can be compared; they aren’t seasonal averages. Your winter gas bill depends on how much you burn: a drafty house in January can use two or three times the comparison amount.
Flathead Electric Cooperative (Kalispell area) charges a $26.66 monthly base charge, 5.47¢/kWh for the first 600 kWh and 6.44¢ after that, plus a peak-hours demand charge of $4.93 per kW, effective June 1, 2026 (Flathead Electric).
Why NorthWestern bills went up
The Public Service Commission approved a NorthWestern Energy rate increase in late 2025, with new rates from February 1, 2026. NorthWestern says the typical electric bill rose $5.89 (5.35%) and the typical gas bill $5.22 (10.06%) compared with July 2024 (NorthWestern Energy). Local reporting put the overall electric bill increase at about 12% (Whitehall Ledger). The two use different baselines.
Propane and other heating fuels
Montana residential propane averaged $2.17 a gallon in the week of October 19, 2026, up 29 cents from a year earlier and below the U.S. average of $2.69 (U.S. Energy Information Administration). Rural homes without natural gas often heat with propane, electricity or wood. If you’re buying a rural property, see rural property costs.
Water, sewer and trash
These are billed by your city and vary widely. In Great Falls, for example, the city raised water, sewer and stormwater rates by an average of 27% effective July 1, 2025 (The Electric). Many apartment rents include water and trash.