Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op electricity rates
Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op charges an average of 13.35 cents per kilowatt-hour to residential customers, and the average household on its system paid $121 a month using 904 kilowatt-hours, according to its 2024 filing with the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Member-owned cooperative WAUW Montana
Where Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op sits
It is a smaller system, serving 21,182 residential customers, which means its fixed costs are spread across a narrow base. Its 13.35¢ per kilowatt-hour sits 9% below the Montana average of 14.67¢.
Consumption is close to the national norm at 904 kilowatt-hours a month against 871, so the rate translates fairly directly into the bill.
Owned by the customers it serves, with directors elected by members. Co-ops are frequently outside state rate regulation. 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op | 13.35¢ | $121 | 904 |
| Montana average | 14.67¢ | $113 | 824 |
| 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 Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op delivers
Its service territory covers 6 Montana 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 Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op.
- Big Horn
- Carbon
- Musselshell
- Stillwater
- Treasure
- Yellowstone
Rooftop solar on this system
424 residential customers had net-metered solar in 2024, totalling 3.31 megawatts. That works out to 20 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 Montana utilities
| Utility | Rate | Bill | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| NorthWestern Energy LLC | 14.23¢ | $101 | 328,125 |
| Flathead Electric Coop Inc | 9.67¢ | $116 | 63,317 |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | 12.89¢ | $98 | 19,616 |
| USBIA-Mission Valley Power | 8.91¢ | $117 | 16,292 |
| Missoula Electric Coop, Inc | 10.50¢ | $113 | 14,686 |
Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op rates: common questions
How much does Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op charge per kilowatt-hour?
An average of 13.35 cents per kilowatt-hour across its residential customers in 2024. That is -9.0% against the Montana average of 14.67¢ and -27.6% 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 Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op bill?
$121 a month, based on total residential revenue divided by residential customers over the 2024 survey year, at an average of 904 kWh a month. The national average bill is $155 at 871 kWh.
Who owns Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op?
It is classified by the EIA as a member-owned cooperative. Owned by the customers it serves, with directors elected by members. Co-ops are frequently outside state rate regulation.
Is Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op expensive compared with other Montana utilities?
It ranks #3 of the 10 Montana utilities covered here, counting from the most expensive. Nationally it ranks #706 of 1369.