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 Louisiana: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 12.57 cents per kWh and natural gas at $17.39 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $17.67 from a gas furnace, $12.28 from a heat pump and $36.84 from resistance heating in Louisiana.

Your Louisiana heating cost

    Louisiana inputs: 12.57 ¢ per kWh, $17.39 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    12.57 ¢/kWhrank 42 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $17.39 per Mcfrank 14 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $17.67 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 14 of 45
    Heat pump
    $12.28 per MMBturank 4 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $36.84 per MMBtu2.1 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    2.08a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 4 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $614 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    65%32% utility gas, 2% propane, 0% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    +7.2%
    Gas since 2024
    +6.2%
    2026 to date
    power +5.9%, gas +8.9%January to Jul against 2025
    Winter load
    +16% over spring and fallsummer +49%: a summer-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    1,7861991 to 2020; 2025 had 1,455, rank 41 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in Louisiana (ACS 2023)
    1,783,1681,152,179 electric, 574,455 utility gas, 35,338 propane, 1,281 oil; 59 of 64 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in Louisiana
    29,230 MWEIA-860 2025; 870 MW under construction

    Louisiana charts

    One MMBtu of heat in Louisiana

    $17.67 gas, $12.28 heat pump, $36.84 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance36.8
    • Heat pump, COP 3.012.3
    • Gas furnace, 95%17.7

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

    CSV

    Prices since 2015, Louisiana

    Electricity $36.84 and gas $17 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, Louisiana, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearLouisiana electricityLouisiana gas
    201527.310.4
    201627.411.0
    201728.512.6
    201828.111.2
    201928.711.1
    202028.311.7
    202132.312.4
    202237.915.3
    202333.815.7
    202434.415.8
    202536.816.8

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    How Louisiana heats

    65% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity64.6
    • Utility gas32.2
    • Propane2.0
    • Fuel oil0.1
    • Wood0.4

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

    CSV

    Break-even COP by month, Louisiana

    1.36 to 2.57 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, Louisiana: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan2.49No data
    Feb2.572.08
    Mar2.23No data
    Apr1.741.65
    May1.76No data
    Jun1.51No data
    Jul1.42No data
    Aug1.36No data
    Sep1.38No data
    Oct1.47No data
    Nov1.68No data
    Dec2.17No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

    CSV

    How Louisiana homes heat

    Louisiana main fuelLouisiana homesLouisiana shareLouisiana rank among states
    Electricity1,152,17964.6%3 of 45
    Utility gas574,45532.2%37 of 45
    Propane35,3382.0%41 of 45
    Fuel oil1,2810.1%44 of 45
    Wood7,1210.4%38 of 45

    Louisiana has 29,230 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in natural gas at 20,851 MW; 870 MW is under construction and 10,637 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    6 Louisiana utilities report meters to EIA-861: 89.0% of 2,387,258 home meters are smart (AMI), 2 offer a home time-of-use rate and 209,932 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    Louisiana counties by electric heating

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

    Louisiana countyLouisiana residentsLouisiana electric heatLouisiana utility gasLouisiana propaneLouisiana median income
    St. Martin Parish51,55985%13%2%$53,394
    Vernon Parish47,76480%13%5%$58,281
    Lafayette Parish245,07577%22%1%$67,660
    Beauregard Parish36,64676%17%5%$64,995
    Vermilion Parish57,03175%20%2%$57,537
    Sabine Parish22,08574%16%7%$52,047
    St. John the Baptist Parish41,34273%24%1%$67,418
    Tangipahoa Parish135,21873%22%4%$57,256
    Evangeline Parish32,16273%24%2%$42,273
    Livingston Parish145,58373%25%2%$78,617
    Morehouse Parish24,96759%33%4%$36,981
    St. Charles Parish51,86359%40%0%$82,172
    Bossier Parish129,13456%42%1%$66,336
    Jefferson Parish432,48455%43%1%$65,246
    Caddo Parish232,97355%43%1%$50,067
    Lincoln Parish48,16054%41%3%$38,035
    Pointe Coupee Parish20,43854%44%1%$59,351
    Avoyelles Parish39,17653%40%4%$39,439
    St. Bernard Parish44,17253%46%1%$57,638
    Webster Parish36,18949%46%3%$37,396

    Louisiana month by month

    MonthLouisiana electricity ¢/kWhLouisiana gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuLouisiana break-even COP
    Apr 202614.44$25.19$14.1$25.61.65
    Feb 202612.87$17.82$12.6$18.12.08
    Dec 202512.56$16.69$12.3$17.02.17
    Nov 202512.74$21.81$12.4$22.21.68
    Oct 202512.39$24.29$12.1$24.71.47
    Sep 202512.36$25.91$12.1$26.31.38
    Aug 202512.55$26.53$12.3$27.01.36
    Jul 202513.12$26.62$12.8$27.01.42
    Jun 202512.74$24.40$12.4$24.81.51
    May 202513.26$21.78$13.0$22.11.76
    Apr 202513.57$22.45$13.3$22.81.74
    Mar 202513.06$16.89$12.8$17.22.23
    Feb 202511.84$13.28$11.6$13.52.57
    Jan 202511.10$12.84$10.8$13.02.49

    Heating season

    A normal year in Louisiana brings 1,786 heating degree-days and 2,557 cooling degree-days (1991 to 2020). Months above 300 heating degree-days in a normal year: Jan, Feb, Dec. 2025 had 1,455, 19% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 1,686 in 2022.

    Louisiana degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, Louisiana, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    Louisiana yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    20151516298417862557
    20161367297717862557
    20171166274717862557
    20181681300617862557
    20191584291817862557
    20201336285617862557
    20211510270317862557
    20221686279017862557
    20231260323517862557
    20241308314717862557
    20251455300317862557

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

    CSV

    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, Louisiana: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan573476
    Feb248350
    Mar131212
    Apr1251
    May02
    Jun00
    Jul00
    Aug00
    Sep00
    Oct1750
    Nov140229
    Dec334416

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

    CSV
    Louisiana, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan5734761127
    Feb2483503719
    Mar1312129153
    Apr1251195108
    May02317281
    Jun00494450
    Jul00572523
    Aug00548517
    Sep00427380
    Oct1750227150
    Nov1402296536
    Dec3344161913

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

    CSV

    Analyst note

    Fuel oil stands out in Louisiana: 1,281 homes, 0.1%, rank 44 of 45. Main heating fuel in Louisiana is electricity (65% of homes); electricity heats 65% and utility gas 32%. Since 2024 electricity moved +7.2% and gas +6.2%; in 2026 to date power is +5.9% and gas +8.9% on a year earlier. A COP 3.0 heat pump beats a furnace here by $5.39 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 2.08 ranks 4 of 45. The most electric counties of Louisiana with 20,000+ residents are led by St. Martin Parish at 85% of homes. A normal Louisiana year has 1,786 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 1,455, so heating demand ran 19% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near LouisianaBreak-even COP near LouisianaGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    Georgia2.08$20.75$14.39
    Washington2.15$17.90$12.81
    Hawaii2.24$53.22$39.65
    Arkansas1.92$19.56$12.54
    Texas2.30$19.73$15.11
    Arizona2.38$18.88$14.97

    Questions on heating in Louisiana

    How many Louisiana homes heat with fuel oil?

    1,281 of 1,783,168 homes, 0.1%, ranks 44 of 45 states; oil is not priced in this comparison.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in Louisiana?

    Yes on fuel cost: $12.28 per MMBtu against $17.67 for gas, break-even COP 2.08.

    Which Louisiana county has the most electric heating?

    St. Martin Parish: 85% of 19,963 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $53,394.

    What share of Louisiana homes heat with electricity?

    65% of 1,783,168 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 32% with utility gas.

    Where does Louisiana rank on heat pump cost?

    4 of 45 at $12.28 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.54.

    Is Louisiana a winter or summer electricity state?

    Summer use runs +49% over spring and fall, winter +16%: cooling drives the load.

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

    January to Jul: electricity +5.9%, gas +8.9% on a year earlier.

    How much generating capacity does Louisiana have?

    29,230 MW operable in 2025, 870 MW under construction, 10,637 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many Louisiana homes have smart meters?

    89.0% of 2,387,258 home meters, 2 of 6 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on Louisiana

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    With electricity at 12.57 cents per kWh and natural gas at $17.39 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $17.67 from a gas furnace, $12.28 from a heat pump and $36.84…