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 Colorado: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 15.85 cents per kWh and natural gas at $11.17 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $11.35 from a gas furnace, $15.48 from a heat pump and $46.45 from resistance heating in Colorado.

Your Colorado heating cost

    Colorado inputs: 15.85 ¢ per kWh, $11.17 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    15.85 ¢/kWhrank 18 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $11.17 per Mcfrank 35 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $11.35 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 35 of 45
    Heat pump
    $15.48 per MMBturank 28 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $46.45 per MMBtu4.1 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    4.09a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 34 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $774 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    25%67% utility gas, 5% propane, 0% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    +6.2%
    Gas since 2024
    +5.6%
    Winter load
    +19% over spring and fallsummer +45%: a summer-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    7,5021991 to 2020; 2025 had 6,551, rank 9 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in Colorado (ACS 2023)
    2,325,576586,733 electric, 1,551,917 utility gas, 113,991 propane, 2,693 oil; 0 of 64 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in Colorado
    22,242 MWEIA-860 2025; 2,745 MW under construction

    Colorado charts

    One MMBtu of heat in Colorado

    $11.35 gas, $15.48 heat pump, $46.45 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance46.5
    • Heat pump, COP 3.015.5
    • Gas furnace, 95%11.3

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

    CSV

    Prices since 2015, Colorado

    Electricity $46.45 and gas $11 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, Colorado, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearColorado electricityColorado gas
    201535.58.0
    201635.47.1
    201735.77.8
    201835.67.5
    201935.77.5
    202036.27.0
    202138.38.8
    202241.612.3
    202341.911.5
    202443.710.2
    202546.510.8

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    How Colorado heats

    25% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity25.2
    • Utility gas66.7
    • Propane4.9
    • Fuel oil0.1
    • Wood1.4

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

    CSV

    Break-even COP by month, Colorado

    2.68 to 4.49 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, Colorado: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan4.304.49
    Feb4.464.41
    Mar4.214.15
    Apr3.834.33
    May3.45No data
    Jun2.853.28
    Jul2.682.79
    Aug2.71No data
    Sep3.01No data
    Oct3.82No data
    Nov4.32No data
    Dec4.47No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

    CSV

    How Colorado homes heat

    Colorado main fuelColorado homesColorado shareColorado rank among states
    Electricity586,73325.2%30 of 45
    Utility gas1,551,91766.7%5 of 45
    Propane113,9914.9%26 of 45
    Fuel oil2,6930.1%39 of 45
    Wood32,6701.4%22 of 45

    Colorado has 22,242 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in natural gas at 8,042 MW; 2,745 MW is under construction and 2,874 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    24 Colorado utilities report meters to EIA-861: 92.5% of 2,637,146 home meters are smart (AMI), 18 offer a home time-of-use rate and 1,207,135 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    Colorado counties by electric heating

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

    Colorado countyColorado residentsColorado electric heatColorado utility gasColorado propaneColorado median income
    Summit County30,85739%54%3%$106,255
    Denver County713,73435%62%1%$91,681
    Arapahoe County655,70931%66%2%$97,215
    Eagle County55,37430%63%4%$103,174
    Routt County24,99030%47%14%$104,803
    Morgan County29,18629%51%18%$75,407
    Adams County524,40827%69%2%$91,387
    Broomfield County75,11027%71%1%$121,025
    El Paso County736,00825%69%4%$87,470
    Boulder County328,31724%70%3%$102,772
    La Plata County56,08819%47%26%$85,296
    Mesa County157,31617%75%4%$71,485
    Weld County340,71117%74%7%$93,287
    Delta County31,35317%51%16%$58,330
    Pueblo County168,72617%75%5%$62,250
    Montezuma County26,20416%39%30%$63,005
    Montrose County43,27216%63%12%$66,072
    Fremont County49,39413%66%14%$61,027
    Teller County24,77413%54%20%$80,666
    Elbert County27,1529%42%41%$129,477

    Colorado month by month

    MonthColorado electricity ¢/kWhColorado gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuColorado break-even COP
    Jul 202617.00$17.56$16.6$17.82.79
    Jun 202617.13$15.05$16.7$15.33.28
    Apr 202616.54$11.03$16.2$11.24.33
    Mar 202616.74$11.64$16.4$11.84.15
    Feb 202616.79$10.99$16.4$11.24.41
    Jan 202616.44$10.57$16.1$10.74.49
    Dec 202516.12$10.41$15.7$10.64.47
    Nov 202516.35$10.92$16.0$11.14.32
    Oct 202516.26$12.28$15.9$12.53.82
    Sep 202516.70$16.02$16.3$16.33.01
    Aug 202516.37$17.41$16.0$17.72.71
    Jul 202515.99$17.22$15.6$17.52.68
    Jun 202516.04$16.23$15.7$16.52.85
    May 202515.58$13.02$15.2$13.23.45
    Apr 202515.50$11.67$15.1$11.93.83
    Mar 202515.04$10.31$14.7$10.54.21
    Feb 202515.08$9.75$14.7$9.94.46
    Jan 202514.93$10.02$14.6$10.24.30

    Heating season

    A normal year in Colorado brings 7,502 heating degree-days and 251 cooling degree-days (1991 to 2020). Months above 300 heating degree-days in a normal year: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec. 2025 had 6,551, 13% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 7,498 in 2019.

    Colorado degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, Colorado, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    Colorado yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    201566683387502251
    201666723587502251
    201764793187502251
    201868723957502251
    201974983727502251
    202068144527502251
    202167234287502251
    202272124447502251
    202372822987502251
    202465474297502251
    202565513527502251

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

    CSV

    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, Colorado: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan13801252
    Feb10101047
    Mar763963
    Apr621665
    May385401
    Jun89147
    Jul1030
    Aug2552
    Sep181234
    Oct477569
    Nov719930
    Dec8911212

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

    CSV
    Colorado, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan1,3801,25200
    Feb1,0101,04700
    Mar76396300
    Apr62166500
    May38540112
    Jun891477547
    Jul1030152112
    Aug255210376
    Sep1812342114
    Oct47756900
    Nov71993000
    Dec8911,21200

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

    CSV

    Analyst note

    Utility gas stands out in Colorado: 66.7% of 2,325,576 homes, rank 5 of 45. Main heating fuel in Colorado is utility gas (67% of homes); electricity heats 25% and utility gas 67%. Since 2024 electricity moved +6.2% and gas +5.6%. A COP 3.0 heat pump trails a furnace here by $4.13 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 4.09 ranks 34 of 45. The most electric counties of Colorado with 20,000+ residents are led by Summit County at 39% of homes. A normal Colorado year has 7,502 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 6,551, so heating demand ran 13% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near ColoradoBreak-even COP near ColoradoGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    Indiana4.07$11.67$15.86
    Minnesota4.16$11.16$15.45
    Montana4.16$9.13$12.68
    California4.26$22.36$31.79
    South Dakota3.91$10.02$13.07
    New York4.33$17.86$25.78

    Questions on heating in Colorado

    How much of Colorado relies on utility gas for heat?

    66.7% of homes, 1,551,917 of 2,325,576, ranks 5 of 45 states.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in Colorado?

    No on fuel cost: $15.48 per MMBtu against $11.35 for gas, break-even COP 4.09.

    Which Colorado county has the most electric heating?

    Summit County: 39% of 12,347 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $106,255.

    What share of Colorado homes heat with electricity?

    25% of 2,325,576 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 67% with utility gas.

    Where does Colorado rank on heat pump cost?

    28 of 45 at $15.48 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.54.

    Is Colorado a winter or summer electricity state?

    Summer use runs +45% over spring and fall, winter +19%: cooling drives the load.

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

    No monthly gas data.

    How much generating capacity does Colorado have?

    22,242 MW operable in 2025, 2,745 MW under construction, 2,874 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many Colorado homes have smart meters?

    92.5% of 2,637,146 home meters, 18 of 24 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on Colorado

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    With electricity at 15.85 cents per kWh and natural gas at $11.17 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $11.35 from a gas furnace, $15.48 from a heat pump and $46.45…