How Much to Run a Mini Split in Minnesota? $1,036/Winter
Running ductless mini-split in Minnesota costs about $0.31 an hour and roughly $1,036 for the winter — 2,000 W for 18.5 hours a day at 15.41¢/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 Minnesota rate; the URL keeps it.
- Per hour
- $0.31 at 15.41¢/kWh
- Per winter
- $1,036 (182 days)
- Hours per day
- 18.5 (NOAA state heating degree-days-scaled)
- Degree-days used
- 6,878 (NOAA CPC state, population-weighted)
- Wattage
- 2,000 W (typical 400–3,500)
- Minnesota rate
- 15.41¢ (October 2025–March 2026 average)
- Rank of 20 cold states
- 9 (9th most expensive)
Why this number
Minnesota runs ductless mini-split longer than the national baseline in October–March — 18.5 hours a day on the NOAA state degree-day scaling used here, against 9.4 nationally — and pays 15.41¢/kWh for it. Those two numbers, times 2,000 W, are the whole $1,036.
Ductless mini-split cost in Minnesota by hours per day — per day / per winter
| Hours per day | Minnesota avg 15.41¢ | Northern States Power 17.0¢ | Adjustment 2024 14.1¢ | Connexus Energy 13.7¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | $0.31 / $56 | $0.34 / $62 | $0.28 / $51 | $0.27 / $50 |
| 2 h | $0.62 / $112 | $0.68 / $124 | $0.56 / $103 | $0.55 / $100 |
| 4 h | $1.23 / $224 | $1.36 / $248 | $1.13 / $205 | $1.10 / $199 |
| 6 h | $1.85 / $337 | $2.04 / $371 | $1.69 / $308 | $1.64 / $299 |
| 8 h | $2.47 / $449 | $2.72 / $495 | $2.26 / $411 | $2.19 / $399 |
| 12 h | $3.70 / $673 | $4.08 / $743 | $3.38 / $616 | $3.29 / $598 |
What Minnesota’s utilities charge for it
| Utility | Residential customers | ¢/kWh (EIA-861 2024) | Per hour | Per winter at 18.5 h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | 1,230,057 | 17.0¢ | $0.34 | $1,143 |
| Adjustment 2024 | 251,565 | 14.1¢ | $0.28 | $948 |
| Connexus Energy | 134,095 | 13.7¢ | $0.27 | $921 |
What the numbers say about ductless mini-split in Minnesota
Minnesota logged 6,878 population-weighted heating degree-days over October–March (NOAA CPC state series), 197% of the CONUS figure of 3,500, which is why this page runs ductless mini-split 18.5 hours a day against the national 9.4 — 9.1 hours more. At Minnesota’s October 2025–March 2026 average rate of 15.41¢/kWh that makes it the 9th most expensive of the 20 cold states for ductless mini-split: $1,036 for the 182-day winter, against Nebraska’s $552 and Maine’s $1,886. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Minnesota’s largest utility with 1,230,057 residential customers, averages 17.0¢ — $1,143 for the same hours — while Connexus Energy at 13.7¢ comes to $921, a $222 spread on identical use. Per million Btu delivered, this unit at the NEEP median COP of 2.17 costs $20.81 against $10.84 for natural gas at Minnesota’s winter average of $1.03/therm, which is the whole-house comparison the Minnesota heating page works through. Minnesota’s winter-average rate (15.41¢) sits 2.04¢ below its July 2026 reading of 17.45¢; 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 Minnesota?
$0.31 an hour for a 2,000 W unit at Minnesota’s October 2025–March 2026 average average of 15.41¢/kWh (2,000 ÷ 1,000 × 0.1541); at Northern States Power Co - Minnesota’s 17.0¢ it is $0.34.
How much does ductless mini-split cost for the whole winter in Minnesota?
About $1,036: 2,000 W × 18.5 hours a day × 182 days (October–March) × 15.41¢. The hours are the national 9.4 h/day scaled by NOAA CPC state population-weighted HDD, October 2025–March 2026 (6,878 against the CONUS 3,500); enter your own hours above for your own figure.
Is ductless mini-split expensive to run in Minnesota compared with other cold states?
Minnesota is the 9th most expensive of the 20 cold states on this site at $1,036 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 Minnesota: 2,000 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.1541 $/kWh = $0.31 per hour; hours per day = 9.4 × (6,878 ÷ 3,500) = 18.5; 2,000 ÷ 1,000 × 18.5 × 182 × 0.1541 = $1,036 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 Minnesota, with the sourced benchmark.
- Cost to heat a home in Minnesota — Gas, propane, oil, heat pump and resistance per MMBtu at Minnesota’s own prices — the whole-house picture.
- Find your electricity rate by ZIP — Minnesota averages 15.41¢ but its utilities span the table above — send your own rate into this calculator.
- Solar panel cost in Minnesota — Minnesota’s 17.45¢ July rate, utilities and rate history on the solar side.
- Cost to run space heater in Minnesota — Same Minnesota rates and degree-days applied to a 1,500 W space heater.
- Cost to run heat pump in Minnesota — Same Minnesota rates and degree-days applied to a 3,500 W heat pump.
- Cost to run ductless mini-split in Wisconsin — $1,106 for the winter at 18.39¢ and 16.5 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.
- Cost to run ductless mini-split in Michigan — $1,138 for the winter at 20.11¢ and 15.6 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.