How Much to Run a Mini Split in Idaho? $0.25/Hr, $572/Winter
Running ductless mini-split in Idaho costs about $0.25 an hour and roughly $572 for the winter — 2,000 W for 12.7 hours a day at 12.38¢/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 Idaho rate; the URL keeps it.
- Per hour
- $0.25 at 12.38¢/kWh
- Per winter
- $572 (182 days)
- Hours per day
- 12.7 (NOAA state heating degree-days-scaled)
- Degree-days used
- 4,724 (NOAA CPC state, population-weighted)
- Wattage
- 2,000 W (typical 400–3,500)
- Idaho rate
- 12.38¢ (October 2025–March 2026 average)
- Rank of 20 cold states
- 19 (19th most expensive)
Why this number
Idaho runs ductless mini-split longer than the national baseline in October–March — 12.7 hours a day on the NOAA state degree-day scaling used here, against 9.4 nationally — and pays 12.38¢/kWh for it. Those two numbers, times 2,000 W, are the whole $572.
Ductless mini-split cost in Idaho by hours per day — per day / per winter
| Hours per day | Idaho avg 12.38¢ | Idaho Power Co 11.8¢ | Avista Corp 11.6¢ | PacifiCorp 12.1¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | $0.25 / $45 | $0.24 / $43 | $0.23 / $42 | $0.24 / $44 |
| 2 h | $0.50 / $90 | $0.47 / $86 | $0.46 / $84 | $0.48 / $88 |
| 4 h | $0.99 / $180 | $0.94 / $172 | $0.93 / $169 | $0.97 / $176 |
| 6 h | $1.49 / $270 | $1.42 / $258 | $1.39 / $253 | $1.45 / $264 |
| 8 h | $1.98 / $361 | $1.89 / $344 | $1.86 / $338 | $1.94 / $352 |
| 12 h | $2.97 / $541 | $2.83 / $515 | $2.78 / $507 | $2.90 / $529 |
What Idaho’s utilities charge for it
| Utility | Residential customers | ¢/kWh (EIA-861 2024) | Per hour | Per winter at 12.7 h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho Power Co | 525,751 | 11.8¢ | $0.24 | $545 |
| Avista Corp | 128,226 | 11.6¢ | $0.23 | $536 |
| PacifiCorp | 74,170 | 12.1¢ | $0.24 | $559 |
What the numbers say about ductless mini-split in Idaho
Idaho logged 4,724 population-weighted heating degree-days over October–March (NOAA CPC state series), 135% of the CONUS figure of 3,500, which is why this page runs ductless mini-split 12.7 hours a day against the national 9.4 — 3.3 hours more. At Idaho’s October 2025–March 2026 average rate of 12.38¢/kWh that makes it the 19th most expensive of the 20 cold states for ductless mini-split: $572 for the 182-day winter, against Nebraska’s $552 and Maine’s $1,886. Idaho Power Co, Idaho’s largest utility with 525,751 residential customers, averages 11.8¢ — $545 for the same hours — while PacifiCorp at 12.1¢ comes to $559, a $14 spread on identical use. Per million Btu delivered, this unit at the NEEP median COP of 2.17 costs $16.72 against $7.37 for natural gas at Idaho’s winter average of $0.70/therm, which is the whole-house comparison the Idaho heating page works through. Idaho’s winter-average rate (12.38¢) sits 1.35¢ below its July 2026 reading of 13.73¢; 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 Idaho?
$0.25 an hour for a 2,000 W unit at Idaho’s October 2025–March 2026 average average of 12.38¢/kWh (2,000 ÷ 1,000 × 0.1238); at Idaho Power Co’s 11.8¢ it is $0.24.
How much does ductless mini-split cost for the whole winter in Idaho?
About $572: 2,000 W × 12.7 hours a day × 182 days (October–March) × 12.38¢. The hours are the national 9.4 h/day scaled by NOAA CPC state population-weighted HDD, October 2025–March 2026 (4,724 against the CONUS 3,500); enter your own hours above for your own figure.
Is ductless mini-split expensive to run in Idaho compared with other cold states?
Idaho is the 19th most expensive of the 20 cold states on this site at $572 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 Idaho: 2,000 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.1238 $/kWh = $0.25 per hour; hours per day = 9.4 × (4,724 ÷ 3,500) = 12.7; 2,000 ÷ 1,000 × 12.7 × 182 × 0.1238 = $572 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 Idaho, with the sourced benchmark.
- Cost to heat a home in Idaho — Gas, propane, oil, heat pump and resistance per MMBtu at Idaho’s own prices — the whole-house picture.
- Find your electricity rate by ZIP — Idaho averages 12.38¢ but its utilities span the table above — send your own rate into this calculator.
- Solar panel cost in Idaho — Idaho’s 13.73¢ July rate, utilities and rate history on the solar side.
- Cost to run space heater in Idaho — Same Idaho rates and degree-days applied to a 1,500 W space heater.
- Cost to run heat pump in Idaho — Same Idaho rates and degree-days applied to a 3,500 W heat pump.
- Cost to run ductless mini-split in Utah — $583 for the winter at 13.19¢ and 12.1 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.
- Cost to run ductless mini-split in Nebraska — $552 for the winter at 12.31¢ and 12.3 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.