The Cheapest Way to Heat a Home in Every State

If you’ve ever gotten sticker shock from a heating bill, you’re not alone. You may be wondering how you can lower your expenses, but this is a loaded question, often without a straight answer.

The real cost of keeping a house warm varies a lot depending on factors like where you live and what type of heating system your house has. In Alabama, the cheapest heating method is just $410 per year, while the most expensive system doesn’t even break $1,000. But in northern states like Massachusetts, the most expensive heating system racks up a $4,510 annual bill. And heating a home with the least expensive system still costs over $1,100.

We crunched the numbers to estimate the average annual cost of heating a standard home with natural gas, a heat pump, electric resistance heat, propane, and heating oil in every state. The results might surprise you.

Which Heating Method is the Cheapest in Each State?

First, we mapped out what form of heating was the lowest in each state. For the vast majority of states, this was natural gas. However, heat pumps were cheaper in a handful of states. Take a look:

All Estimated Heating Costs by State and Heating Method

This table shows all estimated annual heating costs for each state and type of heating system.

State	Natural Gas	Heat Pump	Electric Resistance	Propane	Heating Oil
Alabama	$410	$420	$970	$630	$500
Alaska	$1,320	$3,410	$7,800	$3,720	$3,020
Arizona	$380	$350	$800	$600	$550
Arkansas	$440	$420	$970	$730	$620
California	$510	$1,070	$2,440	$850	$790
Colorado	$670	$1,200	$2,750	$1,600	$1,640
Connecticut	$860	$1,840	$4,210	$2,240	$1,240
Delaware	$580	$820	$1,880	$1,430	$1,140
Florida	$140	$100	$220	$240	$150
Georgia	$430	$410	$950	$780	$630
Hawaii	—	—	—	—	—
Idaho	$540	$920	$2,090	$1,730	$1,660
Illinois	$550	$990	$2,270	$1,020	$1,350
Indiana	$430	$860	$1,970	$1,150	$1,240
Iowa	$560	$950	$2,170	$970	$1,480
Kansas	$530	$720	$1,650	$830	$1,100
Kentucky	$480	$580	$1,320	$1,010	$960
Louisiana	$210	$190	$430	$400	$290
Maine	$1,260	$2,050	$4,680	$2,370	$1,790
Maryland	$620	$870	$1,990	$1,470	$1,100
Massachusetts	$1,170	$1,970	$4,510	$2,300	$1,400
Michigan	$570	$1,320	$3,020	$1,300	$1,400
Minnesota	$730	$1,370	$3,140	$1,450	$2,080
Mississippi	$300	$320	$740	$580	$440
Missouri	$690	$660	$1,510	$900	$1,090
Montana	$630	$1,250	$2,860	$1,800	$1,950
Nebraska	$550	$770	$1,770	$980	$1,320
Nevada	$590	$610	$1,390	$1,050	$950
New Hampshire	$1,200	$1,900	$4,330	$2,190	$1,760
New Jersey	$590	$1,090	$2,490	$1,610	$1,260
New Mexico	$370	$720	$1,640	$1,130	$900
New York	$850	$1,580	$3,610	$1,820	$1,340
North Carolina	$460	$500	$1,150	$1,040	$740
North Dakota	$700	$1,160	$2,650	$1,430	$2,150
Ohio	$610	$930	$2,120	$1,310	$1,280
Oklahoma	$400	$440	$1,000	$610	$760
Oregon	$740	$910	$2,080	$1,460	$1,360
Pennsylvania	$660	$1,090	$2,490	$1,450	$1,380
Rhode Island	$1,120	$1,850	$4,230	$2,060	$1,310
South Carolina	$370	$390	$890	$830	$600
South Dakota	$590	$1,080	$2,460	$1,330	$1,770
Tennessee	$330	$490	$1,110	$830	$850
Texas	$250	$260	$590	$410	$310
Utah	$830	$980	$2,250	$1,680	$1,690
Vermont	$1,180	$1,900	$4,340	$2,350	$2,060
Virginia	$540	$650	$1,490	$1,340	$1,020
Washington	$630	$780	$1,790	$1,420	$1,540
West Virginia	$620	$800	$1,830	$1,580	$1,170
Wisconsin	$610	$1,330	$3,040	$1,200	$1,500
Wyoming	$900	$1,160	$2,660	$1,890	$1,910

*Standardized-home model rounded to the nearest $10, based on 2024 EIA residential energy prices and 2024 state heating degree days. Not observed household bills.

Key Takeaways

• Heating a Florida home with a heat pump costs $100 per year and is the least expensive of all states.

• Other warm states that use less heating also have lower costs. Texas residents generally pay between $250 and $590 per year to heat their homes, while people living in Louisiana pay anywhere from $190 to $430.

• Some states are expensive to heat no matter what kind of system you use. This is generally due to a combination of a cooler climate and a higher cost of living. For example, Rhode Island heating costs range between $1,120 and $4,230. Vermont heating costs range between $1,180 and $4,430. 

• Alaska has the highest heating costs of any state, ranging from $1,320 to $7,800.

• Electric resistance heating is the most expensive heating system across the board, except in Florida, where propane heating costs slightly more. On average, U.S. residents with these systems pay $2,260 per year to keep their homes warm.  

• In 43 of 49 states, natural gas was the least expensive form of heating.

• Heat pumps were the cheapest option in six states: Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Missouri.

Sources

• U.S. Energy Information Administration —Table E3: Residential Sector Energy Price Estimates, 2024—EIA Residential Energy Prices by State
• U.S. Energy Information Administration —Table N1: Population, GDP, and Degree Days, Ranked by State, 2024— EIA State Heating Degree Days
• ENERGY STAR — Furnaces Key Product Criteria — ENERGY STAR Furnace Criteria
• ENERGY STAR —Heat Pump Equipment Key Product Criteria— ENERGY STAR Heat Pump Criteria

About Blue Ridge Heating & Air

Blue Ridge Heating & Air is a locally owned HVAC company serving homeowners throughout upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina. With more than 20 years in business and over 90 years combined experience, the Blue Ridge team services almost all types of heating equipment to help customers manage their annual energy costs.

Locations:

Greenville, SC

319 Garlington Rd A2, Greenville, SC 29615

(864) 485-6509

Brevard, NC

6837 Greenville Hwy, Brevard, NC 28712

(828) 372-5324