Heating cost for a winter
What each heating system would cost to run from November to March at today's prices.
Small home or mild winter: about 35 million Btu of heat a winter, roughly 300 gallons of heating oil.
Average home: about 60 million Btu of heat a winter, roughly 510 gallons of heating oil.
Large or drafty home: about 90 million Btu of heat a winter, roughly 760 gallons of heating oil.
What this means
At today's prices, natural gas is the cheapest way to heat a home in the U.S.: about $904 for an average winter, against $3,177 with heating oil and $1,990 with propane.
Switching from heating oil to a heat pump would save about $1,897 a winter (60%). Electric baseboard heat, at $3,199, is the most expensive option, because it turns each unit of electricity into one unit of heat while a heat pump moves two to three.
Where a gas main reaches the street, natural gas costs $904 a winter; moving to it from propane would save about $1,086 a winter (55%). Between the two delivered fuels, propane costs $1,990 and heating oil $3,177.
Prices behind the comparison
Cost per million Btu is the price of the same amount of useful heat, after each system's efficiency.
| Heating system | Price | Per million Btu of heat | Average winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas 95% efficient condensing furnace or boiler |
$1.43 per therm | $15.07 | $904 |
| Heat pump Air-source heat pump, seasonal efficiency of 250% (a cold-climate model averages about this over a Northern winter; in milder states it does better) |
18.2¢ per kWh | $21.32 | $1,279 |
| Propane 90% efficient propane furnace or boiler |
$2.73 per gallon | $33.17 | $1,990 |
| Heating oil 85% efficient oil furnace or boiler |
$6.23 per gallon | $52.95 | $3,177 |
| Electric baseboard Electric resistance heat (baseboards, wall heaters) |
18.2¢ per kWh | $53.31 | $3,199 |
Heating oil and propane: this week's average from the EIA weekly survey. Natural gas: average residential price for November 2025 to March 2026. Electricity: average residential price for January to August 2026. Prices include delivery charges for gas and electricity, but heating oil and propane exclude tax. Where a fuel isn't surveyed, the U.S. average is used.
Heating costs by state
Cost of an average winter's heat with each system. Tap a state for the full comparison.
| State | Heat pump | Natural gas | Heating oil | Propane | Cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $1,161 | $1,055 | – | $2,646 | Natural gas |
| Arkansas | $966 | $1,316 | – | $1,806 | Heat pump |
| Colorado | $1,182 | $664 | – | $1,729 | Natural gas |
| Connecticut | $1,932 | $1,065 | $3,134 | $3,146 | Natural gas |
| Delaware | $1,265 | $1,040 | $3,280 | $2,776 | Natural gas |
| Florida | $1,078 | – | – | $3,624 | Heat pump |
| Georgia | $1,089 | $1,025 | – | $2,390 | Natural gas |
| Idaho | $916 | $435 | – | $1,958 | Natural gas |
| Illinois | $1,353 | $648 | – | $1,420 | Natural gas |
| Indiana | $1,199 | $673 | $3,314 | $1,908 | Natural gas |
| Iowa | $1,023 | $621 | $3,002 | $1,273 | Natural gas |
| Kansas | $1,073 | $846 | – | $1,531 | Natural gas |
| Kentucky | $999 | $887 | $2,993 | $2,067 | Natural gas |
| Maine | $2,126 | $1,100 | $3,078 | $2,682 | Natural gas |
| Maryland | $1,499 | $1,013 | $3,275 | $2,813 | Natural gas |
| Massachusetts | $2,124 | $1,551 | $3,187 | $2,710 | Natural gas |
| Michigan | $1,528 | $650 | $3,156 | $1,792 | Natural gas |
| Minnesota | $1,156 | $656 | $3,031 | $1,494 | Natural gas |
| Mississippi | $1,059 | $954 | – | $2,296 | Natural gas |
| Missouri | $1,004 | $921 | – | $1,629 | Natural gas |
| Montana | $994 | $535 | – | $1,588 | Natural gas |
| Nebraska | $909 | $695 | $2,917 | $1,330 | Natural gas |
| New Hampshire | $1,893 | $1,175 | $3,093 | $2,846 | Natural gas |
| New Jersey | $1,694 | $870 | $3,252 | $2,987 | Natural gas |
| New York | $2,058 | $1,040 | $3,283 | $2,766 | Natural gas |
| North Carolina | $1,051 | $1,123 | $2,977 | $2,652 | Heat pump |
| North Dakota | $876 | $536 | – | $1,272 | Natural gas |
| Ohio | $1,323 | $757 | $3,264 | $1,968 | Natural gas |
| Oklahoma | $971 | $868 | – | $1,737 | Natural gas |
| Pennsylvania | $1,486 | $909 | $3,082 | $2,339 | Natural gas |
| Rhode Island | $2,043 | $1,355 | $3,260 | $3,000 | Natural gas |
| South Dakota | $1,026 | $596 | – | $1,422 | Natural gas |
| Tennessee | $971 | $784 | – | $2,389 | Natural gas |
| Texas | $1,128 | $1,277 | – | $2,318 | Heat pump |
| Utah | $928 | $660 | – | $1,797 | Natural gas |
| Vermont | $1,683 | $1,026 | $3,106 | $2,865 | Natural gas |
| Virginia | $1,192 | $1,021 | $3,078 | $2,766 | Natural gas |
| Wisconsin | $1,340 | $697 | $3,129 | $1,463 | Natural gas |
Before you switch
- Running cost isn't the whole story. A heat pump typically costs $10,000 to $20,000 installed for a whole house, and a gas line may not reach your street. Federal and state rebates can cut that a lot; ask your electric utility what's on offer.
- Heat pumps lose efficiency in deep cold. Cold-climate models keep working well below zero, but many homes keep their oil or propane boiler as backup for the coldest days. Even then, a heat pump covering most of the winter can cut fuel use by half or more.
- Your own bills are the best guide. Add up last winter's deliveries and compare them with the figures above, then pick the home size that matches.
Common questions
Is a heat pump cheaper than heating oil in the U.S.?
Yes. For an average home a heat pump costs about $1,279 a winter to run in the U.S., against $3,177 for heating oil, at 18.2 cents per kWh and $6.23 a gallon.
Is natural gas cheaper than propane in the U.S.?
Yes. Natural gas costs about $15.07 per million Btu of heat in the U.S. and propane $33.17, so an average winter costs $904 with gas and $1,990 with propane.
How much does it cost to heat a house with oil in the U.S.?
About $3,177 for an average winter (roughly 510 gallons) at $6.23 a gallon, from about $1,853 for a small or well-insulated home to $4,765 for a large or drafty one.
How much does it cost to heat a house with propane in the U.S.?
About $1,990 for an average winter (roughly 730 gallons) at $2.73 a gallon, from about $1,161 for a small home to $2,985 for a large one.
How is the cost worked out?
Each fuel's price is divided by the heat it contains and by how efficiently a typical modern system turns it into heat in your home: 85% for an oil boiler, 90% for propane, 95% for gas, 100% for electric baseboards and 250% for a heat pump over a winter. An average home needs about 60 million Btu of heat from November to March.