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 Virginia: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 15.28 cents per kWh and natural gas at $16.79 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $17.06 from a gas furnace, $14.93 from a heat pump and $44.78 from resistance heating in Virginia.

Your Virginia heating cost

    Virginia inputs: 15.28 ¢ per kWh, $16.79 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    15.28 ¢/kWhrank 24 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $16.79 per Mcfrank 15 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $17.06 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 15 of 45
    Heat pump
    $14.93 per MMBturank 22 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $44.78 per MMBtu2.6 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    2.62a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 11 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $746 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    57%32% utility gas, 4% propane, 3% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    +6.0%
    Gas since 2024
    +9.0%
    2026 to date
    power +13.2%, gas +5.7%January to Jul against 2025
    Winter load
    +78% over spring and fallsummer +53%: a winter-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    4,5771991 to 2020; 2025 had 4,162, rank 30 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in Virginia (ACS 2023)
    3,168,1401,814,545 electric, 1,017,764 utility gas, 139,592 propane, 107,229 oil; 110 of 129 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in Virginia
    31,231 MWEIA-860 2025; 3,545 MW under construction

    Virginia charts

    One MMBtu of heat in Virginia

    $17.06 gas, $14.93 heat pump, $44.78 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance44.8
    • Heat pump, COP 3.014.9
    • Gas furnace, 95%17.1

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

    CSV

    Prices since 2015, Virginia

    Electricity $44.78 and gas $16 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, Virginia, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearVirginia electricityVirginia gas
    201533.311.2
    201633.310.5
    201733.811.9
    201834.411.3
    201935.412.2
    202035.312.3
    202135.113.2
    202239.115.5
    202341.816.6
    202442.214.9
    202544.816.2

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    How Virginia heats

    57% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity57.3
    • Utility gas32.1
    • Propane4.4
    • Fuel oil3.4
    • Wood1.7

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

    CSV

    Break-even COP by month, Virginia

    1.60 to 3.03 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, Virginia: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan3.032.80
    Feb2.822.76
    Mar2.462.62
    Apr2.052.24
    May1.752.15
    Jun1.681.83
    Jul1.601.70
    Aug1.69No data
    Sep1.83No data
    Oct2.26No data
    Nov2.77No data
    Dec2.85No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

    CSV

    How Virginia homes heat

    Virginia main fuelVirginia homesVirginia shareVirginia rank among states
    Electricity1,814,54557.3%9 of 45
    Utility gas1,017,76432.1%38 of 45
    Propane139,5924.4%29 of 45
    Fuel oil107,2293.4%9 of 45
    Wood55,1181.7%17 of 45

    Virginia has 31,231 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in natural gas at 15,102 MW; 3,545 MW is under construction and 3,733 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    17 Virginia utilities report meters to EIA-861: 92.9% of 3,687,138 home meters are smart (AMI), 7 offer a home time-of-use rate and 25,378 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    Virginia counties by electric heating

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

    Virginia countyVirginia residentsVirginia electric heatVirginia utility gasVirginia propaneVirginia median income
    Russell County25,63589%1%3%$49,020
    Wise County35,72788%1%4%$50,740
    Scott County21,50488%0%5%$45,136
    Amherst County31,38586%0%3%$67,298
    Campbell County55,39883%2%4%$62,608
    Gloucester County39,22882%2%7%$83,689
    Bedford County80,25482%2%5%$77,644
    Lee County22,04282%1%8%$42,269
    Powhatan County31,07481%4%8%$110,667
    Washington County53,91381%8%4%$62,774
    Culpeper County53,56348%28%14%$96,098
    Portsmouth city97,29947%48%2%$58,972
    Winchester city27,98147%37%4%$64,648
    Staunton city25,76547%48%2%$62,586
    York County70,59047%48%2%$108,326
    Waynesboro city22,57446%49%2%$56,364
    Fairfax County1,144,47442%55%1%$150,113
    Prince William County484,62541%54%3%$128,873
    Salem city25,47740%54%3%$66,716
    Loudoun County427,08232%58%7%$178,707

    Virginia month by month

    MonthVirginia electricity ¢/kWhVirginia gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuVirginia break-even COP
    Jul 202617.55$29.83$17.1$30.31.70
    Jun 202617.22$27.20$16.8$27.61.83
    May 202617.61$23.66$17.2$24.02.15
    Apr 202617.38$22.36$17.0$22.72.24
    Mar 202617.05$18.75$16.7$19.12.62
    Feb 202615.96$16.66$15.6$16.92.76
    Jan 202615.87$16.34$15.5$16.62.80
    Dec 202515.27$15.45$14.9$15.72.85
    Nov 202515.94$16.58$15.6$16.82.77
    Oct 202516.36$20.85$16.0$21.22.26
    Sep 202516.62$26.14$16.2$26.61.83
    Aug 202515.83$27.07$15.5$27.51.69
    Jul 202515.78$28.44$15.4$28.91.60
    Jun 202515.23$26.11$14.9$26.51.68
    May 202515.26$25.14$14.9$25.51.75
    Apr 202515.28$21.46$14.9$21.82.05
    Mar 202514.89$17.49$14.5$17.82.46
    Feb 202514.22$14.56$13.9$14.82.82
    Jan 202513.94$13.28$13.6$13.53.03

    Heating season

    A normal year in Virginia brings 4,577 heating degree-days and 1,014 cooling degree-days (1991 to 2020). Months above 300 heating degree-days in a normal year: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec. 2025 had 4,162, 9% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 4,322 in 2018.

    Virginia degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, Virginia, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    Virginia yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    20154164121445771014
    20164065133645771014
    20173789113045771014
    20184322140445771014
    20193992141045771014
    20203763120445771014
    20213927125345771014
    20224233118845771014
    20233632107445771014
    20243678130245771014
    20254162121845771014

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

    CSV

    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, Virginia: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan1046939
    Feb708802
    Mar444629
    Apr193327
    May83111
    Jun19
    Jul00
    Aug41
    Sep2943
    Oct258278
    Nov518568
    Dec878870

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

    CSV
    Virginia, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan1,04693901
    Feb70880200
    Mar444629102
    Apr193327163
    May831118466
    Jun19305203
    Jul00442322
    Aug41215278
    Sep2943132124
    Oct2582781415
    Nov51856800
    Dec87887000

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

    CSV

    Analyst note

    Utility gas stands out in Virginia: 32.1% of 3,168,140 homes, rank 38 of 45. Main heating fuel in Virginia is electricity (57% of homes); electricity heats 57% and utility gas 32%. Since 2024 electricity moved +6.0% and gas +9.0%; in 2026 to date power is +13.2% and gas +5.7% on a year earlier. A COP 3.0 heat pump beats a furnace here by $2.13 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 2.62 ranks 11 of 45. The most electric counties of Virginia with 20,000+ residents are led by Russell County at 89% of homes. A normal Virginia year has 4,577 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 4,162, so heating demand ran 9% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near VirginiaBreak-even COP near VirginiaGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    Oklahoma2.63$14.61$12.82
    Alabama2.64$17.84$15.73
    Missouri2.60$15.18$13.18
    Oregon2.65$16.98$15.02
    Kentucky2.68$14.46$12.93
    Mississippi2.43$16.92$13.71

    Questions on heating in Virginia

    How much of Virginia relies on utility gas for heat?

    32.1% of homes, 1,017,764 of 3,168,140, ranks 38 of 45 states.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in Virginia?

    Yes on fuel cost: $14.93 per MMBtu against $17.06 for gas, break-even COP 2.62.

    Which Virginia county has the most electric heating?

    Russell County: 89% of 10,470 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $49,020.

    What share of Virginia homes heat with electricity?

    57% of 3,168,140 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 32% with utility gas.

    Where does Virginia rank on heat pump cost?

    22 of 45 at $14.93 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.54.

    Is Virginia a winter or summer electricity state?

    Winter use runs +78% over spring and fall, summer +53%: heating drives the load.

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

    January to Jul: electricity +13.2%, gas +5.7% on a year earlier.

    How much generating capacity does Virginia have?

    31,231 MW operable in 2025, 3,545 MW under construction, 3,733 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many Virginia homes have smart meters?

    92.9% of 3,687,138 home meters, 7 of 17 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on Virginia

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    With electricity at 15.28 cents per kWh and natural gas at $16.79 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $17.06 from a gas furnace, $14.93 from a heat pump and $44.78…