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 California: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 31.35 cents per kWh and natural gas at $22.01 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $22.36 from a gas furnace, $30.63 from a heat pump and $91.88 from resistance heating in California.

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Your California heating cost

    California inputs: 31.35 ¢ per kWh, $22.01 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    31.35 ¢/kWhrank 2 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $22.01 per Mcfrank 4 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $22.36 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 4 of 45
    Heat pump
    $30.63 per MMBturank 44 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $91.88 per MMBtu4.1 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    4.11a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 35 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $1,531 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    29%62% utility gas, 3% propane, 0% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    -1.9%
    Gas since 2024
    +15.0%
    2026 to date
    power +4.7%, gas -0.8%January to Aug against 2025
    Winter load
    +18% over spring and fallsummer +37%: a summer-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    2,8141991 to 2020; 2025 had 2,525, rank 35 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in California (ACS 2023)
    13,434,8473,877,352 electric, 8,288,860 utility gas, 468,722 propane, 29,683 oil; 2 of 58 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in California
    92,509 MWEIA-860 2025; 3,685 MW under construction

    California charts

    One MMBtu of heat in California

    $22.36 gas, $30.63 heat pump, $91.88 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance91.9
    • Heat pump, COP 3.030.6
    • Gas furnace, 95%22.4

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

    CSV

    Prices since 2015, California

    Electricity $91.88 and gas $21 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, California, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearCalifornia electricityCalifornia gas
    201549.811.0
    201651.011.4
    201753.712.1
    201855.211.9
    201956.112.5
    202059.913.6
    202166.915.8
    202275.719.4
    202386.521.1
    202493.718.5
    202591.921.2

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    How California heats

    29% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity28.9
    • Utility gas61.7
    • Propane3.5
    • Fuel oil0.2
    • Wood1.3

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

    CSV

    Break-even COP by month, California

    3.63 to 4.93 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, California: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan4.163.81
    Feb4.054.27
    Mar4.094.63
    Apr3.74No data
    May4.47No data
    Jun4.354.93
    Jul4.134.54
    Aug4.04No data
    Sep4.20No data
    Oct4.45No data
    Nov4.16No data
    Dec3.63No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

    CSV

    How California homes heat

    California main fuelCalifornia homesCalifornia shareCalifornia rank among states
    Electricity3,877,35228.9%26 of 45
    Utility gas8,288,86061.7%11 of 45
    Propane468,7223.5%33 of 45
    Fuel oil29,6830.2%28 of 45
    Wood176,0131.3%25 of 45

    California has 92,509 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in natural gas at 40,222 MW; 3,685 MW is under construction and 7,121 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    41 California utilities report meters to EIA-861: 86.6% of 15,054,370 home meters are smart (AMI), 24 offer a home time-of-use rate and 5,126,006 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    California counties by electric heating

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

    California countyCalifornia residentsCalifornia electric heatCalifornia utility gasCalifornia propaneCalifornia median income
    Del Norte County27,29362%5%3%$66,780
    Imperial County179,31953%40%2%$56,393
    Monterey County435,83443%47%5%$94,486
    Lake County68,13940%5%25%$58,738
    Sacramento County1,584,04738%58%2%$88,724
    Colusa County21,89537%44%7%$75,149
    Fresno County1,012,15235%54%5%$71,434
    Santa Clara County1,903,29735%60%2%$159,674
    San Francisco County836,32135%56%2%$141,446
    San Diego County3,282,78234%55%4%$102,285
    Mendocino County90,70921%30%22%$64,688
    San Bernardino County2,187,81621%71%3%$82,184
    Tuolumne County54,87321%8%41%$72,259
    San Benito County66,05621%63%8%$108,289
    San Luis Obispo County281,48620%66%8%$93,398
    Ventura County838,25919%73%2%$107,327
    Humboldt County135,41817%55%8%$61,135
    Lassen County31,17717%21%12%$64,395
    Nevada County102,45216%36%33%$84,905
    Calaveras County45,99515%20%39%$79,877

    California month by month

    MonthCalifornia electricity ¢/kWhCalifornia gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuCalifornia break-even COP
    Jul 202633.61$21.35$32.8$21.74.54
    Jun 202634.74$20.33$33.9$20.74.93
    Mar 202633.28$20.72$32.5$21.14.63
    Feb 202633.22$22.45$32.5$22.84.27
    Jan 202630.29$22.96$29.6$23.33.81
    Dec 202529.95$23.78$29.3$24.23.63
    Nov 202532.03$22.19$31.3$22.54.16
    Oct 202533.62$21.81$32.8$22.24.45
    Sep 202531.89$21.89$31.2$22.24.20
    Aug 202530.92$22.09$30.2$22.44.04
    Jul 202531.72$22.17$31.0$22.54.13
    Jun 202532.43$21.48$31.7$21.84.35
    May 202532.51$20.98$31.8$21.34.47
    Apr 202527.76$21.43$27.1$21.83.74
    Mar 202531.59$22.29$30.9$22.64.09
    Feb 202531.57$22.50$30.8$22.94.05
    Jan 202530.13$20.88$29.4$21.24.16

    Heating season

    A normal year in California brings 2,814 heating degree-days and 930 cooling degree-days (1991 to 2020). Months above 300 heating degree-days in a normal year: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec. 2025 had 2,525, 10% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 3,085 in 2023.

    California degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, California, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    California yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    2015234711572814930
    2016244510232814930
    2017244911672814930
    2018254611012814930
    201929508962814930
    2020257012062814930
    2021268911462814930
    2022267212052814930
    202330858662814930
    2024271711922814930
    202525259512814930

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

    CSV

    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, California: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan509502
    Feb372429
    Mar437389
    Apr281286
    May120158
    Jun2745
    Jul63
    Aug02
    Sep1219
    Oct139125
    Nov262332
    Dec360524

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

    CSV
    California, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan50950201
    Feb37242901
    Mar43738915
    Apr2812861213
    May1201585647
    Jun2745149124
    Jul63202256
    Aug02300262
    Sep1219182169
    Oct1391253647
    Nov26233285
    Dec36052450

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

    CSV

    Analyst note

    Price change stands out in California: electricity -1.9% since 2024, rank 43 of 45. Main heating fuel in California is utility gas (62% of homes); electricity heats 29% and utility gas 62%. Since 2024 electricity moved -1.9% and gas +15.0%; in 2026 to date power is +4.7% and gas -0.8% on a year earlier. A COP 3.0 heat pump trails a furnace here by $8.26 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 4.11 ranks 35th of 45. The most electric counties of California with 20,000+ residents are led by Del Norte County at 62% of homes. A normal California year has 2,814 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 2,525, so heating demand ran 10% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near CaliforniaBreak-even COP near CaliforniaGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    Minnesota4.16$11.16$15.46
    Colorado4.05$11.35$15.33
    Montana4.17$9.13$12.69
    Indiana4.01$11.67$15.59
    South Dakota3.90$10.02$13.01
    New York4.33$17.86$25.78

    Questions on heating in California

    How fast did California electricity prices move since 2024?

    -1.9% from 31.97 to 31.35 cents per kWh, rank 43 of 45 states by change.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in California?

    No on fuel cost: $30.63 per MMBtu against $22.36 for gas, break-even COP 4.11.

    Which California county has the most electric heating?

    Del Norte County: 62% of 9,621 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $66,780.

    What share of California homes heat with electricity?

    29% of 13,434,847 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 62% with utility gas.

    Where does California rank on heat pump cost?

    44 of 45 at $30.63 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.55.

    Is California a winter or summer electricity state?

    Summer use runs +37% over spring and fall, winter +18%: cooling drives the load.

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

    January to Aug: electricity +4.7%, gas -0.8% on a year earlier.

    How much generating capacity does California have?

    92,509 MW operable in 2025, 3,685 MW under construction, 7,121 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many California homes have smart meters?

    86.6% of 15,054,370 home meters, 24 of 41 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on California

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    With electricity at 31.35 cents per kWh and natural gas at $22.01 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $22.36 from a gas furnace, $30.63 from a heat pump and $91.88…