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 Utah: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 13.02 cents per kWh and natural gas at $10.19 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $10.35 from a gas furnace, $12.72 from a heat pump and $38.16 from resistance heating in Utah.

Your Utah heating cost

    Utah inputs: 13.02 ¢ per kWh, $10.19 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    13.02 ¢/kWhrank 39 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $10.19 per Mcfrank 40 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $10.35 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 40 of 45
    Heat pump
    $12.72 per MMBturank 7 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $38.16 per MMBtu3.7 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    3.69a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 27 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $636 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    16%79% utility gas, 3% propane, 0% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    +6.5%
    Gas since 2024
    -22.5%
    2026 to date
    power +2.7%, gas +7.7%January to Aug against 2025
    Winter load
    +14% over spring and fallsummer +65%: a summer-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    6,9781991 to 2020; 2025 had 6,160, rank 10 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in Utah (ACS 2023)
    1,094,896180,092 electric, 865,648 utility gas, 27,793 propane, 1,324 oil; 1 of 29 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in Utah
    10,939 MWEIA-860 2025; 992 MW under construction

    Utah charts

    One MMBtu of heat in Utah

    $10.35 gas, $12.72 heat pump, $38.16 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance38.2
    • Heat pump, COP 3.012.7
    • Gas furnace, 95%10.4

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

    CSV

    Prices since 2015, Utah

    Electricity $38.16 and gas $10 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, Utah, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearUtah electricityUtah gas
    201531.99.4
    201632.38.8
    201732.18.7
    201830.58.7
    201930.57.5
    202030.67.9
    202130.68.7
    202231.810.1
    202332.813.0
    202435.812.7
    202538.29.8

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    How Utah heats

    16% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity16.4
    • Utility gas79.1
    • Propane2.5
    • Fuel oil0.1
    • Wood0.8

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

    CSV

    Break-even COP by month, Utah

    3.06 to 3.75 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, Utah: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan3.483.29
    Feb3.753.63
    Mar3.693.36
    Apr3.733.32
    May3.573.64
    Jun3.373.26
    Jul3.253.06
    Aug3.25No data
    Sep3.35No data
    Oct3.44No data
    Nov3.68No data
    Dec3.45No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

    CSV

    How Utah homes heat

    Utah main fuelUtah homesUtah shareUtah rank among states
    Electricity180,09216.4%39 of 45
    Utility gas865,64879.1%1 of 45
    Propane27,7932.5%38 of 45
    Fuel oil1,3240.1%38 of 45
    Wood9,1520.8%34 of 45

    Utah has 10,939 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in natural gas at 4,029 MW; 992 MW is under construction and 2,390 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    6 Utah utilities report meters to EIA-861: 86.4% of 1,288,601 home meters are smart (AMI), 4 offer a home time-of-use rate and 4,317 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    Utah counties by electric heating

    Largest electric share first, then the smallest; 15 counties.

    Utah countyUtah residentsUtah electric heatUtah utility gasUtah propaneUtah median income
    Washington County189,82740%56%2%$76,411
    Iron County60,20128%62%5%$65,527
    Uintah County36,45821%57%14%$69,861
    Tooele County76,64818%77%3%$101,846
    Utah County683,62216%81%2%$96,877
    Salt Lake County1,184,68915%83%1%$94,658
    Weber County266,18314%83%1%$87,083
    Sevier County21,85413%76%4%$73,765
    Cache County137,03113%81%4%$78,292
    Wasatch County35,80812%80%5%$115,146
    Davis County366,74212%87%1%$108,058
    Box Elder County59,72510%82%5%$77,865
    Carbon County20,44610%82%5%$53,673
    Sanpete County29,20910%78%6%$67,459
    Summit County42,7099%84%4%$137,058

    Utah month by month

    MonthUtah electricity ¢/kWhUtah gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuUtah break-even COP
    Jul 202613.12$12.38$12.8$12.63.06
    Jun 202613.37$11.84$13.1$12.03.26
    May 202612.96$10.26$12.7$10.43.64
    Apr 202613.29$11.54$13.0$11.73.32
    Mar 202613.17$11.32$12.9$11.53.36
    Feb 202613.33$10.59$13.0$10.83.63
    Jan 202612.88$11.28$12.6$11.53.29
    Dec 202512.95$10.82$12.7$11.03.45
    Nov 202513.02$10.21$12.7$10.43.68
    Oct 202513.61$11.40$13.3$11.63.44
    Sep 202514.03$12.09$13.7$12.33.35
    Aug 202513.62$12.07$13.3$12.33.25
    Jul 202513.40$11.89$13.1$12.13.25
    Jun 202513.05$11.17$12.7$11.33.37
    May 202512.56$10.14$12.3$10.33.57
    Apr 202512.45$9.63$12.2$9.83.73
    Mar 202512.35$9.66$12.1$9.83.69
    Feb 202512.34$9.50$12.1$9.73.75
    Jan 202512.06$10.00$11.8$10.23.48

    Heating season

    A normal year in Utah brings 6,978 heating degree-days and 538 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 6,160, 12% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 7,436 in 2019.

    Utah degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, Utah, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    Utah yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    201562865596978538
    201665495966978538
    201766416246978538
    201867256926978538
    201974365086978538
    202066936536978538
    202165517396978538
    202270197006978538
    202372035496978538
    202465497066978538
    202561606736978538

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

    CSV

    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, Utah: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan12691183
    Feb906972
    Mar799829
    Apr587625
    May309374
    Jun81146
    Jul1726
    Aug2538
    Sep135188
    Oct512538
    Nov668876
    Dec8521183

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

    CSV
    Utah, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan1,2691,18300
    Feb90697200
    Mar79982900
    Apr58762521
    May3093742115
    Jun8114613286
    Jul1726246217
    Aug2538200172
    Sep1351886944
    Oct51253833
    Nov66887600
    Dec8521,18300

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

    CSV

    Analyst note

    Utility gas stands out in Utah: 79.1% of 1,094,896 homes, rank 1 of 45. Main heating fuel in Utah is utility gas (79% of homes); electricity heats 16% and utility gas 79%. Since 2024 electricity moved +6.5% and gas -22.5%; in 2026 to date power is +2.7% and gas +7.7% on a year earlier. A COP 3.0 heat pump trails a furnace here by $2.37 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 3.69 ranks 27th of 45. The most electric counties of Utah with 20,000+ residents are led by Washington County at 40% of homes. A normal Utah year has 6,978 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 6,160, so heating demand ran 12% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near UtahBreak-even COP near UtahGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    Pennsylvania3.70$15.28$18.84
    Iowa3.70$10.78$13.31
    Vermont3.65$18.29$22.26
    North Dakota3.59$9.65$11.55
    District of Columbia3.79$16.95$21.41
    New Hampshire3.80$18.91$23.96

    Questions on heating in Utah

    How much of Utah relies on utility gas for heat?

    79.1% of homes, 865,648 of 1,094,896, ranks 1st of 45 states.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in Utah?

    No on fuel cost: $12.72 per MMBtu against $10.35 for gas, break-even COP 3.69.

    Which Utah county has the most electric heating?

    Washington County: 40% of 66,914 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $76,411.

    What share of Utah homes heat with electricity?

    16% of 1,094,896 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 79% with utility gas.

    Where does Utah rank on heat pump cost?

    7 of 45 at $12.72 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.55.

    Is Utah a winter or summer electricity state?

    Summer use runs +65% over spring and fall, winter +14%: cooling drives the load.

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

    January to Aug: electricity +2.7%, gas +7.7% on a year earlier.

    How much generating capacity does Utah have?

    10,939 MW operable in 2025, 992 MW under construction, 2,390 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many Utah homes have smart meters?

    86.4% of 1,288,601 home meters, 4 of 6 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on Utah

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    With electricity at 13.02 cents per kWh and natural gas at $10.19 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $10.35 from a gas furnace, $12.72 from a heat pump and $38.16…