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 Jersey: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 22.63 cents per kWh and natural gas at $14.21 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $14.44 from a gas furnace, $22.11 from a heat pump and $66.32 from resistance heating in New Jersey.

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Your New Jersey heating cost

    New Jersey inputs: 22.63 ¢ per kWh, $14.21 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    22.63 ¢/kWhrank 8 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $14.21 per Mcfrank 25 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $14.44 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 25 of 45
    Heat pump
    $22.11 per MMBturank 38 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $66.32 per MMBtu4.6 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    4.59a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 42 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $1,105 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    16%73% utility gas, 2% propane, 7% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    +17.0%
    Gas since 2024
    +7.6%
    2026 to date
    power +8.7%, gas +5.7%January to Jul against 2025
    Winter load
    +38% over spring and fallsummer +91%: a summer-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    5,7021991 to 2020; 2025 had 5,161, rank 22 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in New Jersey (ACS 2023)
    3,478,355541,309 electric, 2,549,266 utility gas, 86,955 propane, 236,801 oil; 0 of 21 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in New Jersey
    18,052 MWEIA-860 2025; 77 MW under construction

    New Jersey charts

    One MMBtu of heat in New Jersey

    $14.44 gas, $22.11 heat pump, $66.32 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance66.3
    • Heat pump, COP 3.022.1
    • Gas furnace, 95%14.4

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

    CSV

    Prices since 2015, New Jersey

    Electricity $66.32 and gas $14 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, New Jersey, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearNew Jersey electricityNew Jersey gas
    201546.38.0
    201646.18.0
    201745.98.8
    201845.28.8
    201946.59.4
    202047.09.6
    202147.99.9
    202249.112.1
    202351.912.8
    202456.712.8
    202566.313.7

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    How New Jersey heats

    16% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity15.6
    • Utility gas73.3
    • Propane2.5
    • Fuel oil6.8
    • Wood0.3

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

    CSV

    Break-even COP by month, New Jersey

    3.71 to 4.79 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, New Jersey: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan4.234.69
    Feb4.354.79
    Mar4.334.77
    Apr4.254.66
    May3.844.21
    Jun4.424.07
    Jul3.973.87
    Aug3.78No data
    Sep3.71No data
    Oct3.77No data
    Nov4.47No data
    Dec4.60No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

    CSV

    How New Jersey homes heat

    New Jersey main fuelNew Jersey homesNew Jersey shareNew Jersey rank among states
    Electricity541,30915.6%40 of 45
    Utility gas2,549,26673.3%4 of 45
    Propane86,9552.5%39 of 45
    Fuel oil236,8016.8%8 of 45
    Wood10,6820.3%41 of 45

    New Jersey has 18,052 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in natural gas at 12,366 MW; 77 MW is under construction and 7 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    8 New Jersey utilities report meters to EIA-861: 90.8% of 3,799,187 home meters are smart (AMI), 1 offer a home time-of-use rate and 15,210 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    New Jersey counties by electric heating

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

    New Jersey countyNew Jersey residentsNew Jersey electric heatNew Jersey utility gasNew Jersey propaneNew Jersey median income
    Hudson County710,47827%65%3%$90,032
    Cape May County95,23621%66%5%$88,046
    Burlington County464,22619%70%2%$105,271
    Mercer County383,28619%72%2%$96,333
    Camden County524,04218%75%1%$86,384
    Essex County854,13017%74%3%$76,712
    Atlantic County274,70416%72%3%$76,819
    Salem County64,97316%46%6%$78,412
    Ocean County646,43415%78%1%$86,411
    Middlesex County861,53515%79%2%$109,028
    Sussex County145,11715%20%11%$114,316
    Somerset County346,20313%79%2%$135,960
    Monmouth County643,61513%81%2%$122,727
    Warren County110,23812%50%4%$99,596
    Morris County510,37512%69%3%$134,929
    Cumberland County152,91512%65%3%$64,499
    Gloucester County304,50410%78%2%$102,807
    Union County572,54910%82%2%$100,117
    Hunterdon County129,44810%45%9%$139,453
    Passaic County518,28910%82%2%$87,137

    New Jersey month by month

    MonthNew Jersey electricity ¢/kWhNew Jersey gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuNew Jersey break-even COP
    Jul 202625.19$18.76$24.6$19.13.87
    Jun 202624.95$17.68$24.4$18.04.07
    May 202623.27$15.93$22.7$16.24.21
    Apr 202623.53$14.56$23.0$14.84.66
    Mar 202623.49$14.21$22.9$14.44.77
    Feb 202623.12$13.91$22.6$14.14.79
    Jan 202623.13$14.22$22.6$14.44.69
    Dec 202522.98$14.40$22.4$14.64.60
    Nov 202522.73$14.66$22.2$14.94.47
    Oct 202522.55$17.27$22.0$17.53.77
    Sep 202523.39$18.20$22.8$18.53.71
    Aug 202524.95$19.04$24.4$19.33.78
    Jul 202525.32$18.40$24.7$18.73.97
    Jun 202524.88$16.22$24.3$16.54.42
    May 202520.48$15.38$20.0$15.63.84
    Apr 202520.15$13.69$19.7$13.94.25
    Mar 202519.87$13.25$19.4$13.54.33
    Feb 202519.70$13.07$19.2$13.34.35
    Jan 202519.68$13.41$19.2$13.64.23

    Heating season

    A normal year in New Jersey brings 5,702 heating degree-days and 676 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 5,161, 9% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 5,192 in 2018.

    New Jersey degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, New Jersey, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    New Jersey yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    2015518510065702676
    2016484210595702676
    201747778345702676
    2018519210775702676
    2019509010245702676
    2020461510255702676
    2021475710215702676
    2022508210505702676
    202344188445702676
    2024457210525702676
    202551619295702676

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

    CSV

    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, New Jersey: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan11511115
    Feb894979
    Mar607813
    Apr362475
    May140191
    Jun422
    Jul01
    Aug67
    Sep2973
    Oct297359
    Nov624662
    Dec10471005

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

    CSV
    New Jersey, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan1,1511,11500
    Feb89497900
    Mar60781300
    Apr36247500
    May1401913422
    Jun422200122
    Jul01401256
    Aug67179208
    Sep297311064
    Oct29735954
    Nov62466200
    Dec1,0471,00500

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

    CSV

    Analyst note

    Price change stands out in New Jersey: electricity +17.0% since 2024, rank 2 of 45. Main heating fuel in New Jersey is utility gas (73% of homes); electricity heats 16% and utility gas 73%. Since 2024 electricity moved +17.0% and gas +7.6%; in 2026 to date power is +8.7% and gas +5.7% on a year earlier. A COP 3.0 heat pump trails a furnace here by $7.67 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 4.59 ranks 42 of 45. The most electric counties of New Jersey with 20,000+ residents are led by Hudson County at 27% of homes. A normal New Jersey year has 5,702 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 5,161, so heating demand ran 9% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near New JerseyBreak-even COP near New JerseyGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    Illinois4.54$11.43$17.28
    Idaho4.43$7.81$11.55
    New Mexico4.42$9.99$14.73
    New York4.33$17.86$25.78
    Wisconsin4.88$10.91$17.74
    California4.26$22.36$31.79

    Questions on heating in New Jersey

    How fast did New Jersey electricity prices move since 2024?

    +17.0% from 19.34 to 22.63 cents per kWh, rank 2 of 45 states by change.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in New Jersey?

    No on fuel cost: $22.11 per MMBtu against $14.44 for gas, break-even COP 4.59.

    Which New Jersey county has the most electric heating?

    Hudson County: 27% of 295,552 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $90,032.

    What share of New Jersey homes heat with electricity?

    16% of 3,478,355 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 73% with utility gas.

    Where does New Jersey rank on heat pump cost?

    38 of 45 at $22.11 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.54.

    Is New Jersey a winter or summer electricity state?

    Summer use runs +91% over spring and fall, winter +38%: cooling drives the load.

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

    January to Jul: electricity +8.7%, gas +5.7% on a year earlier.

    How much generating capacity does New Jersey have?

    18,052 MW operable in 2025, 77 MW under construction, 7 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many New Jersey homes have smart meters?

    90.8% of 3,799,187 home meters, 1 of 8 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on New Jersey

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    With electricity at 22.63 cents per kWh and natural gas at $14.21 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $14.44 from a gas furnace, $22.11 from a heat pump and $66.32…