SWEPCO Arkansas: price per kWh, bills and the 2026 rate increase
SWEPCO's 109,777 residential customers in Arkansas paid an average of 12.14¢ per kWh in 2025, for an average bill of $108.10 a month on 890 kWh.1 Over the last 12 months (Sep 2025–Aug 2026) the average was 14.51¢, and 15.75¢ in August 2026.2
EIA-861 2025 final (released October 7, 2026) and EIA's monthly utility survey through August 2026 (preliminary); next monthly update expected November 24, 2026. Averages are revenue divided by kWh, all charges included: not the rate printed in a tariff.
14 of 75 Arkansas counties served (EIA-861 2025)
In 2025 SWEPCO's Arkansas homes paid an average of 12.14¢ per kWh1, the lowest of the 12 AEP operating utilities with pages here and less than Entergy Arkansas customers paid. EIA's 2026 data show that lead disappearing: after the Arkansas Public Service Commission approved a base-rate settlement in January 2026, the August 20263 average was 15.75¢ per kWh, +24.6%2 on a year earlier (preliminary).
SWEPCO against Entergy Arkansas, period by period
SWEPCO, the American Electric Power (AEP) subsidiary EIA lists as Southwestern Electric Power Company, sold electricity to 109,777 Arkansas homes in 2025, 7.5%1 of the state's residential customers and the second-largest number after Entergy Arkansas. The two investor-owned utilities show how much the period matters when quoting a price:
| Average residential price | SWEPCO | Entergy Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| Year 2025 (EIA-861, final) | 12.14¢ per kWh | 13.36¢ per kWh1 |
| Last 12 months, September 2025 to August 2026 (EIA-861M) | 14.51¢ per kWh | 14.14¢ per kWh |
| August 2026 only (EIA-861M, preliminary) | 15.75¢ per kWh | 15.87¢ per kWh |
| August 20263 against August 2025 | +24.6% | +8.6%2 |
On the calendar-year figure SWEPCO was the cheaper of the two and 5.7% below the Arkansas average1. Over the last 12 months its average was the higher one. Every figure in the table is average revenue per kWh: what the utility billed its residential customers, divided by the kWh they used. It includes the monthly customer charge, fuel recovery and riders but not most taxes, and a household using little electricity pays more per kWh than the average. None of these numbers is a line from SWEPCO's rate schedule.
The January 2026 rate order
SWEPCO filed for a general change in its Arkansas rates on March 28, 2025. According to the Arkansas Public Service Commission's quarterly report on utility rate applications for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, the company said its request rested mainly on adding the Diversion and Wagon Wheel wind facilities to its rate base. The commission approved a settlement in Order No. 17 on January 23, 2026, below the amount SWEPCO had asked for; in the report's breakdown by customer class, residential customers received the largest percentage increase. SWEPCO also elected a formula rate rider in the case.
EIA's monthly survey records what came after. The August 2026 residential average of 15.75¢ per kWh was +24.6% on August 2025, against +7.8%3 for all Arkansas providers in the same comparison. The 12 months to August 2026 averaged 14.51¢ per kWh2, above the 2025 figure of 12.14¢ per kWh1, and that window begins in September 2025, months before the order.
Source: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility; EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Residential revenue divided by kWh in each month, as reported to EIA's monthly survey (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary).
Show the numbers
| Month | SWEPCO (¢/kWh) | kWh per customer | Bill per customer |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 10.77¢ | 1,234 | $132.90 |
| February 2025 | 11.74¢ | 924 | $108.49 |
| March 2025 | 8.44¢ | 781 | $65.92 |
| April 2025 | 21.74¢ | 613 | $133.24 |
| May 2025 | 12.45¢ | 707 | $87.98 |
| June 2025 | 10.80¢ | 813 | $87.78 |
| July 2025 | 9.91¢ | 1,225 | $121.42 |
| August 2025 | 12.64¢ | 1,357 | $171.53 |
| September 2025 | 14.37¢ | 796 | $114.30 |
| October 2025 | 13.65¢ | 683 | $93.29 |
| November 2025 | 12.68¢ | 651 | $82.52 |
| December 2025 | 10.83¢ | 897 | $97.14 |
| January 2026 | 13.14¢ | 1,060 | $139.24 |
| February 2026 | 14.95¢ | 872 | $130.42 |
| March 2026 | 15.01¢ | 710 | $106.61 |
| April 2026 | 13.54¢ | 597 | $80.79 |
| May 2026 | 19.86¢ | 726 | $144.24 |
| June 2026 | 13.14¢ | 946 | $124.34 |
| July 2026 | 16.21¢ | 1,253 | $203.07 |
| August 2026 | 15.75¢ | 1,393 | $219.42 |
In EIA's monthly data SWEPCO's Arkansas average moves a long way from one month to the next, so a single month says little on its own; the chart compares each month with the same month a year earlier. The 2026 months are preliminary, and the next EIA release, with September 2026 data, is due November 24, 2026. The guide to electric rate increases explains how base-rate, fuel and rider decisions reach a bill.
Lower use, smaller bills
SWEPCO's Arkansas homes use less electricity than most in the state: 890 kWh a month on average in 2025, against 1,076 kWh across Arkansas and 1,085 kWh at Entergy Arkansas. With a lower average price as well, their 2025 bill of $108.10 was well below the state's $138.424, Entergy Arkansas's $144.92 and Carroll Electric's $145.321.
Source: EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final. EIA-861 2025 final. Average revenue per kWh is all charges divided by kWh; it is not a tariff rate.
Show the numbers
| Utility | average monthly residential bill |
|---|---|
| SWEPCO (AR) | $108.10 |
| Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co (AR) | $120.79 |
| Ozarks Electric Cooperative Corp (AR) | $139.95 |
| Entergy Arkansas (AR) | $144.92 |
| Carroll Electric Cooperative (AR) | $145.32 |
| Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Corp (AR) | $155.62 |
The bill was already rising before the rate order. From 2024 to 2025 it went from $98.07 to $108.10 (+10.2%), as the average price rose 5.3%, from 11.53¢ per kWh to 12.14¢ per kWh, and use per home went from 850 kWh5 to 890 kWh1 a month. Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) the average bill was $128.07 on 883 kWh2.
April and August
Inside those 12 months the bill more than doubled from the lightest month to the heaviest. In April 2026 the average SWEPCO home used 597 kWh and was billed $80.79; in August 2026 it used 1,393 kWh and was billed $219.422. Summers are hot: Arkansas averages 1,933 cooling degree days a year (2016 to 2025), 10th highest6 among the 48 contiguous states.
Source: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility. kWh per residential customer in each month (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary). The table adds the average bill and price for the month.
Show the numbers
| Month | kWh per customer | Bill per customer | ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | 796 | $114.30 | 14.37¢ |
| October 2025 | 683 | $93.29 | 13.65¢ |
| November 2025 | 651 | $82.52 | 12.68¢ |
| December 2025 | 897 | $97.14 | 10.83¢ |
| January 2026 | 1,060 | $139.24 | 13.14¢ |
| February 2026 | 872 | $130.42 | 14.95¢ |
| March 2026 | 710 | $106.61 | 15.01¢ |
| April 2026 | 597 | $80.79 | 13.54¢ |
| May 2026 | 726 | $144.24 | 19.86¢ |
| June 2026 | 946 | $124.34 | 13.14¢ |
| July 2026 | 1,253 | $203.07 | 16.21¢ |
| August 2026 | 1,393 | $219.42 | 15.75¢ |
Help with a high bill is available through the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, for which Arkansas received $35.1 million7 in fiscal 2026; the guide to help paying an electric bill explains how to apply.
Fort Smith, Texarkana and the northwest corner
EIA's 2025 service-territory records place SWEPCO in 148 Arkansas counties along the western border: Benton, Carroll, Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Logan, Miller, Pike, Polk, Scott, Sebastian, Sevier and Washington. They run from Benton and Washington counties in the northwest, through Sebastian County around Fort Smith, to Miller County at Texarkana.
Source: EIA-861 2025, service territory; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties. EIA-861 2025 service territory: 14 counties. Counts whole counties even where the utility serves only part of one; check the utility's own service-area map for an address.
Show the numbers
| County | Other utilities reporting service |
|---|---|
| Benton County | Carroll Electric Cooperative, Ozarks Electric Cooperative Corp, City of Bentonville, City of Siloam Springs, Empire District Electric Co |
| Carroll County | Entergy Arkansas, Carroll Electric Cooperative |
| Hempstead County | Entergy Arkansas, Southwest Arkansas E C C, South Central Ark El Cooperative, City of Hope |
| Howard County | Southwest Arkansas E C C, South Central Ark El Cooperative, Rich Mountain Electric Cooperative |
| Lafayette County | Entergy Arkansas, Southwest Arkansas E C C |
| Little River County | Southwest Arkansas E C C |
| Logan County | Entergy Arkansas, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Corp, City of Paris |
| Miller County | Entergy Arkansas, Southwest Arkansas E C C |
| Pike County | Entergy Arkansas, South Central Ark El Cooperative |
| Polk County | Southwest Arkansas E C C, Rich Mountain Electric Cooperative |
| Scott County | Entergy Arkansas, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Corp |
| Sebastian County | Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Corp |
| Sevier County | Southwest Arkansas E C C, Rich Mountain Electric Cooperative |
| Washington County | Carroll Electric Cooperative, Ozarks Electric Cooperative Corp, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Corp |
No county is SWEPCO's alone: in all 148 at least one other utility also reports customers. In Benton and Washington counties they include cooperatives (Carroll Electric, Ozarks Electric and, in Washington, Arkansas Valley Electric), Oklahoma Gas and Electric in Washington, and city systems such as Bentonville's and Siloam Springs' in Benton County. OG&E and Arkansas Valley Electric also serve Sebastian County, and Southwest Arkansas Electric Cooperative shares Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Polk and Sevier. Entergy Arkansas is absent from the northwest counties but present in Carroll, Hempstead, Lafayette, Logan, Miller, Pike and Scott. Which utility serves a home depends on the street, not the city or ZIP code, so the utilities' own service maps are the only way to check an address.
Source: EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final. EIA-861 2025 final. Average revenue per kWh is all charges divided by kWh; it is not a tariff rate.
Show the numbers
| Utility | average residential price (bundled customers) |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co (AR) | 11.65¢ |
| City of Bentonville (AR) | 11.77¢ |
| SWEPCO (AR) | 12.14¢ |
| Carroll Electric Cooperative (AR) | 13.40¢ |
| Ozarks Electric Cooperative Corp (AR) | 13.73¢ |
| Southwest Arkansas E C C (AR) | 13.93¢ |
| Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Corp (AR) | 14.11¢ |
These are all bundled, full-service prices for 2025, before SWEPCO's January 2026 order. Statewide, SWEPCO ranked 8th lowest of the 21 Arkansas utilities with 10,000 or more residential customers; nationally it was 19th lowest of 177 large utilities and 31.7% below the national average for investor-owned utilities1.
Every home counted on time-of-use
SWEPCO reported all 109,777 of its Arkansas residential customers (100.0%) as enrolled in time-of-use pricing in 2025, against 7.8% of residential customers across Arkansas and 0.0% at Entergy Arkansas. SWEPCO's homes are therefore most of the state's time-of-use count. Advanced meters covered 98.8%10 of its residential accounts. EIA's form records enrollment, not the hours or the price difference between periods; those are in SWEPCO's Arkansas rate schedules on file with the commission, and the time-of-use guide shows how peak periods shape a bill.
Rooftop solar is about as common as in the rest of the state: 1,559 net-metered residential installations totalling 10.4 megawatts, or 14.2 per 1,000 customers, against 13.1 for Arkansas and 22.110 at Carroll Electric.
Outages close to the Arkansas average
SWEPCO's Arkansas customers were without power for 428 minutes on average in 2025 including major events, fewer than the Arkansas average of 464 minutes; Entergy Arkansas customers averaged 518 minutes. Excluding the major event days set aside under IEEE 1366, SWEPCO's figure was 212 minutes, against 209 minutes statewide, and customers had 1.84 interruptions on average against 2.15 for Arkansas. Arkansas as a whole ranked 6th highest11 among the states on outage minutes.
One company, three state prices
SWEPCO reports to EIA separately in each of its 3 states. Arkansas had its lowest 2025 average, 12.14¢ per kWh, against 12.60¢ per kWh in Texas and 13.85¢ per kWh1 in Louisiana. Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) the Arkansas figure, 14.51¢ per kWh, was above Texas's 13.43¢ per kWh and close to Louisiana's 14.53¢ per kWh2. The Louisiana and Texas pages cover those customers, and the AEP page compares all of AEP's operating utilities.
Businesses paid less per kWh than homes in 2025: SWEPCO's 19,039 Arkansas commercial accounts averaged 9.91¢ per kWh and its 593 industrial accounts 7.71¢ per kWh. The all-customer average of 10.01¢ per kWh1 mixes those classes and says little about a household bill. For every Arkansas utility side by side, see electricity in Arkansas.
SWEPCO in Arkansas: common questions
What is SWEPCO's rate per kWh in Arkansas?
EIA reports averages, not tariff lines. SWEPCO's Arkansas residential customers paid 12.14¢ per kWh1 in 2025, 14.51¢ per kWh over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) and 15.75¢ per kWh2 in August 20263; 2026 months are preliminary. Each is residential revenue divided by kWh, so the customer charge, energy charges, fuel recovery and riders are all inside it.
How much did SWEPCO raise rates in Arkansas in 2026?
The Arkansas Public Service Commission approved a settlement of SWEPCO's base-rate case (Docket 25-003-U) in Order No. 17 on January 23, 2026; the commission's quarterly report lists the residential class with the largest percentage increase of any customer class. In EIA's monthly data, the residential average for August 20263 was +24.6%2 against August 2025.
What is the average SWEPCO electric bill in Arkansas?
$108.10 a month in 2025 for 890 kWh1, and $128.07 over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026). The average ran from $80.79 in April 2026 to $219.42 in August 20262.
Is SWEPCO the same as Southwestern Electric Cooperative?
No. SWEPCO is Southwestern Electric Power Company, an investor-owned subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP). EIA lists two unrelated cooperatives named Southwestern Electric Cooperative, one in Illinois and one based in New Mexico; neither serves Arkansas.
Can I choose another electricity supplier instead of SWEPCO?
No. Arkansas has no residential retail choice: EIA counted 0.0%1 of the state's homes buying from a competitive supplier in 2025. SWEPCO both supplies and delivers the electricity in its territory.
Related pages
Sources
- EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final; table Sales_Ult_Cust_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility; table sales_ult_cust_2025 and _2026; released October 23, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state; table sales_revenue.xlsx (EPM Table 5.6.A); January 2001 to 2026-08; months since January 2026 preliminary; released October 23, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, average monthly bill by state; table Average_Bill_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024 final; table Sales_Ult_Cust_2024; 2024, final (file updated December 3, 2025); released December 3, 2025. www.eia.gov
- NOAA, Climate Prediction Center population-weighted degree days by state; table daily state files, base 65°F; 2016-2025 annual sums; 1981-2010 CPC normals; released November 13, 2026. ftp.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov
- HHS, LIHEAP funding releases to states; table FY2027 first release; FY2026 final; FY2027 first release (October 9, 2026); FY2026 total; released October 9, 2026. acf.gov
- EIA-861 2025, service territory; table Service_Territory_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties; table cb_2025_us_county_5m; cb_2021_us_county_5m; 2025 (2021 for Connecticut). www.census.gov
- EIA-861 2025, advanced meters, dynamic pricing and net metering; table Advanced_Meters, Dynamic_Pricing, Net_Metering 2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, reliability; table Reliability_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.