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 Texas: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 15.47 cents per kWh and natural gas at $19.42 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $19.73 from a gas furnace, $15.11 from a heat pump and $45.34 from resistance heating in Texas.

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

Your Texas heating cost

    Texas inputs: 15.47 ¢ per kWh, $19.42 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    15.47 ¢/kWhrank 20 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $19.42 per Mcfrank 6 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $19.73 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 6 of 45
    Heat pump
    $15.11 per MMBturank 26 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $45.34 per MMBtu2.3 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    2.30a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 7 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $756 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    61%34% utility gas, 3% propane, 0% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    +3.5%
    Gas since 2024
    +8.0%
    2026 to date
    power +5.6%, gas +18.2%January to Jul against 2025
    Winter load
    +8% over spring and fallsummer +46%: a summer-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    2,0351991 to 2020; 2025 had 1,519, rank 40 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in Texas (ACS 2023)
    10,747,2406,588,678 electric, 3,702,628 utility gas, 314,033 propane, 9,034 oil; 189 of 254 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in Texas
    181,852 MWEIA-860 2025; 23,086 MW under construction

    Texas charts

    One MMBtu of heat in Texas

    $19.73 gas, $15.11 heat pump, $45.34 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance45.3
    • Heat pump, COP 3.015.1
    • Gas furnace, 95%19.7

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

    CSV

    Prices since 2015, Texas

    Electricity $45.34 and gas $19 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, Texas, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearTexas electricityTexas gas
    201533.910.3
    201632.211.3
    201732.313.1
    201832.811.0
    201934.510.2
    202034.311.2
    202135.513.3
    202240.315.9
    202342.416.8
    202443.817.4
    202545.318.7

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    How Texas heats

    61% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity61.3
    • Utility gas34.5
    • Propane2.9
    • Fuel oil0.1
    • Wood0.2

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

    CSV

    Break-even COP by month, Texas

    1.33 to 3.09 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, Texas: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan3.092.75
    Feb3.022.37
    Mar2.521.92
    Apr2.011.82
    May1.761.56
    Jun1.461.44
    Jul1.391.34
    Aug1.33No data
    Sep1.37No data
    Oct1.51No data
    Nov1.80No data
    Dec2.37No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

    CSV

    How Texas homes heat

    Texas main fuelTexas homesTexas shareTexas rank among states
    Electricity6,588,67861.3%5 of 45
    Utility gas3,702,62834.5%34 of 45
    Propane314,0332.9%36 of 45
    Fuel oil9,0340.1%43 of 45
    Wood26,5130.2%42 of 45

    Texas has 181,852 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in natural gas at 82,960 MW; 23,086 MW is under construction and 52,687 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    39 Texas utilities report meters to EIA-861: 95.1% of 13,031,359 home meters are smart (AMI), 14 offer a home time-of-use rate and 338,156 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    Texas counties by electric heating

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

    Texas countyTexas residentsTexas electric heatTexas utility gasTexas propaneTexas median income
    Starr County65,80992%3%3%$38,182
    Maverick County57,77090%5%3%$51,270
    Hidalgo County880,92190%5%3%$52,281
    Cameron County423,19290%7%2%$51,334
    Llano County22,01188%4%5%$65,636
    Willacy County20,21888%9%3%$45,645
    Bell County379,81187%10%1%$66,051
    Jasper County32,80786%8%3%$49,919
    Hood County64,19886%8%5%$86,802
    Wilson County51,50186%7%6%$92,461
    Montague County20,59947%33%16%$62,818
    Hockley County21,45545%46%7%$54,810
    Hale County32,24741%56%2%$52,788
    Randall County143,79141%57%2%$80,905
    Fort Bend County859,72137%59%3%$113,409
    Potter County116,63435%62%2%$50,448
    Moore County21,23435%62%1%$61,325
    Hutchinson County20,41331%67%2%$65,470
    Gray County21,13129%67%2%$56,082
    El Paso County866,27526%70%2%$58,859

    Texas month by month

    MonthTexas electricity ¢/kWhTexas gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuTexas break-even COP
    Jul 202615.88$34.30$15.5$34.91.34
    Jun 202615.94$31.89$15.6$32.41.44
    May 202616.44$30.48$16.1$31.01.56
    Apr 202616.99$26.91$16.6$27.31.82
    Mar 202616.39$24.61$16.0$25.01.92
    Feb 202615.41$18.74$15.1$19.02.37
    Jan 202615.69$16.47$15.3$16.72.75
    Dec 202515.87$19.31$15.5$19.62.37
    Nov 202516.04$25.73$15.7$26.11.80
    Oct 202516.10$30.78$15.7$31.31.51
    Sep 202515.83$33.29$15.5$33.81.37
    Aug 202515.46$33.47$15.1$34.01.33
    Jul 202515.36$31.98$15.0$32.51.39
    Jun 202515.26$30.12$14.9$30.61.46
    May 202515.53$25.45$15.2$25.91.76
    Apr 202515.52$22.25$15.2$22.62.01
    Mar 202515.28$17.50$14.9$17.82.52
    Feb 202514.88$14.22$14.5$14.43.02
    Jan 202514.67$13.68$14.3$13.93.09

    Heating season

    A normal year in Texas brings 2,035 heating degree-days and 2,648 cooling degree-days (1991 to 2020). Months above 300 heating degree-days in a normal year: Jan, Feb, Dec. 2025 had 1,519, 25% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 1,984 in 2018.

    Texas degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, Texas, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    Texas yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    20151858290820352648
    20161501306120352648
    20171337294420352648
    20181984301520352648
    20191879293220352648
    20201549296120352648
    20211643281620352648
    20221949322420352648
    20231482337320352648
    20241404337120352648
    20251519321420352648

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

    CSV

    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, Texas: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan606535
    Feb330389
    Mar118249
    Apr2765
    May46
    Jun00
    Jul00
    Aug00
    Sep02
    Oct1153
    Nov111259
    Dec312477

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

    CSV
    Texas, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan606535614
    Feb3303892115
    Mar11824912453
    Apr2765190114
    May46341281
    Jun00511465
    Jul00571564
    Aug00596563
    Sep02442381
    Oct1153280154
    Nov11125910735
    Dec312477259

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

    CSV

    Analyst note

    Fuel oil stands out in Texas: 9,034 homes, 0.1%, rank 43 of 45. Main heating fuel in Texas is electricity (61% of homes); electricity heats 61% and utility gas 34%. Since 2024 electricity moved +3.5% and gas +8.0%; in 2026 to date power is +5.6% and gas +18.2% on a year earlier. A COP 3.0 heat pump beats a furnace here by $4.62 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 2.30 ranks 7 of 45. The most electric counties of Texas with 20,000+ residents are led by Starr County at 92% of homes. A normal Texas year has 2,035 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 1,519, so heating demand ran 25% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near TexasBreak-even COP near TexasGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    Hawaii2.24$53.22$39.65
    Arizona2.38$18.88$14.97
    Mississippi2.43$16.92$13.71
    Washington2.15$17.90$12.81
    Louisiana2.08$17.67$12.28
    Georgia2.08$20.75$14.39

    Questions on heating in Texas

    How many Texas homes heat with fuel oil?

    9,034 of 10,747,240 homes, 0.1%, ranks 43 of 45 states; oil is not priced in this comparison.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in Texas?

    Yes on fuel cost: $15.11 per MMBtu against $19.73 for gas, break-even COP 2.30.

    Which Texas county has the most electric heating?

    Starr County: 92% of 18,692 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $38,182.

    What share of Texas homes heat with electricity?

    61% of 10,747,240 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 34% with utility gas.

    Where does Texas rank on heat pump cost?

    26 of 45 at $15.11 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.54.

    Is Texas a winter or summer electricity state?

    Summer use runs +46% over spring and fall, winter +8%: cooling drives the load.

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

    January to Jul: electricity +5.6%, gas +18.2% on a year earlier.

    How much generating capacity does Texas have?

    181,852 MW operable in 2025, 23,086 MW under construction, 52,687 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many Texas homes have smart meters?

    95.1% of 13,031,359 home meters, 14 of 39 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on Texas

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    With electricity at 15.47 cents per kWh and natural gas at $19.42 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $19.73 from a gas furnace, $15.11 from a heat pump and $45.34…