Black Hills Energy Rate Selection Guide
Black Hills Energy is an investor-owned utility serving electric and natural gas customers across eight states (South Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa, Wyoming, and Montana). In its largest gas jurisdiction, Colorado, it serves roughly 230,000 natural gas accounts under Colorado PUC regulation. Customers access billing and usage data through the MyAccount portal and the GasTrack Online consumption system, with formal third-party access governed by Colorado Rule 4 CCR 723-3-3029.
Black Hills Energy Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial / Large Commercial Gas (CO) | Commercial gas | Base + per-therm distribution + GCA (eff. 4/1/2026) | Standard non-residential gas accounts |
| Transportation Gas Service (CO) | Commercial gas (Choice) | Delivery-only; commodity self-supplied | Large-volume gas users beating the GCA |
| Small Commercial Electric (SGS-N) | Commercial electric | ECA $0.04954/kWh (secondary) + base; ~$416/mo | Small general service electric accounts |
| Primary General Service Electric | Commercial/Industrial electric | ECA $0.04872/kWh (primary) + base | Mid/large electric loads at primary voltage |
| Transmission-Voltage Electric | Industrial electric | ECA $0.04800/kWh (transmission) + base | Large transmission-voltage loads |
Market Overview
Bundled, regulated service under state utility commissions. In Colorado, the Colorado PUC approves tariffs and cost-adjustment riders. Customers cannot choose an alternative generation/commodity supplier for bundled service; gas commodity costs pass through via the Gas Cost Adjustment (GCA) and electric fuel costs via the Energy Cost Adjustment (ECA).
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Black Hills Energy Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Colorado rates are filed with the Colorado PUC (gas under Colorado P.U.C. No. 1; electric under separate tariff). Gas is billed by therm (energy content) and comprises a base distribution charge plus the pass-through Gas Cost Adjustment (GCA), updated quarterly. Electric service combines base rates with riders including the Energy Cost Adjustment (ECA). Verified 2026 figures below come from Black Hills' Colorado regulatory filings; per-therm commodity rates vary by GCA region and are described qualitatively where an exact figure is not published in a single source.
Effective: April 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial / Large Commercial Gas Service (Colorado) | commercial | Non-residential natural gas customers; Large Commercial schedule restricted to qualifying large-volume commercial accounts. | Therm billing: monthly base/facilities charge plus per-therm distribution charge, plus the pass-through Gas Cost Adjustment (GCA). GCA rates were adjusted effective April 1, 2026 (Advice Letter No. 54). Exact per-therm rates vary by base rate area and GCA region — see Colorado gas tariff. | Base distribution + per-therm GCA (commodity pass-through); see tariff for current therm rate |
| Transportation Gas Service (Colorado) | commercial | Commercial/industrial customers procuring their own gas supply and using Black Hills only for delivery (Choice/transportation). | Delivery-only charges (no GCA commodity); customer or marketer supplies gas. Managed via GasTrack Online Choice. See Transportation Customer Rates and the Colorado gas tariff. | Delivery/transportation charges only; commodity supplied separately |
| Small Commercial Electric — SGS-N (Colorado) | commercial | Small general service (secondary voltage) electric commercial accounts in Black Hills Colorado Electric territory. | Base energy/demand charges plus riders. Verified: ECA for secondary-voltage (residential + small commercial) increases to $0.04954/kWh effective April 1, 2026 (from $0.04778). Average small commercial bill ~$416.23/month (representative ~2,300 kWh). | ECA $0.04954/kWh (secondary) + base rates; avg small commercial bill ~$416/month |
| Primary General Service Electric (Colorado) | commercial | Commercial/industrial electric accounts taking service at primary voltage. | Base energy and demand charges plus riders. Verified: ECA for primary-voltage customers increases to $0.04872/kWh effective April 1, 2026 (from $0.04699). Base rates per the Colorado electric tariff. | ECA $0.04872/kWh (primary) + base energy/demand charges |
| Transmission-Voltage Electric Service (Colorado) | industrial | Large electric loads served at transmission voltage. | Base energy and demand charges plus riders. Verified: ECA for transmission-voltage customers increases to $0.04800/kWh effective April 1, 2026 (from $0.04629). Base rates per the Colorado electric tariff. | ECA $0.04800/kWh (transmission) + base energy/demand charges |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small commercial gas account (CO)
Small non-residential natural gas customers on the standard commercial gas schedule.
Gas bills are dominated by therm usage times the base distribution charge plus the pass-through GCA (adjusted quarterly, updated 4/1/2026). With no supplier choice for small accounts, savings come from efficiency and load reduction rather than rate shopping.
- Pull 24 months of usage from MyAccount and up to 3 years from GasTrack Online to baseline seasonal demand
- Target weather-driven heating load (insulation, controls) since therm usage drives the bill
- Watch quarterly GCA adjustments — commodity is a pass-through, not a fixed rate
Large-volume / multi-site gas customer (CO)
Large commercial or industrial gas users, potentially across multiple sites.
Qualifying large-volume users may benefit from Transportation (Choice) service, buying gas from a marketer and paying Black Hills only for delivery — potentially lowering commodity cost versus the GCA. GasTrack Online supports the multi-account data needed to manage this.
- Evaluate Transportation/Choice vs sales service by comparing marketer commodity pricing to the GCA
- Use GasTrack Online bulk requests to consolidate consumption across sites
- Confirm volume eligibility thresholds in the Colorado gas tariff
Small commercial electric account (CO)
Small general service electric accounts in Black Hills Colorado Electric territory.
On SGS-N the ECA fuel rider is $0.04954/kWh (secondary) effective 4/1/2026 on top of base rates; the representative small commercial bill is ~$416/month at ~2,300 kWh. With no supplier choice, efficiency and demand reduction are the main levers.
- Track the ECA and other riders (PCCA, DSMCA, TEPR) which adjust periodically
- Reduce kWh through efficiency since fuel and base charges scale with usage
- Review the pending electric rate case for upcoming base-rate increases
Larger electric load at primary/transmission voltage (CO)
Commercial/industrial electric accounts served at primary or transmission voltage.
Higher-voltage service carries lower ECA rates ($0.04872/kWh primary, $0.04800/kWh transmission eff. 4/1/2026) and base rates than secondary service. Demand management is the primary cost lever on demand-billed schedules.
- Take service at the highest practical voltage to reduce per-kWh riders and base rates
- Manage coincident demand to cut demand charges
- Use GasTrack/MyAccount data and interval reads to validate demand-reduction projects
Historical Rate Trends
Black Hills Colorado rates change through periodic base-rate cases plus frequent rider adjustments filed with the Colorado PUC. Recent activity in 2025-2026 includes gas GCA and SSIR adjustments, an electric ECA increase, PCCA and DSMCA changes, and a TEPR adjustment, alongside pending base-rate reviews.
April 1, 2026
Electric Energy Cost Adjustment (ECA) increased to $0.04954/kWh (secondary), $0.04872 (primary), $0.04800 (transmission), raising the average small commercial bill ~$4.30 to ~$416.23 (Proceeding 26AL-0079E).
+1.04%April 1, 2026
Gas Cost Adjustment (GCA) rates adjusted to recover forecasted commodity and deferred costs (Advice Letter No. 54, filed Feb 27, 2026).
n/aJuly 1, 2026
Electric DSMCA rate decrease, lowering the average small commercial bill ~$4.07 to ~$412.16 (Advice Letter No. 906).
-0.98%Overall trend: Upward pressure on both gas and electric. The electric ECA rose for all voltage classes effective April 1, 2026, and Black Hills has filed a $26.7M Colorado gas base-rate increase plus a separate electric rate review — indicating base rates are likely to climb. Some riders (PCCA, DSMCA) moved down, partially offsetting.
Next expected change: Gas GCA adjusts quarterly; gas SSIR effective May 2, 2026; electric DSMCA decrease effective July 1, 2026; outcomes of the pending gas ($26.7M) and electric base-rate reviews expected to set new base rates.
Cost Optimization Strategies
In a regulated, no-choice market, Black Hills C&I customers optimize cost mainly through usage/demand reduction, correct voltage/schedule selection, gas transportation (Choice) where eligible, and tracking the rider stack — not by switching suppliers.
Reduce therm and kWh usage
For: All C&I gas and electric accounts
Because both gas (per therm) and electric (per kWh + ECA) bills scale with usage, efficiency and weatherization deliver direct savings on the regulated rates.
Evaluate gas Transportation (Choice)
For: Eligible large commercial/industrial gas customers
Large-volume gas users can buy commodity from a marketer and pay Black Hills delivery only, potentially beating the GCA pass-through.
Optimize voltage and schedule
For: Larger electric loads able to take higher-voltage service
Taking electric service at primary or transmission voltage lowers ECA and base rates ($0.04800-$0.04872/kWh vs $0.04954 secondary) for qualifying loads.
Manage demand
For: Demand-metered electric accounts
Reduce coincident peak demand to cut demand charges on demand-billed electric schedules.
Track riders and rate cases
For: All C&I accounts
Monitor ECA, GCA, PCCA, DSMCA, TEPR, and SSIR adjustments plus pending base-rate reviews to budget accurately and time projects.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Black Hills Energy interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a business get its Black Hills Energy usage data?▾
Log in to MyAccount for up to 24 months of billing (PDF/Excel) and a daily usage dashboard. For deeper or multi-account consumption history (up to 3 years), request GasTrack Online access by calling 888-890-5554; consumption files are delivered by email as CSV/Excel. There is no Green Button or public API.
How can a third party (consultant/aggregator) access a customer's data?▾
The customer signs the Colorado Consent to Disclose Utility Customer Data form (4 CCR 723-3-3029) specifying data categories and duration. After Black Hills processes it (3-5 business days), the third party can request data by phone or via GasTrack Online for bulk/multi-account needs.
Does Black Hills Energy support Green Button or an API?▾
No. Black Hills has not implemented Green Button (Download or Connect My Data) or a public developer API. The functional substitute for programmatic/bulk data is the GasTrack Online Choice system, which delivers consumption files (CSV/Excel) by email.
What are Black Hills' current Colorado electric rates for business?▾
Electric bills combine base rates with riders. The Energy Cost Adjustment (ECA) is verified at $0.04954/kWh (secondary), $0.04872/kWh (primary), and $0.04800/kWh (transmission) effective April 1, 2026. A representative small commercial bill is about $416/month at ~2,300 kWh. Base rates may rise under a pending rate review.
How is commercial natural gas priced in Colorado?▾
Gas is billed by therm (energy content). The bill is a base/facilities charge plus a per-therm distribution charge plus the pass-through Gas Cost Adjustment (GCA), which is adjusted quarterly and was updated effective April 1, 2026. Exact per-therm rates vary by base rate area and GCA region — see the Colorado gas tariff.
Can a large gas user buy its own commodity?▾
Yes. Eligible large-volume customers can take Transportation (Choice) service, purchasing gas from a marketer and paying Black Hills for delivery only — potentially beating the GCA. GasTrack Online supports the consumption data needed to manage Choice across sites.
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