Is electricity expensive in Montana?

Montana's residential average of 15.1¢/kWh is 17% below the U.S. average of 18.3¢/kWh, ranking 16 of 51 jurisdictions (1 = cheapest).

What's the cheapest refrigerator to run in Montana?

Among currently certified models, the Fisher & Paykel RS2435V2 costs the least at about $6.36 a year at Montana rates (42 kWh/yr).

How does Montana compare with other states?

The same median refrigerator costs $45 a year in Nevada (the cheapest state) and $181 in Hawaii (the priciest). Montana sits at $52.

Data through June 2026

Cost to run · Montana · 15.1¢/kWh residential average

How much does it cost to run a refrigerator in Montana?

$52/yr · median certified model

Residential electricity in Montana runs 15.1¢/kWh — 17% under the U.S. average — putting the median certified refrigerator at about $52 a year, versus $63 nationally.

In the national ranking, Montana lands at 16 of 51 for what a refrigerator costs to run. Model choice matters as much as geography: at Montana rates the most efficient certified model (Fisher & Paykel RS2435V2) costs $6.36 a year while the most power-hungry (Jenn-Air JS48PPDUDE) costs $122 — a spread of $116 every year. For reference, the national extremes are Nevada (13.1¢/kWh) and Hawaii (52.7¢/kWh); the same median refrigerator would cost $45 and $181 a year there.

Montana

$52

US average

$63

Nevada

$45

Hawaii

$181

Median certified refrigerator (344 kWh/yr) per year, at each rate

The cheapest refrigerators to run at Montana rates

Top 10 by certified kWh, priced at 15.1¢/kWh
#	Model	kWh/yr	$/yr in MT
1	Fisher & Paykel RS2435V2	42	$6.36
2	Fisher & Paykel RS2435V2*T	52	$7.87
3	Zephyr PRRFD24C2AP	69	$10
4	Zephyr PRRFD24C2AS	69	$10
5	Zephyr PRRFD24C2AS-OD	69	$10
6	SMEG Spa CVIU121	88	$13
7	AVALLON AWC15PG1A2A	95	$14
8	AVALLON AWC15PS1A2A	95	$14
9	AVALLON AWC15SG1A2A	95	$14
10	Dacor DRW24G7500	95	$14

Price any model at Montana rates

Your rate, your numbers

Annual use (kWh)

Electricity rate

Per day: 14¢
Per month: $4.34
Per year: $52

344 kWh/yr × 15.1¢/kWh = $52/yr

Prefilled with the median certified refrigerator (344 kWh/yr). Every model page on this site carries its exact certified figure.

Questions, answered with the data

How much does it cost to run a refrigerator in Montana?: About $52 a year for the median ENERGY STAR certified refrigerator, at Montana's average residential rate of 15.1¢/kWh — that's $4.34 a month.
Is electricity expensive in Montana?: Montana's residential average of 15.1¢/kWh is 17% below the U.S. average of 18.3¢/kWh, ranking 16 of 51 jurisdictions (1 = cheapest).
What's the cheapest refrigerator to run in Montana?: Among currently certified models, the Fisher & Paykel RS2435V2 costs the least at about $6.36 a year at Montana rates (42 kWh/yr).
How does Montana compare with other states?: The same median refrigerator costs $45 a year in Nevada (the cheapest state) and $181 in Hawaii (the priciest). Montana sits at $52.

Keep digging

Rate source: US EIA, average residential price of electricity, see methodology.