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 New Hampshire: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 24.56 cents per kWh and natural gas at $18.61 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $18.91 from a gas furnace, $23.99 from a heat pump and $71.98 from resistance heating in New Hampshire.

In New Hampshire many households choose their energy supplier. How to compare.

Your New Hampshire heating cost

    New Hampshire inputs: 24.56 ¢ per kWh, $18.61 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    24.56 ¢/kWhrank 6 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $18.61 per Mcfrank 8 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $18.91 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 8 of 45
    Heat pump
    $23.99 per MMBturank 40 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $71.98 per MMBtu3.8 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    3.81a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 31 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $1,200 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    11%21% utility gas, 18% propane, 41% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    +5.0%
    Gas since 2024
    -0.7%
    2026 to date
    power +15.2%, gas +10.7%January to Jul against 2025
    Winter load
    +46% over spring and fallsummer +37%: a winter-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    7,9591991 to 2020; 2025 had 7,371, rank 7 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in New Hampshire (ACS 2023)
    551,18659,157 electric, 116,561 utility gas, 101,938 propane, 224,615 oil; 0 of 10 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in New Hampshire
    4,568 MWEIA-860 2025; 24 MW under construction

    New Hampshire charts

    One MMBtu of heat in New Hampshire

    $18.91 gas, $23.99 heat pump, $71.98 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance72.0
    • Heat pump, COP 3.024.0
    • Gas furnace, 95%18.9

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

    CSV

    Prices since 2015, New Hampshire

    Electricity $71.98 and gas $18 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, New Hampshire, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearNew Hampshire electricityNew Hampshire gas
    201554.215.6
    201653.913.8
    201756.314.0
    201857.714.8
    201958.815.2
    202055.814.2
    202158.215.7
    202274.619.8
    202382.520.3
    202468.618.1
    202572.018.0

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    How New Hampshire heats

    11% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity10.7
    • Utility gas21.1
    • Propane18.5
    • Fuel oil40.8
    • Wood6.0

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

    CSV

    Break-even COP by month, New Hampshire

    2.40 to 4.36 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, New Hampshire: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan4.024.01
    Feb3.954.04
    Mar3.673.65
    Apr3.593.06
    May3.393.20
    Jun3.423.60
    Jul2.40No data
    Aug2.50No data
    Sep3.06No data
    Oct3.57No data
    Nov4.36No data
    Dec3.95No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

    CSV

    How New Hampshire homes heat

    New Hampshire main fuelNew Hampshire homesNew Hampshire shareNew Hampshire rank among states
    Electricity59,15710.7%44 of 45
    Utility gas116,56121.1%42 of 45
    Propane101,93818.5%2 of 45
    Fuel oil224,61540.8%1 of 45
    Wood32,9336.0%4 of 45

    New Hampshire has 4,568 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in natural gas at 1,400 MW; 24 MW is under construction and 0 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    8 New Hampshire utilities report meters to EIA-861: 21.8% of 697,542 home meters are smart (AMI), 4 offer a home time-of-use rate and 852 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    New Hampshire counties by electric heating

    Largest electric share first, then the smallest; 10 counties.

    New Hampshire countyNew Hampshire residentsNew Hampshire electric heatNew Hampshire utility gasNew Hampshire propaneNew Hampshire median income
    Merrimack County155,01812%25%18%$93,944
    Hillsborough County424,73211%38%15%$100,436
    Strafford County131,74311%21%16%$86,564
    Rockingham County317,16311%16%22%$113,927
    Grafton County91,75911%5%26%$84,021
    Carroll County51,25911%2%27%$82,961
    Cheshire County76,9459%4%13%$81,001
    Belknap County64,3009%8%20%$87,983
    Sullivan County43,5295%2%27%$75,929
    Coos County31,3864%1%11%$58,439

    New Hampshire month by month

    MonthNew Hampshire electricity ¢/kWhNew Hampshire gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuNew Hampshire break-even COP
    Jun 202627.01$21.67$26.4$22.03.60
    May 202627.33$24.65$26.7$25.03.20
    Apr 202627.24$25.67$26.6$26.13.06
    Mar 202626.92$21.27$26.3$21.63.65
    Feb 202626.52$18.94$25.9$19.24.04
    Jan 202626.32$18.95$25.7$19.34.01
    Dec 202526.28$19.21$25.7$19.53.95
    Nov 202527.37$18.12$26.7$18.44.36
    Oct 202527.27$22.05$26.6$22.43.57
    Sep 202527.82$26.25$27.2$26.73.06
    Aug 202524.47$28.22$23.9$28.72.50
    Jul 202522.79$27.41$22.3$27.92.40
    Jun 202523.51$19.84$23.0$20.23.42
    May 202524.02$20.44$23.5$20.83.39
    Apr 202523.66$18.99$23.1$19.33.59
    Mar 202522.81$17.92$22.3$18.23.67
    Feb 202523.01$16.82$22.5$17.13.95
    Jan 202523.40$16.81$22.9$17.14.02

    Heating season

    A normal year in New Hampshire brings 7,959 heating degree-days and 223 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 7,371, 7% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 7,725 in 2019.

    New Hampshire degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, New Hampshire, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    New Hampshire yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    201575993327959223
    201669213777959223
    201771002517959223
    201874264417959223
    201977253307959223
    202069064177959223
    202167883817959223
    202270654217959223
    202365353417959223
    202465824557959223
    202573713867959223

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

    CSV

    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, New Hampshire: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan13951432
    Feb12421251
    Mar9291077
    Apr599688
    May288353
    Jun50103
    Jul228
    Aug4567
    Sep143225
    Oct468564
    Nov871884
    Dec13391287

    NOAA nClimDiv degree-days for New Hampshire by month, 2025.

    CSV
    New Hampshire, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan1,3951,43200
    Feb1,2421,25100
    Mar9291,07700
    Apr59968800
    May28835363
    Jun501036129
    Jul228211110
    Aug45679175
    Sep143225176
    Oct46856400
    Nov87188400
    Dec1,3391,28700

    NOAA nClimDiv degree-days for New Hampshire, 2025 by month.

    CSV

    Analyst note

    Fuel oil stands out in New Hampshire: 224,615 homes, 40.8%, rank 1 of 45. Main heating fuel in New Hampshire is fuel oil (41% of homes); electricity heats 11% and utility gas 21%. Since 2024 electricity moved +5.0% and gas -0.7%; in 2026 to date power is +15.2% and gas +10.7% on a year earlier. A COP 3.0 heat pump trails a furnace here by $5.08 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 3.81 ranks 31 of 45. The most electric counties of New Hampshire with 20,000+ residents are led by Merrimack County at 12% of homes. A normal New Hampshire year has 7,959 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 7,371, so heating demand ran 7% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near New HampshireBreak-even COP near New HampshireGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    District of Columbia3.79$16.95$21.43
    Iowa3.73$10.78$13.40
    Pennsylvania3.70$15.28$18.85
    Utah3.70$10.35$12.77
    South Dakota3.91$10.02$13.07
    Vermont3.67$18.29$22.39

    Questions on heating in New Hampshire

    How many New Hampshire homes heat with fuel oil?

    224,615 of 551,186 homes, 40.8%, ranks 1 of 45 states; oil is not priced in this comparison.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in New Hampshire?

    No on fuel cost: $23.99 per MMBtu against $18.91 for gas, break-even COP 3.81.

    Which New Hampshire county has the most electric heating?

    Merrimack County: 12% of 60,445 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $93,944.

    What share of New Hampshire homes heat with electricity?

    11% of 551,186 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 21% with utility gas.

    Where does New Hampshire rank on heat pump cost?

    40 of 45 at $23.99 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.54.

    Is New Hampshire a winter or summer electricity state?

    Winter use runs +46% over spring and fall, summer +37%: heating drives the load.

    Did gas or electricity get more expensive in New Hampshire in 2026?

    January to Jul: electricity +15.2%, gas +10.7% on a year earlier.

    How much generating capacity does New Hampshire have?

    4,568 MW operable in 2025, 24 MW under construction, 0 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many New Hampshire homes have smart meters?

    21.8% of 697,542 home meters, 4 of 8 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on New Hampshire

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    With electricity at 24.56 cents per kWh and natural gas at $18.61 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $18.91 from a gas furnace, $23.99 from a heat pump and $71.98…