Electric Consumer

Editor: Katerine G., Editor & Data Researcher · Research & publishing: Electric Consumer Editorial Team · Data retrieved · Sources named on this page: EIA-861, EIA retail sales, EIA-860/923, Census ACS, NOAA · How we got these numbers · Report an error

Cost to heat a home in Alabama: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 16.10 cents per kWh and natural gas at $17.56 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $17.84 from a gas furnace, $15.73 from a heat pump and $47.18 from resistance heating in Alabama.

Your Alabama heating cost

    Alabama inputs: 16.1 ¢ per kWh, $17.56 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    16.10 ¢/kWhrank 17 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $17.56 per Mcfrank 13 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $17.84 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 13 of 45
    Heat pump
    $15.73 per MMBturank 29 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $47.18 per MMBtu2.6 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    2.64a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 13 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $786 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    67%26% utility gas, 5% propane, 0% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    +6.1%
    Gas since 2024
    -5.7%
    2026 to date
    power +3.6%, gas +4.5%January to Jul against 2025
    Winter load
    +37% over spring and fallsummer +49%: a summer-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    2,8201991 to 2020; 2025 had 2,502, rank 37 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in Alabama (ACS 2023)
    1,969,1051,325,466 electric, 506,582 utility gas, 105,732 propane, 2,387 oil; 65 of 67 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in Alabama
    32,889 MWEIA-860 2025; 320 MW under construction

    Alabama charts

    One MMBtu of heat in Alabama

    $17.84 gas, $15.73 heat pump, $47.18 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance47.2
    • Heat pump, COP 3.015.7
    • Gas furnace, 95%17.8

    Alabama, Cost of one MMBtu of heat in Alabama: EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    Prices since 2015, Alabama

    Electricity $47.18 and gas $17 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, Alabama, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearAlabama electricityAlabama gas
    201534.313.6
    201635.113.6
    201736.815.6
    201835.714.7
    201936.715.1
    202036.815.5
    202138.015.2
    202241.816.8
    202342.919.4
    202444.518.0
    202547.216.9

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    How Alabama heats

    67% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity67.3
    • Utility gas25.7
    • Propane5.4
    • Fuel oil0.1
    • Wood0.7

    Alabama, How Alabama homes are heated: Census ACS 2023, table B25040.

    CSV

    Break-even COP by month, Alabama

    1.84 to 2.97 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, Alabama: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan2.842.79
    Feb2.972.94
    Mar2.922.77
    Apr2.612.46
    May2.162.14
    Jun1.921.97
    Jul1.841.88
    Aug1.85No data
    Sep1.88No data
    Oct1.95No data
    Nov2.40No data
    Dec2.72No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

    CSV

    How Alabama homes heat

    Alabama main fuelAlabama homesAlabama shareAlabama rank among states
    Electricity1,325,46667.3%2 of 45
    Utility gas506,58225.7%41 of 45
    Propane105,7325.4%23 of 45
    Fuel oil2,3870.1%37 of 45
    Wood13,9950.7%35 of 45

    Alabama has 32,889 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in natural gas at 17,505 MW; 320 MW is under construction and 1,429 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    31 Alabama utilities report meters to EIA-861: 92.9% of 2,399,170 home meters are smart (AMI), 1 offer a home time-of-use rate and 4,716 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    Alabama counties by electric heating

    Largest electric share first, then the smallest; 20 counties.

    Alabama countyAlabama residentsAlabama electric heatAlabama utility gasAlabama propaneAlabama median income
    Houston County107,62892%5%1%$57,531
    Geneva County26,72689%5%4%$50,951
    Dale County49,51688%8%3%$53,955
    Baldwin County239,94587%10%2%$75,019
    Coffee County54,23187%8%4%$64,672
    Escambia County36,69585%8%5%$44,447
    Barbour County24,75785%6%8%$44,290
    Walker County64,88680%12%5%$54,509
    Lee County177,66379%17%3%$61,123
    Limestone County107,57778%15%6%$83,534
    Clarke County22,80263%22%13%$49,167
    Randolph County22,31061%10%25%$51,551
    Autauga County59,28560%31%8%$69,841
    Etowah County103,20860%33%5%$53,070
    Franklin County31,97858%32%9%$51,493
    Shelby County226,95557%40%3%$93,543
    Marion County29,19056%37%5%$50,714
    Montgomery County227,19751%46%2%$58,153
    Dallas County37,53649%38%10%$36,810
    Jefferson County669,74448%48%2%$64,589

    Alabama month by month

    MonthAlabama electricity ¢/kWhAlabama gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuAlabama break-even COP
    Jul 202616.40$25.16$16.0$25.61.88
    Jun 202616.40$24.06$16.0$24.41.97
    May 202616.77$22.64$16.4$23.02.14
    Apr 202617.41$20.39$17.0$20.72.46
    Mar 202617.15$17.83$16.8$18.12.77
    Feb 202616.18$15.89$15.8$16.12.94
    Jan 202616.06$16.59$15.7$16.92.79
    Dec 202516.01$16.97$15.6$17.22.72
    Nov 202516.08$19.31$15.7$19.62.40
    Oct 202516.72$24.71$16.3$25.11.95
    Sep 202516.43$25.18$16.1$25.61.88
    Aug 202516.24$25.38$15.9$25.81.85
    Jul 202515.93$25.02$15.6$25.41.84
    Jun 202516.06$24.11$15.7$24.51.92
    May 202516.15$21.61$15.8$22.02.16
    Apr 202516.81$18.59$16.4$18.92.61
    Mar 202516.56$16.35$16.2$16.62.92
    Feb 202515.83$15.39$15.5$15.62.97
    Jan 202515.09$15.31$14.7$15.62.84

    Heating season

    A normal year in Alabama brings 2,820 heating degree-days and 1,898 cooling degree-days (1991 to 2020). Months above 300 heating degree-days in a normal year: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec. 2025 had 2,502, 11% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 2,694 in 2018.

    Alabama degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, Alabama, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    Alabama yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    20152427208628201898
    20162353230328201898
    20172129191928201898
    20182694224728201898
    20192398228728201898
    20202284198728201898
    20212396188928201898
    20222612204228201898
    20232144206128201898
    20242267225928201898
    20252502209228201898

    NOAA nClimDiv degree-days for Alabama, 2015 to 2025, pulled 2 Oct 2026.

    CSV

    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, Alabama: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan802662
    Feb397518
    Mar264359
    Apr62132
    May1928
    Jun00
    Jul00
    Aug00
    Sep26
    Oct95131
    Nov307374
    Dec554610

    NOAA nClimDiv degree-days for Alabama by month, 2025.

    CSV
    Alabama, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan802662212
    Feb397518156
    Mar2643594025
    Apr621329847
    May1928210187
    Jun00384363
    Jul00519452
    Aug00398435
    Sep26311281
    Oct951319877
    Nov307374139
    Dec55461044

    NOAA nClimDiv degree-days for Alabama, 2025 by month.

    CSV

    Analyst note

    Electric heating stands out in Alabama: 67.3% of 1,969,105 homes, rank 2 of 45. Main heating fuel in Alabama is electricity (67% of homes); electricity heats 67% and utility gas 26%. Since 2024 electricity moved +6.1% and gas -5.7%; in 2026 to date power is +3.6% and gas +4.5% on a year earlier. A COP 3.0 heat pump beats a furnace here by $2.11 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 2.64 ranks 13 of 45. The most electric counties of Alabama with 20,000+ residents are led by Houston County at 92% of homes. A normal Alabama year has 2,820 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 2,502, so heating demand ran 11% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near AlabamaBreak-even COP near AlabamaGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    Oregon2.65$16.98$15.02
    Oklahoma2.63$14.61$12.82
    Virginia2.62$17.06$14.93
    Kentucky2.68$14.46$12.93
    Missouri2.60$15.18$13.18
    Kansas2.84$15.05$14.22

    Questions on heating in Alabama

    How electric is heating in Alabama?

    67.3% of 1,969,105 homes, 1,325,466 in all, ranks 2 of 45 states; 65 of 67 counties are over half electric.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in Alabama?

    Yes on fuel cost: $15.73 per MMBtu against $17.84 for gas, break-even COP 2.64.

    Which Alabama county has the most electric heating?

    Houston County: 92% of 42,581 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $57,531.

    What share of Alabama homes heat with electricity?

    67% of 1,969,105 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 26% with utility gas.

    Where does Alabama rank on heat pump cost?

    29 of 45 at $15.73 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.54.

    Is Alabama a winter or summer electricity state?

    Summer use runs +49% over spring and fall, winter +37%: cooling drives the load.

    Did gas or electricity get more expensive in Alabama in 2026?

    January to Jul: electricity +3.6%, gas +4.5% on a year earlier.

    How much generating capacity does Alabama have?

    32,889 MW operable in 2025, 320 MW under construction, 1,429 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many Alabama homes have smart meters?

    92.9% of 2,399,170 home meters, 1 of 31 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on Alabama

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    With electricity at 16.10 cents per kWh and natural gas at $17.56 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $17.84 from a gas furnace, $15.73 from a heat pump and $47.18…