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 Iowa: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 13.72 cents per kWh and natural gas at $10.61 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $10.78 from a gas furnace, $13.40 from a heat pump and $40.21 from resistance heating in Iowa.

Your Iowa heating cost

    Iowa inputs: 13.72 ¢ per kWh, $10.61 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    13.72 ¢/kWhrank 30 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $10.61 per Mcfrank 39 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $10.78 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 39 of 45
    Heat pump
    $13.40 per MMBturank 16 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $40.21 per MMBtu3.7 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    3.73a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 29 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $670 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    24%60% utility gas, 13% propane, 0% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    +2.4%
    Gas since 2024
    +2.7%
    2026 to date
    power +5.0%, gas +5.1%January to Jul against 2025
    Winter load
    +53% over spring and fallsummer +50%: a winter-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    7,0821991 to 2020; 2025 had 6,446, rank 13 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in Iowa (ACS 2023)
    1,303,763316,696 electric, 784,803 utility gas, 165,927 propane, 4,682 oil; 0 of 99 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in Iowa
    24,807 MWEIA-860 2025; 250 MW under construction

    Iowa charts

    One MMBtu of heat in Iowa

    $10.78 gas, $13.40 heat pump, $40.21 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance40.2
    • Heat pump, COP 3.013.4
    • Gas furnace, 95%10.8

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

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    Prices since 2015, Iowa

    Electricity $40.21 and gas $10 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, Iowa, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearIowa electricityIowa gas
    201534.18.2
    201635.07.8
    201736.29.0
    201835.98.6
    201936.57.9
    202036.57.5
    202137.39.8
    202238.512.6
    202339.011.4
    202439.310.0
    202540.210.2

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

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    How Iowa heats

    24% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity24.3
    • Utility gas60.2
    • Propane12.7
    • Fuel oil0.4
    • Wood1.1

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

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    Break-even COP by month, Iowa

    1.85 to 5.08 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, Iowa: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan4.013.89
    Feb3.902.82
    Mar3.143.23
    Apr2.822.87
    May2.512.59
    Jun2.012.07
    Jul1.851.93
    Aug2.01No data
    Sep2.02No data
    Oct2.89No data
    Nov5.08No data
    Dec4.13No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

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    How Iowa homes heat

    Iowa main fuelIowa homesIowa shareIowa rank among states
    Electricity316,69624.3%32 of 45
    Utility gas784,80360.2%12 of 45
    Propane165,92712.7%6 of 45
    Fuel oil4,6820.4%25 of 45
    Wood14,7241.1%29 of 45

    Iowa has 24,807 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in wind at 13,411 MW; 250 MW is under construction and 814 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    18 Iowa utilities report meters to EIA-861: 45.9% of 1,468,874 home meters are smart (AMI), 8 offer a home time-of-use rate and 86,626 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    Iowa counties by electric heating

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

    Iowa countyIowa residentsIowa electric heatIowa utility gasIowa propaneIowa median income
    Sioux County35,98438%49%10%$84,736
    Plymouth County25,69937%47%13%$81,600
    Dallas County104,13632%59%7%$102,349
    Buena Vista County20,68432%55%12%$66,564
    Polk County497,44132%65%2%$81,621
    Woodbury County105,76030%62%6%$70,147
    Black Hawk County130,69330%63%5%$64,581
    Story County98,59228%63%6%$69,006
    Lee County33,17528%57%12%$59,803
    Johnson County154,88127%64%7%$74,721
    Pottawattamie County93,40719%71%8%$71,446
    Linn County229,46319%74%5%$76,421
    Boone County26,66919%57%21%$79,741
    Bremer County25,11818%56%22%$83,343
    Clinton County46,38318%62%17%$65,177
    Marion County33,55117%61%19%$78,059
    Cerro Gordo County42,78517%71%10%$65,537
    Muscatine County42,73516%71%11%$69,512
    Dubuque County98,94816%71%10%$75,919
    Jones County20,79914%43%36%$73,071

    Iowa month by month

    MonthIowa electricity ¢/kWhIowa gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuIowa break-even COP
    Jul 202615.99$23.93$15.6$24.31.93
    Jun 202615.93$22.16$15.6$22.52.07
    May 202614.14$15.72$13.8$16.02.59
    Apr 202613.86$13.91$13.5$14.12.87
    Mar 202613.42$11.99$13.1$12.23.23
    Feb 202612.74$13.03$12.4$13.22.82
    Jan 202612.83$9.51$12.5$9.73.89
    Dec 202512.60$8.79$12.3$8.94.13
    Nov 202513.55$7.70$13.2$7.85.08
    Oct 202513.48$13.45$13.2$13.72.89
    Sep 202514.79$21.16$14.4$21.52.02
    Aug 202515.58$22.35$15.2$22.72.01
    Jul 202515.31$23.85$15.0$24.21.85
    Jun 202515.33$22.01$15.0$22.42.01
    May 202514.16$16.29$13.8$16.62.51
    Apr 202513.34$13.65$13.0$13.92.82
    Mar 202512.48$11.45$12.2$11.63.14
    Feb 202512.14$8.99$11.9$9.13.90
    Jan 202511.99$8.62$11.7$8.84.01

    Heating season

    A normal year in Iowa brings 7,082 heating degree-days and 811 cooling degree-days (1991 to 2020). Months above 300 heating degree-days in a normal year: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec. 2025 had 6,446, 9% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 7,348 in 2019.

    Iowa degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, Iowa, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    Iowa yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    201564457647082811
    201660899427082811
    201762288077082811
    2018725910057082811
    201973488307082811
    202065838797082811
    202163529777082811
    202272099027082811
    202360689077082811
    202457488957082811
    202564469527082811

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

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    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, Iowa: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan14321451
    Feb12281187
    Mar694939
    Apr452496
    May213216
    Jun1642
    Jul410
    Aug2525
    Sep58121
    Oct271428
    Nov760866
    Dec12931301

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

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    Iowa, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan1,4321,45100
    Feb1,2281,18700
    Mar69493971
    Apr45249612
    May2132164958
    Jun1642235169
    Jul410317283
    Aug2525202224
    Sep5812111866
    Oct271428238
    Nov76086600
    Dec1,2931,30100

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

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    Analyst note

    Price change stands out in Iowa: electricity +2.4% since 2024, rank 41 of 45. Main heating fuel in Iowa is utility gas (60% of homes); electricity heats 24% and utility gas 60%. Since 2024 electricity moved +2.4% and gas +2.7%; in 2026 to date power is +5.0% and gas +5.1% on a year earlier. A COP 3.0 heat pump trails a furnace here by $2.62 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 3.73 ranks 29 of 45. The most electric counties of Iowa with 20,000+ residents are led by Sioux County at 38% of homes. A normal Iowa year has 7,082 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 6,446, so heating demand ran 9% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near IowaBreak-even COP near IowaGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    Pennsylvania3.70$15.28$18.85
    Utah3.70$10.35$12.77
    Vermont3.67$18.29$22.39
    District of Columbia3.79$16.95$21.43
    New Hampshire3.81$18.91$23.99
    North Dakota3.59$9.65$11.54

    Questions on heating in Iowa

    How fast did Iowa electricity prices move since 2024?

    +2.4% from 13.40 to 13.72 cents per kWh, rank 41 of 45 states by change.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in Iowa?

    No on fuel cost: $13.40 per MMBtu against $10.78 for gas, break-even COP 3.73.

    Which Iowa county has the most electric heating?

    Sioux County: 38% of 12,576 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $84,736.

    What share of Iowa homes heat with electricity?

    24% of 1,303,763 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 60% with utility gas.

    Where does Iowa rank on heat pump cost?

    16 of 45 at $13.40 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.54.

    Is Iowa a winter or summer electricity state?

    Winter use runs +53% over spring and fall, summer +50%: heating drives the load.

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

    January to Jul: electricity +5.0%, gas +5.1% on a year earlier.

    How much generating capacity does Iowa have?

    24,807 MW operable in 2025, 250 MW under construction, 814 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many Iowa homes have smart meters?

    45.9% of 1,468,874 home meters, 8 of 18 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on Iowa

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    With electricity at 13.72 cents per kWh and natural gas at $10.61 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $10.78 from a gas furnace, $13.40 from a heat pump and $40.21…