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 Massachusetts: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 30.48 cents per kWh and natural gas at $25.06 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $25.46 from a gas furnace, $29.78 from a heat pump and $89.33 from resistance heating in Massachusetts.

In Massachusetts many households choose their energy supplier. How to compare.

Your Massachusetts heating cost

    Massachusetts inputs: 30.48 ¢ per kWh, $25.06 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    30.48 ¢/kWhrank 3 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $25.06 per Mcfrank 3 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $25.46 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 3 of 45
    Heat pump
    $29.78 per MMBturank 43 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $89.33 per MMBtu3.5 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    3.51a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 23 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $1,489 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    18%52% utility gas, 4% propane, 23% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    +3.9%
    Gas since 2024
    +14.4%
    2026 to date
    power -0.3%, gas +12.2%January to Jul against 2025
    Winter load
    +32% over spring and fallsummer +37%: a summer-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    6,6351991 to 2020; 2025 had 6,063, rank 14 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in Massachusetts (ACS 2023)
    2,762,070495,363 electric, 1,426,625 utility gas, 121,862 propane, 640,814 oil; 0 of 14 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in Massachusetts
    12,500 MWEIA-860 2025; 822 MW under construction

    Massachusetts charts

    One MMBtu of heat in Massachusetts

    $25.46 gas, $29.78 heat pump, $89.33 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance89.3
    • Heat pump, COP 3.029.8
    • Gas furnace, 95%25.5

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

    CSV

    Prices since 2015, Massachusetts

    Electricity $89.33 and gas $24 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, Massachusetts, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearMassachusetts electricityMassachusetts gas
    201558.112.6
    201655.712.0
    201758.812.9
    201863.314.9
    201964.214.2
    202064.414.2
    202167.115.5
    202276.119.7
    202386.820.7
    202486.021.1
    202589.324.2

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    How Massachusetts heats

    18% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity17.9
    • Utility gas51.7
    • Propane4.4
    • Fuel oil23.2
    • Wood1.1

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

    CSV

    Break-even COP by month, Massachusetts

    2.65 to 4.01 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, Massachusetts: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan3.563.49
    Feb3.383.37
    Mar3.483.21
    Apr3.722.83
    May3.392.65
    Jun3.262.79
    Jul3.062.88
    Aug3.10No data
    Sep3.17No data
    Oct4.01No data
    Nov3.98No data
    Dec3.46No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

    CSV

    How Massachusetts homes heat

    Massachusetts main fuelMassachusetts homesMassachusetts shareMassachusetts rank among states
    Electricity495,36317.9%37 of 45
    Utility gas1,426,62551.7%18 of 45
    Propane121,8624.4%28 of 45
    Fuel oil640,81423.2%4 of 45
    Wood30,3381.1%30 of 45

    Massachusetts has 12,500 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in natural gas at 6,566 MW; 822 MW is under construction and 37 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    17 Massachusetts utilities report meters to EIA-861: 10.4% of 3,091,348 home meters are smart (AMI), 1 offer a home time-of-use rate and 5,685 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    Massachusetts counties by electric heating

    Largest electric share first, then the smallest; 13 counties.

    Massachusetts countyMassachusetts residentsMassachusetts electric heatMassachusetts utility gasMassachusetts propaneMassachusetts median income
    Suffolk County782,17230%57%3%$92,859
    Hampshire County156,59521%30%10%$86,391
    Hampden County462,85320%49%4%$70,535
    Worcester County861,66419%32%5%$93,561
    Norfolk County724,54018%54%3%$126,497
    Dukes County20,75117%5%34%$102,348
    Middlesex County1,622,89617%59%3%$126,779
    Essex County807,25817%56%4%$99,431
    Franklin County70,92214%16%11%$72,584
    Bristol County578,43612%57%4%$84,198
    Barnstable County230,07312%62%4%$94,452
    Plymouth County531,88911%47%7%$109,698
    Berkshire County128,04710%42%10%$72,565

    Massachusetts month by month

    MonthMassachusetts electricity ¢/kWhMassachusetts gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuMassachusetts break-even COP
    Jul 202630.49$30.57$29.8$31.12.88
    Jun 202629.61$30.66$28.9$31.22.79
    May 202628.82$31.39$28.2$31.92.65
    Apr 202629.45$29.97$28.8$30.52.83
    Mar 202630.21$27.17$29.5$27.63.21
    Feb 202630.46$26.05$29.8$26.53.37
    Jan 202631.16$25.77$30.4$26.23.49
    Dec 202530.88$25.73$30.2$26.13.46
    Nov 202531.22$22.63$30.5$23.03.98
    Oct 202531.37$22.55$30.6$22.94.01
    Sep 202530.41$27.71$29.7$28.23.17
    Aug 202530.61$28.46$29.9$28.93.10
    Jul 202530.07$28.30$29.4$28.83.06
    Jun 202530.33$26.87$29.6$27.33.26
    May 202529.90$25.47$29.2$25.93.39
    Apr 202530.63$23.76$29.9$24.13.72
    Mar 202530.18$25.04$29.5$25.43.48
    Feb 202530.42$25.96$29.7$26.43.38
    Jan 202530.07$24.34$29.4$24.73.56

    Heating season

    A normal year in Massachusetts brings 6,635 heating degree-days and 383 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 6,063, 9% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 6,268 in 2015.

    Massachusetts degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, Massachusetts, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    Massachusetts yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    201562685906635383
    201657116666635383
    201757964776635383
    201860617126635383
    201962455776635383
    202055357026635383
    202155156676635383
    202257087086635383
    202352845626635383
    202454586766635383
    202560635806635383

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

    CSV

    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, Massachusetts: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan12161230
    Feb10391085
    Mar758930
    Apr490591
    May209285
    Jun1663
    Jul07
    Aug2326
    Sep79135
    Oct364442
    Nov736740
    Dec11331101

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

    CSV
    Massachusetts, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan1,2161,23000
    Feb1,0391,08500
    Mar75893000
    Apr49059100
    May209285115
    Jun166312057
    Jul07289172
    Aug2326120130
    Sep791354019
    Oct36444200
    Nov73674000
    Dec1,1331,10100

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

    CSV

    Analyst note

    Fuel oil stands out in Massachusetts: 640,814 homes, 23.2%, rank 4 of 45. Main heating fuel in Massachusetts is utility gas (52% of homes); electricity heats 18% and utility gas 52%. Since 2024 electricity moved +3.9% and gas +14.4%; in 2026 to date power is -0.3% and gas +12.2% on a year earlier. A COP 3.0 heat pump trails a furnace here by $4.31 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 3.51 ranks 23 of 45. The most electric counties of Massachusetts with 20,000+ residents are led by Suffolk County at 30% of homes. A normal Massachusetts year has 6,635 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 6,063, so heating demand ran 9% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near MassachusettsBreak-even COP near MassachusettsGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    Ohio3.53$14.07$16.57
    North Dakota3.59$9.65$11.54
    Vermont3.67$18.29$22.39
    Utah3.70$10.35$12.77
    Pennsylvania3.70$15.28$18.85
    Wyoming3.29$11.93$13.07

    Questions on heating in Massachusetts

    How many Massachusetts homes heat with fuel oil?

    640,814 of 2,762,070 homes, 23.2%, ranks 4 of 45 states; oil is not priced in this comparison.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in Massachusetts?

    No on fuel cost: $29.78 per MMBtu against $25.46 for gas, break-even COP 3.51.

    Which Massachusetts county has the most electric heating?

    Suffolk County: 30% of 322,184 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $92,859.

    What share of Massachusetts homes heat with electricity?

    18% of 2,762,070 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 52% with utility gas.

    Where does Massachusetts rank on heat pump cost?

    43 of 45 at $29.78 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.54.

    Is Massachusetts a winter or summer electricity state?

    Summer use runs +37% over spring and fall, winter +32%: cooling drives the load.

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

    January to Jul: electricity -0.3%, gas +12.2% on a year earlier.

    How much generating capacity does Massachusetts have?

    12,500 MW operable in 2025, 822 MW under construction, 37 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many Massachusetts homes have smart meters?

    10.4% of 3,091,348 home meters, 1 of 17 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on Massachusetts

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    With electricity at 30.48 cents per kWh and natural gas at $25.06 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $25.46 from a gas furnace, $29.78 from a heat pump and $89.33…