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 West Virginia: electricity vs gas

With electricity at 15.39 cents per kWh and natural gas at $13.80 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $14.02 from a gas furnace, $15.03 from a heat pump and $45.10 from resistance heating in West Virginia.

Your West Virginia heating cost

    West Virginia inputs: 15.39 ¢ per kWh, $13.8 per Mcf, fuel only; the need is an illustration. Method.

    The numbers

    Electricity 2025
    15.39 ¢/kWhrank 22 of 45 states by price
    Natural gas 2025
    $13.80 per Mcfrank 27 of 45 states by gas price
    Gas furnace
    $14.02 per MMBtu95% efficiency, rank 27 of 45
    Heat pump
    $15.03 per MMBturank 24 of 45 states, COP 3.0 assumed
    Electric resistance
    $45.10 per MMBtu3.2 times a furnace
    Break-even COP
    3.22a heat pump above it beats gas; rank 20 of 45
    Annual cost at 50 MMBtu
    $752 heat pumpfuel only
    Homes heated by electricity
    46%41% utility gas, 5% propane, 2% oil
    Electricity since 2024
    +2.1%
    Gas since 2024
    -9.6%
    2026 to date
    power +1.4%, gas -17.2%January to Aug against 2025
    Winter load
    +99% over spring and fallsummer +45%: a winter-peaking state
    Heating degree-days, normal year
    5,0671991 to 2020; 2025 had 5,055, rank 24 of 42 states by normal HDD
    Occupied homes in West Virginia (ACS 2023)
    721,448328,483 electric, 293,752 utility gas, 38,753 propane, 16,380 oil; 17 of 55 counties are over half electric
    Generating capacity in West Virginia
    15,950 MWEIA-860 2025; 0 MW under construction

    West Virginia charts

    One MMBtu of heat in West Virginia

    $14.02 gas, $15.03 heat pump, $45.10 resistance.

    $ per MMBtu

    • Electric resistance45.1
    • Heat pump, COP 3.015.0
    • Gas furnace, 95%14.0

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

    CSV

    Prices since 2015, West Virginia

    Electricity $45.10 and gas $13 per MMBtu of energy in 2025.

    Fuel cost per MMBtu, West Virginia, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    YearWest Virginia electricityWest Virginia gas
    201529.510.1
    201633.58.9
    201734.19.1
    201832.89.5
    201933.09.6
    202034.69.8
    202135.610.1
    202238.811.7
    202341.215.1
    202444.214.7
    202545.113.3

    11 rows from EIA retail sales and natural gas prices.

    CSV

    How West Virginia heats

    46% electric.

    % of homes

    • Electricity45.5
    • Utility gas40.7
    • Propane5.4
    • Fuel oil2.3
    • Wood4.8

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

    CSV

    Break-even COP by month, West Virginia

    1.27 to 3.90 across the months shown.

    Break-even COP by month, West Virginia: 12 rows
    Month20252026
    Jan3.903.51
    Feb3.703.34
    Mar3.532.82
    Apr3.172.32
    May2.381.96
    Jun1.59No data
    Jul1.27No data
    Aug1.36No data
    Sep1.41No data
    Oct2.82No data
    Nov3.04No data
    Dec3.37No data

    12 rows from EIA retail sales.

    CSV

    How West Virginia homes heat

    West Virginia main fuelWest Virginia homesWest Virginia shareWest Virginia rank among states
    Electricity328,48345.5%15 of 45
    Utility gas293,75240.7%29 of 45
    Propane38,7535.4%22 of 45
    Fuel oil16,3802.3%10 of 45
    Wood34,6064.8%7 of 45

    West Virginia has 15,950 MW of operable generating capacity (EIA-860, 2025), largest in coal at 13,072 MW; 0 MW is under construction and 789 MW planned, which matters if heat pumps add winter load.

    2 West Virginia utilities report meters to EIA-861: 44.7% of 878,204 home meters are smart (AMI), 2 offer a home time-of-use rate and 2,660 homes are on dynamic pricing.

    West Virginia counties by electric heating

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

    West Virginia countyWest Virginia residentsWest Virginia electric heatWest Virginia utility gasWest Virginia propaneWest Virginia median income
    Mingo County22,97975%17%2%$39,527
    Berkeley County126,16575%10%4%$77,329
    Jefferson County58,54674%5%9%$95,523
    Logan County31,82668%29%1%$47,237
    Mercer County59,06268%20%5%$47,799
    Wyoming County20,94866%26%1%$48,038
    Mason County25,21465%20%11%$53,454
    Putnam County57,25060%35%3%$77,871
    Raleigh County73,66657%35%2%$52,055
    Lincoln County20,17056%38%1%$48,593
    Randolph County27,78236%35%15%$55,057
    Upshur County23,75834%43%10%$51,859
    Marshall County30,12934%53%3%$60,329
    Brooke County22,05329%57%4%$52,116
    Preston County34,20428%21%18%$61,373
    Ohio County41,90428%64%2%$57,867
    Marion County56,04226%68%3%$67,537
    Hancock County28,65822%64%6%$61,017
    Wood County83,82921%73%3%$56,193
    Harrison County65,40716%80%2%$58,326

    West Virginia month by month

    MonthWest Virginia electricity ¢/kWhWest Virginia gas $/McfHeat pump $/MMBtuGas furnace $/MMBtuWest Virginia break-even COP
    May 202616.80$24.68$16.4$25.11.96
    Apr 202616.06$19.95$15.7$20.32.32
    Mar 202616.37$16.76$16.0$17.02.82
    Feb 202614.41$12.46$14.1$12.73.34
    Jan 202614.77$12.15$14.4$12.33.51
    Dec 202514.59$12.48$14.3$12.73.37
    Nov 202515.63$14.83$15.3$15.13.04
    Oct 202516.17$16.53$15.8$16.82.82
    Sep 202516.11$32.92$15.7$33.41.41
    Aug 202515.62$33.16$15.3$33.71.36
    Jul 202515.40$35.11$15.0$35.71.27
    Jun 202515.79$28.73$15.4$29.21.59
    May 202516.15$19.54$15.8$19.92.38
    Apr 202516.02$14.56$15.6$14.83.17
    Mar 202515.87$12.95$15.5$13.23.53
    Feb 202514.80$11.53$14.5$11.73.70
    Jan 202514.45$10.70$14.1$10.93.90

    Heating season

    A normal year in West Virginia brings 5,067 heating degree-days and 802 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 5,055, 0% below normal; the highest of 2015 to 2025 was 5,190 in 2022.

    West Virginia degree-days by year

    Heating and cooling degree-days, West Virginia, 2015 to 2025: 11 rows
    West Virginia yearHeating (HDD)Cooling (CDD)Normal HDDNormal CDD
    201549298695067802
    2016474710465067802
    201744967295067802
    2018510910705067802
    201947349955067802
    202046658735067802
    202147598805067802
    202251908155067802
    202344816935067802
    2024430610025067802
    202550559545067802

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

    CSV

    Heating degree-days by month

    Heating degree-days by month, West Virginia: 12 rows
    Month2025Normal
    Jan12481029
    Feb809841
    Mar551696
    Apr296358
    May165162
    Jun623
    Jul04
    Aug97
    Sep5569
    Oct322334
    Nov640637
    Dec954907

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

    CSV
    West Virginia, 2025 by month: 12 rows
    MonthHDD 2025HDD normalCDD 2025CDD normal
    Jan1,2481,02900
    Feb80984100
    Mar55169662
    Apr29635863
    May1651624560
    Jun623226156
    Jul04367255
    Aug97197225
    Sep55699891
    Oct322334910
    Nov64063700
    Dec95490700

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

    CSV

    Analyst note

    Gas price change stands out in West Virginia: -9.6% since 2024, rank 41 of 45. Main heating fuel in West Virginia is electricity (46% of homes); electricity heats 46% and utility gas 41%. Since 2024 electricity moved +2.1% and gas -9.6%; in 2026 to date power is +1.4% and gas -17.2% on a year earlier. A COP 3.0 heat pump trails a furnace here by $1.01 per MMBtu; the break-even COP of 3.22 ranks 20th of 45. The most electric counties of West Virginia with 20,000+ residents are led by Mingo County at 75% of homes. A normal West Virginia year has 5,067 heating degree-days, and 2025 had 5,055, so heating demand ran 0% below the 1991 to 2020 normal.

    States with a similar break-even

    State near West VirginiaBreak-even COP near West VirginiaGas, $ per MMBtuHeat pump, $ per MMBtu
    Tennessee3.22$12.03$12.91
    Wyoming3.28$11.93$13.06
    Delaware3.10$16.23$16.75
    Nebraska3.05$11.58$11.77
    Massachusetts3.50$25.46$29.71
    Ohio3.52$14.07$16.51

    Questions on heating in West Virginia

    How fast did West Virginia gas prices move since 2024?

    -9.6% from $15.26 to $13.80 per Mcf, rank 41 of 45 states by change.

    Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in West Virginia?

    No on fuel cost: $15.03 per MMBtu against $14.02 for gas, break-even COP 3.22.

    Which West Virginia county has the most electric heating?

    Mingo County: 75% of 9,013 homes among counties with 20,000+ residents, median income $39,527.

    What share of West Virginia homes heat with electricity?

    46% of 721,448 occupied homes in ACS 2023, against 41% with utility gas.

    Where does West Virginia rank on heat pump cost?

    24 of 45 at $15.03 per MMBtu; North Dakota is lowest at $11.55.

    Is West Virginia a winter or summer electricity state?

    Winter use runs +99% over spring and fall, summer +45%: heating drives the load.

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

    January to Aug: electricity +1.4%, gas -17.2% on a year earlier.

    How much generating capacity does West Virginia have?

    15,950 MW operable in 2025, 0 MW under construction, 789 MW planned (EIA-860).

    How many West Virginia homes have smart meters?

    44.7% of 878,204 home meters, 2 of 2 reporting utilities offer time-of-use.

    More on West Virginia

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    With electricity at 15.39 cents per kWh and natural gas at $13.80 per Mcf in 2025, one MMBtu of heat costs $14.02 from a gas furnace, $15.03 from a heat pump and $45.10…