Last reviewed: September 2026 · By the HVAC Brief Editorial Team · Our sourcing and editorial standards
The median US household spends about $630 a year heating its home at 2025/26 prices, up from $414 in 2020. By fuel it ranges from about $368 for electric heat to $1,618 for fuel oil.
The fuel ranking mostly reflects where each fuel is used: oil heats cold New England and electricity the mild South. Fuel price alone does not explain the gap.
EIA’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey estimates how much of every sampled household’s energy spend goes to space heating, by fuel. This page publishes that distribution and reprices it at the 2025/26 heating season’s fuel prices to give a current-dollar picture.
The national figure
| Measure | 2020 prices | 2025/26 prices |
|---|---|---|
| Median | $414 | $630 |
| Mean | $516 | $777 |
By main heating fuel
| Main fuel | Homes | 2020 prices | 2025/26 prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel oil | 4.9M | $1,025 | $1,618 |
| Propane | 5.2M | $876 | $1,174 |
| Natural gas | 62.7M | $457 | $720 |
| Electricity | 42.6M | $261 | $368 |
Read this table with the geography in mind. Fuel oil and propane households cluster in the cold Northeast and rural areas; electrically heated households cluster in the South. Our heating degree day index shows oil-heated households faced roughly twice the heating demand of electrically heated ones last winter. A fair fuel comparison holds the climate constant, which is what our heat pump versus gas analysis does state by state.
By region
| Census division | Median spend |
|---|---|
| New England | $1,218 |
| East North Central | $882 |
| Middle Atlantic | $877 |
| West North Central | $791 |
| East South Central | $638 |
| Mountain North | $596 |
| South Atlantic | $487 |
| West South Central | $418 |
| Pacific | $361 |
| Mountain South | $328 |
How much prices moved
| Fuel | Change |
|---|---|
| Electricity | +41% |
| Natural Gas | +58% |
| Fuel Oil | +60% |
| Propane | +33% |
Natural gas and fuel oil rose most, which is why households heating with them saw the largest increases. Current fuel prices are in our natural gas and heating oil trackers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average home heating bill?
The median US household that heats its home spends about $630 a year on space heating at 2025/26 prices, from EIA’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey repriced to current fuel costs. The mean is higher, about $777. In 2020 dollars the median was $414.
Which heating fuel is most expensive?
Fuel oil, at a median of about $1,618 a year for households heating with it, followed by propane at $1,174. Natural gas households spend about $720 and electrically heated households about $368.
Is electric heat really the cheapest?
Not as the table suggests. Electrically heated homes are concentrated in the warm South, where heating needs are small, so their low bills reflect climate more than fuel. Our heating degree day index shows oil-heated households face roughly twice the heating demand of electrically heated ones. Comparing fuels fairly means comparing cost per unit of heat in the same place.
Where are heating bills highest?
New England, at a median of about $1,218 a year at 2025/26 prices, where cold winters meet heavy reliance on fuel oil. The Mountain South is lowest at about $328.
How much have heating costs risen since 2020?
Holding 2020 usage constant, heating fuel prices rose 58% for natural gas, 60% for fuel oil, 41% for electricity and 33% for propane between the 2020 heating months and the 2025/26 season.
Why are these estimates rather than actual bills?
RECS 2020 is the most recent survey with end-use detail. EIA models how much of each household’s bill goes to heating; this page then reprices that usage at current fuel prices. Actual bills depend on each winter’s weather, and 2025/26 ran about 8% warmer than normal.
Methodology and limitations
- Source: EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2020 public use microdata v7. Space heating spend is the sum of DOLNGSPH, DOLELSPH, DOLFOSPH and DOLLPSPH (calibrated spend on natural gas, electricity, fuel oil and propane for main and secondary space heating). Weighted with NWEIGHT.
- These are EIA’s calibrated, modelled end-use estimates, not metered heating consumption.
- Repricing: each fuel’s 2020 spend is multiplied by the ratio of its 2025/26 heating-season price (the October to March months published at the time of writing: five for electricity, piped gas and fuel oil, six for propane) to its 2020 heating-months price (January to March and October to December 2020). Prices are BLS average prices for electricity, piped gas and fuel oil (via FRED) and EIA residential propane.
- Repricing holds 2020 consumption constant. Actual 2025/26 bills reflect that winter’s weather, which ran about 8% warmer than normal nationally.
- Households are grouped by main heating fuel (FUELHEAT); spend includes any secondary fuels they use.
- Wood and other fuels are not included in the spend total.
Sources
- US Energy Information Administration, RECS 2020 public use microdata.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics average price series via FRED: APU000072610, APU000072620, APU000072511.
The HVAC Brief is an independent trade publication. We do not sell equipment, take manufacturer advertising, or accept payment for placement in our research. Corrections welcome.
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