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 Mississippi: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 14.03 cents per kWh and natural gas at $16.65 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $16.92 from a gas furnace, $13.71 from a heat pump and $41.12 from resistance heating in Mississippi.

Your Mississippi heating cost

    Mississippi inputs: 14.03 ¢ per kWh, $16.65 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    14.03 ¢/kWhrank 29 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $16.65 per Mcfrank 18 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $16.92 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 18 of 45
    Heat pump
    $13.71 per MMBturank 17 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $41.12 per MMBtu2.4 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    2.43a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 9 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $685 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    59%29% utility gas, 10% propane, 0% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    +4.8%
    Gas since 2024
    +8.0%
    2026 to date
    power +9.2%, gas +8.1%January to Jul against 2025
    Winter load
    +27% over spring and fallsummer +51%: a summer-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    2,5211991 to 2020; 2025 had 2,109, rank 38 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in Mississippi (ACS 2023)
    1,131,760667,859 electric, 328,042 utility gas, 115,251 propane, 1,280 oil; 54 of 82 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in Mississippi
    17,761 MWEIA-860 2025; 1,855 MW under construction

    Mississippi charts

    One MMBtu of heat in Mississippi

    $16.92 gas, $13.71 heat pump, $41.12 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance41.1
    • Heat pump, COP 3.013.7
    • Gas furnace, 95%16.9

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

    CSV

    Prices since 2015, Mississippi

    Electricity $41.12 and gas $16 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, Mississippi, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearMississippi electricityMississippi gas
    201533.09.4
    201630.79.7
    201732.511.4
    201832.610.1
    201933.010.2
    202032.711.1
    202133.912.2
    202236.414.0
    202338.815.1
    202439.214.9
    202541.116.1

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    How Mississippi heats

    59% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity59.0
    • Utility gas29.0
    • Propane10.2
    • Fuel oil0.1
    • Wood1.0

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

    CSV

    Break-even COP by month, Mississippi

    1.26 to 3.23 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, Mississippi: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan3.173.23
    Feb3.022.98
    Mar2.462.54
    Apr1.921.88
    May1.761.68
    Jun1.451.48
    Jul1.301.37
    Aug1.26No data
    Sep1.32No data
    Oct1.73No data
    Nov2.43No data
    Dec2.81No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

    CSV

    How Mississippi homes heat

    Mississippi main fuelMississippi homesMississippi shareMississippi rank among states
    Electricity667,85959.0%7 of 45
    Utility gas328,04229.0%40 of 45
    Propane115,25110.2%10 of 45
    Fuel oil1,2800.1%40 of 45
    Wood11,1641.0%32 of 45

    Mississippi has 17,761 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in natural gas at 12,678 MW; 1,855 MW is under construction and 2,764 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    32 Mississippi utilities report meters to EIA-861: 79.9% of 1,346,555 home meters are smart (AMI), 4 offer a home time-of-use rate and 28,351 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    Mississippi counties by electric heating

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

    Mississippi countyMississippi residentsMississippi electric heatMississippi utility gasMississippi propaneMississippi median income
    Hancock County46,05789%7%2%$67,728
    Pearl River County56,78187%6%5%$56,535
    George County24,87082%6%8%$54,822
    Jackson County144,43782%13%3%$64,756
    Lamar County65,08181%10%7%$69,106
    Harrison County209,44376%20%2%$57,233
    Marion County24,30372%13%13%$42,320
    Lincoln County34,83070%17%12%$48,316
    Lauderdale County71,98470%21%7%$50,033
    Forrest County78,02769%25%4%$52,821
    Yazoo County26,83745%34%19%$40,974
    Madison County110,30343%49%7%$78,794
    Marshall County33,89942%25%29%$51,875
    Washington County43,67442%51%5%$40,117
    Bolivar County30,16341%47%11%$37,315
    Leflore County27,43239%53%6%$33,188
    DeSoto County188,59838%55%6%$82,980
    Tippah County21,62137%53%6%$51,141
    Sunflower County25,32834%57%8%$40,265
    Coahoma County20,80833%56%10%$36,259

    Mississippi month by month

    MonthMississippi electricity ¢/kWhMississippi gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuMississippi break-even COP
    Jul 202614.54$30.60$14.2$31.11.37
    Jun 202614.88$29.04$14.5$29.51.48
    May 202616.16$27.68$15.8$28.11.68
    Apr 202616.76$25.75$16.4$26.21.88
    Mar 202616.30$18.54$15.9$18.82.54
    Feb 202614.72$14.26$14.4$14.52.98
    Jan 202614.24$12.73$13.9$12.93.23
    Dec 202514.16$14.54$13.8$14.82.81
    Nov 202515.33$18.23$15.0$18.52.43
    Oct 202514.47$24.11$14.1$24.51.73
    Sep 202513.97$30.61$13.6$31.11.32
    Aug 202513.59$31.00$13.3$31.51.26
    Jul 202513.58$30.05$13.3$30.51.30
    Jun 202514.07$28.05$13.7$28.51.45
    May 202514.84$24.30$14.5$24.71.76
    Apr 202515.18$22.85$14.8$23.21.92
    Mar 202514.64$17.20$14.3$17.52.46
    Feb 202513.34$12.72$13.0$12.93.02
    Jan 202512.74$11.59$12.4$11.83.17

    Heating season

    A normal year in Mississippi brings 2,521 heating degree-days and 2,126 cooling degree-days (1991 to 2020). Months above 300 heating degree-days in a normal year: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec. 2025 had 2,109, 16% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 2,469 in 2018.

    Mississippi degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, Mississippi, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    Mississippi yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    20152165238025212126
    20162091249725212126
    20171818215725212126
    20182469246725212126
    20192276242825212126
    20201983226225212126
    20212162217425212126
    20222355233725212126
    20231843256925212126
    20241952257725212126
    20252109252525212126

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

    CSV

    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, Mississippi: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan737617
    Feb359473
    Mar204314
    Apr36102
    May814
    Jun00
    Jul00
    Aug00
    Sep13
    Oct55104
    Nov227334
    Dec482560

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

    CSV
    Mississippi, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan737617414
    Feb359473199
    Mar2043146234
    Apr3610213965
    May814249216
    Jun00451401
    Jul00564489
    Aug00479474
    Sep13376313
    Oct5510414794
    Nov2273342712
    Dec48256085

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

    CSV

    Analyst note

    Cold stands out in Mississippi: 2,521 heating degree-days in a normal year, rank 38 of 42. Main heating fuel in Mississippi is electricity (59% of homes); electricity heats 59% and utility gas 29%. Since 2024 electricity moved +4.8% and gas +8.0%; in 2026 to date power is +9.2% and gas +8.1% on a year earlier. A COP 3.0 heat pump beats a furnace here by $3.21 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 2.43 ranks 9 of 45. The most electric counties of Mississippi with 20,000+ residents are led by Hancock County at 89% of homes. A normal Mississippi year has 2,521 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 2,109, so heating demand ran 16% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near MississippiBreak-even COP near MississippiGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    Arizona2.38$18.88$14.97
    Texas2.30$19.73$15.11
    Missouri2.60$15.18$13.18
    Virginia2.62$17.06$14.93
    Hawaii2.24$53.22$39.65
    Oklahoma2.63$14.61$12.82

    Questions on heating in Mississippi

    How cold is a normal Mississippi winter?

    2,521 heating degree-days a year in 1991 to 2020, rank 38 of 42 states; 2025 had 2,109.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in Mississippi?

    Yes on fuel cost: $13.71 per MMBtu against $16.92 for gas, break-even COP 2.43.

    Which Mississippi county has the most electric heating?

    Hancock County: 89% of 19,911 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $67,728.

    What share of Mississippi homes heat with electricity?

    59% of 1,131,760 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 29% with utility gas.

    Where does Mississippi rank on heat pump cost?

    17 of 45 at $13.71 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.54.

    Is Mississippi a winter or summer electricity state?

    Summer use runs +51% over spring and fall, winter +27%: cooling drives the load.

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

    January to Jul: electricity +9.2%, gas +8.1% on a year earlier.

    How much generating capacity does Mississippi have?

    17,761 MW operable in 2025, 1,855 MW under construction, 2,764 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many Mississippi homes have smart meters?

    79.9% of 1,346,555 home meters, 4 of 32 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on Mississippi

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    With electricity at 14.03 cents per kWh and natural gas at $16.65 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $16.92 from a gas furnace, $13.71 from a heat pump and $41.12…