How Much to Run a Mini Split in Colorado? $0.33/Hr, $734/Winter
Running ductless mini-split in Colorado costs about $0.33 an hour and roughly $734 for the winter — 2,000 W for 12.3 hours a day at 16.45¢/kWh.
· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23
On this page: CalculatorTableHow we calculatedSources
Jump to calculator ↓Slider nudges the Colorado rate; the URL keeps it.
- Per hour
- $0.33 at 16.45¢/kWh
- Per winter
- $734 (182 days)
- Hours per day
- 12.3 (NOAA state heating degree-days-scaled)
- Degree-days used
- 4,564 (NOAA CPC state, population-weighted)
- Wattage
- 2,000 W (typical 400–3,500)
- Colorado rate
- 16.45¢ (October 2025–March 2026 average)
- Rank of 20 cold states
- 14 (14th most expensive)
Why this number
Colorado runs ductless mini-split longer than the national baseline in October–March — 12.3 hours a day on the NOAA state degree-day scaling used here, against 9.4 nationally — and pays 16.45¢/kWh for it. Those two numbers, times 2,000 W, are the whole $734.
Ductless mini-split cost in Colorado by hours per day — per day / per winter
| Hours per day | Colorado avg 16.45¢ | Public Service Co of C 15.0¢ | City of Colorado Sprin 14.5¢ | CORE Electric Cooperat 15.0¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | $0.33 / $60 | $0.30 / $55 | $0.29 / $53 | $0.30 / $55 |
| 2 h | $0.66 / $120 | $0.60 / $109 | $0.58 / $106 | $0.60 / $109 |
| 4 h | $1.32 / $240 | $1.20 / $218 | $1.16 / $211 | $1.20 / $218 |
| 6 h | $1.97 / $359 | $1.80 / $328 | $1.74 / $317 | $1.80 / $328 |
| 8 h | $2.63 / $479 | $2.40 / $437 | $2.32 / $422 | $2.40 / $437 |
| 12 h | $3.95 / $719 | $3.60 / $655 | $3.48 / $633 | $3.60 / $655 |
What Colorado’s utilities charge for it
| Utility | Residential customers | ¢/kWh (EIA-861 2024) | Per hour | Per winter at 12.3 h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Co of Colorado | 1,365,053 | 15.0¢ | $0.30 | $669 |
| City of Colorado Springs - (CO) | 216,771 | 14.5¢ | $0.29 | $647 |
| CORE Electric Cooperative | 165,067 | 15.0¢ | $0.30 | $669 |
What the numbers say about ductless mini-split in Colorado
Colorado logged 4,564 population-weighted heating degree-days over October–March (NOAA CPC state series), 130% of the CONUS figure of 3,500, which is why this page runs ductless mini-split 12.3 hours a day against the national 9.4 — 2.9 hours more. At Colorado’s October 2025–March 2026 average rate of 16.45¢/kWh that makes it the 14th most expensive of the 20 cold states for ductless mini-split: $734 for the 182-day winter, against Nebraska’s $552 and Maine’s $1,886. Public Service Co of Colorado, Colorado’s largest utility with 1,365,053 residential customers, averages 15.0¢ — $669 for the same hours — while CORE Electric Cooperative at 15.0¢ comes to $669, a $0 spread on identical use. Per million Btu delivered, this unit at the NEEP median COP of 2.17 costs $22.22 against $11.26 for natural gas at Colorado’s winter average of $1.07/therm, which is the whole-house comparison the Colorado heating page works through. Colorado’s winter-average rate (16.45¢) sits 0.55¢ below its July 2026 reading of 17.0¢; the season figure uses the winter average because that is when ductless mini-split runs.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run ductless mini-split per hour in Colorado?
$0.33 an hour for a 2,000 W unit at Colorado’s October 2025–March 2026 average average of 16.45¢/kWh (2,000 ÷ 1,000 × 0.1645); at Public Service Co of Colorado’s 15.0¢ it is $0.30.
How much does ductless mini-split cost for the whole winter in Colorado?
About $734: 2,000 W × 12.3 hours a day × 182 days (October–March) × 16.45¢. The hours are the national 9.4 h/day scaled by NOAA CPC state population-weighted HDD, October 2025–March 2026 (4,564 against the CONUS 3,500); enter your own hours above for your own figure.
Is ductless mini-split expensive to run in Colorado compared with other cold states?
Colorado is the 14th most expensive of the 20 cold states on this site at $734 a winter; the range runs from Nebraska ($552) to Maine ($1,886), driven almost entirely by the electricity rate.
How we calculated this
Worked for ductless mini-split in Colorado: 2,000 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.1645 $/kWh = $0.33 per hour; hours per day = 9.4 × (4,564 ÷ 3,500) = 12.3; 2,000 ÷ 1,000 × 12.3 × 182 × 0.1645 = $734 for the winter. Rate: EIA Electric Power Monthly 5.6.A (October 2025–March 2026 average); degree-days: NOAA CPC state population-weighted HDD, October 2025–March 2026, against the CONUS total; utility prices: EIA-861 2024.Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.
Where to go next
- Cost to run ductless mini-split (national page) — The 2,000 W and 9.4 h/day baseline this page scales for Colorado, with the sourced benchmark.
- Cost to heat a home in Colorado — Gas, propane, oil, heat pump and resistance per MMBtu at Colorado’s own prices — the whole-house picture.
- Find your electricity rate by ZIP — Colorado averages 16.45¢ but its utilities span the table above — send your own rate into this calculator.
- Solar panel cost in Colorado — Colorado’s 17.0¢ July rate, utilities and rate history on the solar side.
- Cost to run space heater in Colorado — Same Colorado rates and degree-days applied to a 1,500 W space heater.
- Cost to run heat pump in Colorado — Same Colorado rates and degree-days applied to a 3,500 W heat pump.
- Cost to run ductless mini-split in South Dakota — $735 for the winter at 13.59¢ and 14.9 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.
- Cost to run ductless mini-split in Montana — $719 for the winter at 13.26¢ and 14.9 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.