What every heating fuel would cost you this winter
Enter what you burn now. Government prices for your state, updated weekly.
Your state's fuel prices — override any ▾
Defaults are government figures. A contract rate or your own bill beats them — yours wins.
Residential $/Mcf is inflated in summer months because fixed monthly customer charges are spread over very low volume. For heating comparisons the winter figure is the honest one. Flagged in the UI.
$2,333 a yearSwitching from heating oil (no. 2) (mid-efficiency) to natural gas (high-efficiency condensing) would cut your heating bill from $4,297 to $1,963 at today's prices in Maine.Fuel cost only — this ignores the cost of installing new equipment, which for a heat pump or new boiler is usually the deciding factor.
The same heat — 93.1 million BTU a year — priced every way. Cheapest first.
| Fuel & equipment | $ / million BTU | Est. usage | Cost / year | vs. now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas — High-efficiency condensing (96% AFUE)cheapest | $21.09 | 970 therms | $1,963 | save $2,333 |
| Natural gas — Mid-efficiency (90% AFUE) | $22.50 | 1034 therms | $2,094 | save $2,203 |
| Electricity — Ground-source heat pump (COP 3.5) | $23.97 | 7794 kWh | $2,231 | save $2,065 |
| Natural gas — Older gas furnace (80% AFUE) | $25.31 | 1163 therms | $2,356 | save $1,941 |
| Electricity — Air-source heat pump (mild climate) (COP 3.0) | $27.97 | 9093 kWh | $2,603 | save $1,694 |
| Electricity — Air-source heat pump (mixed climate) (COP 2.5) | $33.56 | 10911 kWh | $3,124 | save $1,173 |
| Electricity — Cold-climate heat pump (COP 2.2) | $38.14 | 12399 kWh | $3,550 | save $747 |
| Propane — High-efficiency condensing (95% AFUE) | $40.53 | 1070.7 gallons | $3,772 | save $525 |
| Propane — Mid-efficiency (90% AFUE) | $42.78 | 1130.2 gallons | $3,982 | save $315 |
| Heating oil (No. 2) — Modern condensing (87% AFUE) | $44.57 | 772.4 gallons | $4,149 | save $148 |
| Heating oil (No. 2) — Mid-efficiency (84% AFUE)you now | $46.17 | 800.0 gallons | $4,297 | — |
| Propane — Older propane furnace (80% AFUE) | $48.13 | 1271.5 gallons | $4,479 | +$183 |
| Heating oil (No. 2) — Older oil boiler / furnace (80% AFUE) | $48.47 | 840.0 gallons | $4,512 | +$215 |
| Electricity — Electric baseboard / resistance (100% AFUE) | $83.91 | 27278 kWh | $7,810 | +$3,513 |
Fuel cost only. Equipment and installation usually decide the question — what this excludes.
No price entered for wood pellets, cordwood or kerosene: no federal series exists. Add yours above to include them.
No price entered for wood pellets, cordwood or kerosene: no federal series exists. Add yours above to include them.
Prices from the U.S. Energy Information Administration: heating oil 2026-03-30 · propane 2026-03-30 · electricity 2026-05 · natural gas 2026-05. Oil and propane weekly October–March; electricity and gas monthly.