How Much to Run Central AC in South Dakota? $0.54/Hr, $135/Summer
Running central air conditioner in South Dakota costs about $0.54 an hour and roughly $135 for the summer — 3,500 W for 2.7 hours a day at 15.37¢/kWh.
· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23
On this page: CalculatorTableHow we calculatedSources
Jump to calculator ↓Slider nudges the South Dakota rate; the URL keeps it.
- Per hour
- $0.54 at 15.37¢/kWh
- Per summer
- $135 (92 days)
- Hours per day
- 2.7 (NOAA state cooling degree-days-scaled)
- Degree-days used
- 690 (NOAA CPC state, population-weighted)
- Wattage
- 3,500 W (typical 2,000–5,000)
- South Dakota rate
- 15.37¢ (July 2026)
- Rank of 20 cold states
- 9 (9th most expensive)
Why this number
South Dakota runs central air conditioner less than the national baseline in June–August — 2.7 hours a day on the NOAA state degree-day scaling used here, against 3.8 nationally — and pays 15.37¢/kWh for it. Those two numbers, times 3,500 W, are the whole $135.
Central air conditioner cost in South Dakota by hours per day — per day / per summer
| Hours per day | South Dakota avg 15.37¢ | Northern States Power 13.9¢ | Adjustment 2024 12.4¢ | Black Hills Power, Inc 14.4¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | $0.54 / $49 | $0.49 / $45 | $0.43 / $40 | $0.50 / $46 |
| 2 h | $1.08 / $99 | $0.97 / $90 | $0.87 / $80 | $1.01 / $93 |
| 4 h | $2.15 / $198 | $1.95 / $179 | $1.74 / $160 | $2.02 / $185 |
| 6 h | $3.23 / $297 | $2.92 / $269 | $2.60 / $240 | $3.02 / $278 |
| 8 h | $4.30 / $396 | $3.89 / $358 | $3.47 / $319 | $4.03 / $371 |
| 12 h | $6.46 / $594 | $5.84 / $537 | $5.21 / $479 | $6.05 / $556 |
What South Dakota’s utilities charge for it
| Utility | Residential customers | ¢/kWh (EIA-861 2024) | Per hour | Per summer at 2.7 h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | 92,204 | 13.9¢ | $0.49 | $123 |
| Adjustment 2024 | 85,708 | 12.4¢ | $0.43 | $109 |
| Black Hills Power, Inc. | 60,951 | 14.4¢ | $0.50 | $127 |
What the numbers say about central air conditioner in South Dakota
South Dakota logged 690 population-weighted cooling degree-days over June–August (NOAA CPC state series), 72% of the CONUS figure of 958, which is why this page runs central air conditioner 2.7 hours a day against the national 3.8 — 1.1 hours less. At South Dakota’s July 2026 rate of 15.37¢/kWh that makes it the 9th most expensive of the 20 cold states for central air conditioner: $135 for the 92-day summer, against Montana’s $47 and Alaska’s $228. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, South Dakota’s largest utility with 92,204 residential customers, averages 13.9¢ — $123 for the same hours — while Black Hills Power, Inc. at 14.4¢ comes to $127, a $4 spread on identical use. South Dakota’s July 2026 rate of 15.37¢ sets the $0.54 per hour; its winter average of 13.59¢ is 1.78¢ lower, a difference that matters for heating loads but not for central air conditioner use in June–August.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run central air conditioner per hour in South Dakota?
$0.54 an hour for a 3,500 W unit at South Dakota’s July 2026 average of 15.37¢/kWh (3,500 ÷ 1,000 × 0.1537); at Northern States Power Co - Minnesota’s 13.9¢ it is $0.49.
How much does central air conditioner cost for the whole summer in South Dakota?
About $135: 3,500 W × 2.7 hours a day × 92 days (June–August) × 15.37¢. The hours are the national 3.8 h/day scaled by NOAA CPC state population-weighted CDD, June–August 2026 (690 against the CONUS 958); enter your own hours above for your own figure.
Is central air conditioner expensive to run in South Dakota compared with other cold states?
South Dakota is the 9th most expensive of the 20 cold states on this site at $135 a summer; the range runs from Montana ($47) to Alaska ($228), driven almost entirely by the electricity rate.
How we calculated this
Worked for central air conditioner in South Dakota: 3,500 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.1537 $/kWh = $0.54 per hour; hours per day = 3.8 × (690 ÷ 958) = 2.7; 3,500 ÷ 1,000 × 2.7 × 92 × 0.1537 = $135 for the summer. Rate: EIA Electric Power Monthly 5.6.A (July 2026); degree-days: NOAA CPC state population-weighted CDD, June–August 2026, against the CONUS total; utility prices: EIA-861 2024.Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.
Where to go next
- Cost to run central air conditioner (national page) — The 3,500 W and 3.8 h/day baseline this page scales for South Dakota, with the sourced benchmark.
- Cost to heat a home in South Dakota — Gas, propane, oil, heat pump and resistance per MMBtu at South Dakota’s own prices — the whole-house picture.
- Find your electricity rate by ZIP — South Dakota averages 15.37¢ but its utilities span the table above — send your own rate into this calculator.
- Solar panel cost in South Dakota — South Dakota’s 15.37¢ July rate, utilities and rate history on the solar side.
- Cost to run space heater in South Dakota — Same South Dakota rates and degree-days applied to a 1,500 W space heater.
- Cost to run heat pump in South Dakota — Same South Dakota rates and degree-days applied to a 3,500 W heat pump.
- Cost to run central air conditioner in Wisconsin — $122 for the summer at 19.06¢ and 2.0 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.
- Cost to run central air conditioner in Nebraska — $150 for the summer at 13.78¢ and 3.4 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.