Electric disconnections in Montana, 2024
Montana ranks 49th of 51, 1st being the highest rate. The Montana total is 9,323 disconnections on about 523,044 accounts, 7.6 per 100 below the U.S. rate of 9.4. It also counts 63,097 final-notice events. Events, not homes: an account cut off twice counts twice.
Montana month by month
Montana: May peaked at 1,210 disconnections, November bottomed at 207. Per 100 Montana accounts the monthly rate ran from 0.04 (November) to 0.23 (May). Montana averaged 0.08 a month in December to February and 0.19 in June to August: summer ran 2.5 times winter.
Montana disconnections per month, 2024
- 452Jan
- 486Feb
- 446Mar
- 1,155Apr
- 1,210May
- 1,000Jun
- 1,099Jul
- 915Aug
- 897Sep
- 1,170Oct
- 207Nov
- 284Dec
| Month | Montana final notices | Montana disconnections | Montana reconnections | Montana accounts | Montana per 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3,648 | 452 | 358 | 520,250 | 0.09 |
| February | 3,289 | 486 | 418 | 520,799 | 0.09 |
| March | 4,806 | 446 | 387 | 521,081 | 0.09 |
| April | 8,863 | 1,155 | 862 | 521,466 | 0.22 |
| May | 6,233 | 1,210 | 976 | 522,075 | 0.23 |
| June | 6,219 | 1,000 | 913 | 522,702 | 0.19 |
| July | 6,640 | 1,099 | 880 | 522,895 | 0.21 |
| August | 5,557 | 915 | 685 | 523,609 | 0.17 |
| September | 5,915 | 897 | 794 | 524,195 | 0.17 |
| October | 6,351 | 1,170 | 998 | 524,882 | 0.22 |
| November | 2,255 | 207 | 248 | 525,961 | 0.04 |
| December | 3,320 | 284 | 282 | 526,619 | 0.05 |
| Year | 63,097 | 9,323 | 7,800 | 523,044 (mean) | 1.78 (yearly) |
Scale Montana to your town
Statewide rate for Montana: 1.78 per 100. A single utility can sit far from it.
Montana utilities that reported
Montana: 10 utilities reported. They sum to 8,429 of the 9,323 disconnections in the state total; NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) alone reported 4,500 (48%).
6 Montana utilities have 5,000+ accounts and twelve months of data. Their rates run from 0.1 (Fergus Electric Coop, Inc) to 4.2 (Flathead Electric Coop Inc) per 100.
| Montana utility | Disconnections | Avg accounts | Per 100 | Final notices | Reconnections | Months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) | at least 4,500 (11 months) | Not published | No rate | 24,876 | 3,600 | 11 of 12 |
| Flathead Electric Coop Inc | 2,654 | 63,317 | 4.2 | 18,207 | 2,632 | 12 of 12 |
| USBIA-Mission Valley Power | 614 | 22,869 | 2.7 | 5,150 | 540 | 12 of 12 |
| Missoula Electric Coop, Inc | 322 | 14,686 | 2.2 | 1,030 | 294 | 12 of 12 |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | 304 | 19,596 | 1.6 | 324 | 81 | 12 of 12 |
| Lower Yellowstone R E A, Inc | 27 | 5,216 | 0.5 | 2,056 | 22 | 12 of 12 |
| Fergus Electric Coop, Inc | 5 | 7,000 | 0.1 | 173 | 1 | 12 of 12 |
| Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc | 3 | 1,469 | 0.2 | 547 | 3 | 12 of 12 |
| McKenzie Electric Coop Inc | Not published | Not published | No rate | 15 | Not published | 0 of 12 |
| Powder River Energy Corp | 0 | 52 | 0.0 | 17 | 0 | 12 of 12 |
Montana against its neighbours
Montana sits in the Mountain division. Its 7 division peers average 5.6 per 100; the highest is Nevada at 14.1 and the lowest Wyoming at 1.2. Montana is 3.8 below the division average.
| Montana borders | Rank of 51 | Per 100 | Gap to Montana | Times Montana | Final notices per 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 20th | 6.3 | +4.6 | 3.55x | 26.1 |
| South Dakota | 23rd | 6.0 | +4.2 | 3.38x | 28.7 |
| North Dakota | 34th | 3.7 | +1.9 | 2.07x | 31.7 |
| Wyoming | 51st | 1.2 | -0.5 | 0.70x | 23.3 |
Closest in the ranking to Montana: New York 2.4, Massachusetts 1.9, Rhode Island 1.5, Wyoming 1.2.
How firm the Montana number is
Montana response rate: 81.4% weighted by size, 80.0% by count. Utilities reported 8,429; EIA's adjustment is +894 (+9.6% of 9,323). Largest monthly relative standard error, Montana: 17.3%. EIA flags no Montana month. Flag codes and method.
Shutoff rule read for Montana
| Montana rule | What the text says |
|---|---|
| Cold weather | 38.5.1410: Nov 1 to Apr 1, and any day the 8 a.m. temperature is at or below freezing or a snowstorm/freezing temperatures are forecast within 24 hours, no residential termination if the customer establishes inability to pay (or ability to pay only installments), or a household member is 62+ or handicapped. No termination Nov 1-Apr 1 except with specific prior Commission approval. |
| Protected customers | 38.5.1411: no termination where a licensed health care professional certifies in writing that loss of service would aggravate a medical condition threatening a permanent resident; certificate valid 180 days, renewable; payment arrangement required, and arrears of $500 or more trigger a monthly arrangement. Inability to pay defined as public assistance or income at or below federal poverty guidelines (1401(7)). |
| Notice before disconnection | 38.5.1405: written notice required; if no response within 10 days of the first notice mailing, a second notice by first-class or certified mail at least 10 days before termination; 5 business days if bad check or breached payment agreement; diligent in-person/phone contact or conspicuous notice before termination. |
| Payment plans | 38.5.1415: when a customer cannot pay in full the utility may keep serving if they agree on an immediate portion and a schedule for the rest; reasonableness considers ability to pay, balance, history and reasons. |
| Complaints | 38.5.1408: utility must offer a dispute procedure, tell the customer in writing they may appeal to the Public Service Commission; formal complaint under ARM 38.2.2101 if not resolved informally. No phone read. |
Read: Mont. Admin. R. 38.5.1401-38.5.1418 (Subchapter 38.5.14, Termination of Gas and Electric Service); read 1401-1415, 1418, checked 2026-10-02. 38.5.1401: "customer" means a purchaser of gas or electric service supplied by a utility for residential purposes. Whether co-ops/municipal utilities are covered not read (municipally owned utilities have a separate subchapter 38.5.7, not ...
Not legal advice; check your Montana notice.
Help in Montana
Montana LIHEAP eligibility as listed: 60% State Median Income Weatherization: 200% Federal Poverty Level.
Montana benefits as listed: Heating: $180 minimum, $3,228 maximum Crisis: $9,999 maximum.
Programs named for Montana: Northwestern Energy Discount; 50% Basic Charge Waiver; Senior Income Eligible Discount.
- Montana LIHEAP office, phone 406-444-1788
- Clearinghouse snapshot, Montana
- Montana: help with your bill
What this means for you in Montana
- Montana had 63,097 final notices and 9,323 disconnections: 15 disconnections per 100 notices. A notice is not a disconnection.
- Montana reconnections ran at 84 per 100 disconnections. The data give no time to restore.
- Cold-weather rule in Montana, as we read it: 38.5.1410: Nov 1 to Apr 1, and any day the 8 a.m. temperature is at or below freezing or a snowstorm/freezing temperatures are forecast within 24 hours, no residential termination if the customer establishes inability to pay (or ... May was the busiest Montana month by count.
- To contest a Montana notice: 38.5.1408: utility must offer a dispute procedure, tell the customer in writing they may appeal to the Public Service Commission; formal complaint under ARM 38.2.2101 if not resolved informally. No phone read.
- Cannot pay in full? Ask your Montana utility for a payment plan, then the LIHEAP office above.
More
Sources
Form EIA-112, Residential Utility Disconnection Survey, calendar year 2024, EIA release page (released 2026-04-14, file retrieved 2026-10-07). Utility file: electric utility-level workbook; report: 2024 Residential Utility Disconnections Report. Monthly CSV
Questions
How many electric disconnections were there in Montana in 2024?
9,323 in Montana, of which utilities reported 8,429. That is 1.8 per 100 accounts, 49th of 51.
Does 1.8 per 100 mean 2% of Montana homes lost service?
No. The 9,323 Montana disconnections are events; a home cut off twice counts twice. EIA gives no count of distinct Montana homes.
Which month had the most disconnections in Montana?
May, with 1,210. November had 207.
How many Montana utilities have a yearly rate?
8 of 10. The rest left a month blank or share a name with another row.