Empire District Electric Co electricity rates
Empire District Electric Co charges an average of 13.34 cents per kilowatt-hour to residential customers, and the average household on its system paid $136 a month using 1,023 kilowatt-hours, according to its 2024 filing with the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Investor-owned utility SWPP Kansas
Where Empire District Electric Co sits
It is a smaller system, serving 8,412 residential customers, which means its fixed costs are spread across a narrow base. Its 13.34¢ per kilowatt-hour sits 11.8% below the Kansas average of 15.13¢.
Its customers use more electricity than the national norm, 1,023 kilowatt-hours a month against 871, which amplifies whatever the rate does.
A shareholder-owned company whose rates are set by the state regulator, including an approved return on the capital it has invested. That matters because a bill is not only the cost of generating electricity: it also carries the cost of the network, and who owns that network changes how it is paid for.
| Rate | Monthly bill | Monthly kWh | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire District Electric Co | 13.34¢ | $136 | 1,023 |
| Kansas average | 15.13¢ | $130 | 872 |
| United States average | 18.44¢ | $155 | 871 |
Utility figures: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024. State and national figures: Electric Power Monthly, May 2026. Methodology
Where Empire District Electric Co delivers
Its service territory covers 2 Kansas counties, either wholly or in part. Utility boundaries follow historic franchise agreements rather than county lines, so a county appearing here does not mean every address in it is served by Empire District Electric Co.
- Cherokee
- Labette
How often the power goes out
In 2024 the average Empire District Electric Co customer went 168 minutes without electricity across 1.02 interruptions. The median across the 941 utilities that report this is 185 minutes.
That is better than the typical American utility, though the figure includes major storm days and can move sharply from one year to the next.
Rooftop solar on this system
130 residential customers had net-metered solar in 2024, totalling 1.32 megawatts. That works out to 15.5 installations per thousand customers, against a median of 8 across the utilities reporting it.
Adoption is above the national median, which generally tracks the retail rate more closely than it tracks sunshine. What exports are actually worth.
Other Kansas utilities
| Utility | Rate | Bill | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | 14.29¢ | $121 | 341,806 |
| Evergy Kansas South, Inc | 14.25¢ | $125 | 302,508 |
| City of Garden City | 15.85¢ | $109 | 10,449 |
| City of McPherson | 8.99¢ | $93 | 7,432 |
| City of Winfield | 13.82¢ | $113 | 6,284 |
Empire District Electric Co rates: common questions
How much does Empire District Electric Co charge per kilowatt-hour?
An average of 13.34 cents per kilowatt-hour across its residential customers in 2024. That is -11.8% against the Kansas average of 15.13¢ and -27.7% against the national average of 18.44¢. It is an all-in average across every residential rate schedule the utility offers, not a specific tariff.
What is the average Empire District Electric Co bill?
$136 a month, based on total residential revenue divided by residential customers over the 2024 survey year, at an average of 1,023 kWh a month. The national average bill is $155 at 871 kWh.
Who owns Empire District Electric Co?
It is classified by the EIA as a investor-owned utility. A shareholder-owned company whose rates are set by the state regulator, including an approved return on the capital it has invested.
Is Empire District Electric Co expensive compared with other Kansas utilities?
It ranks #13 of the 20 Kansas utilities covered here, counting from the most expensive. Nationally it ranks #709 of 1369.