How Much to Run a Heat Pump in Minnesota? $0.54/Hr, $1,132/Winter
Running heat pump in Minnesota costs about $0.54 an hour and roughly $1,132 for the winter — 3,500 W for 11.5 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
- $0.54 at 15.41¢/kWh
- Per winter
- $1,132 (182 days)
- Hours per day
- 11.5 (NOAA state heating degree-days-scaled)
- Degree-days used
- 6,878 (NOAA CPC state, population-weighted)
- Wattage
- 3,500 W (typical 1,200–8,000)
- Minnesota rate
- 15.41¢ (October 2025–March 2026 average)
- Rank of 20 cold states
- 9 (9th most expensive)
Why this number
Minnesota runs heat pump longer than the national baseline in October–March — 11.5 hours a day on the NOAA state degree-day scaling used here, against 5.87 nationally — and pays 15.41¢/kWh for it. Those two numbers, times 3,500 W, are the whole $1,132.
Heat pump 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 | $0.54 / $98 | $0.59 / $108 | $0.49 / $90 | $0.48 / $87 |
| 2 h | $1.08 / $196 | $1.19 / $217 | $0.99 / $180 | $0.96 / $175 |
| 4 h | $2.16 / $393 | $2.38 / $433 | $1.97 / $359 | $1.92 / $349 |
| 6 h | $3.24 / $589 | $3.57 / $650 | $2.96 / $539 | $2.88 / $524 |
| 8 h | $4.31 / $785 | $4.76 / $866 | $3.95 / $719 | $3.84 / $698 |
| 12 h | $6.47 / $1,178 | $7.14 / $1,299 | $5.92 / $1,078 | $5.75 / $1,047 |
What Minnesota’s utilities charge for it
| Utility | Residential customers | ¢/kWh (EIA-861 2024) | Per hour | Per winter at 11.5 h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | 1,230,057 | 17.0¢ | $0.59 | $1,249 |
| Adjustment 2024 | 251,565 | 14.1¢ | $0.49 | $1,036 |
| Connexus Energy | 134,095 | 13.7¢ | $0.48 | $1,007 |
What the numbers say about heat pump 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 heat pump 11.5 hours a day against the national 5.87 — 5.7 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 heat pump: $1,132 for the 182-day winter, against Nebraska’s $603 and Maine’s $2,061. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Minnesota’s largest utility with 1,230,057 residential customers, averages 17.0¢ — $1,249 for the same hours — while Connexus Energy at 13.7¢ comes to $1,007, a $242 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 heat pump runs.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run heat pump per hour in Minnesota?
$0.54 an hour for a 3,500 W unit at Minnesota’s October 2025–March 2026 average average of 15.41¢/kWh (3,500 ÷ 1,000 × 0.1541); at Northern States Power Co - Minnesota’s 17.0¢ it is $0.59.
How much does heat pump cost for the whole winter in Minnesota?
About $1,132: 3,500 W × 11.5 hours a day × 182 days (October–March) × 15.41¢. The hours are the national 5.87 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 heat pump 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 $1,132 a winter; the range runs from Nebraska ($603) to Maine ($2,061), driven almost entirely by the electricity rate.
How we calculated this
Worked for heat pump in Minnesota: 3,500 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.1541 $/kWh = $0.54 per hour; hours per day = 5.87 × (6,878 ÷ 3,500) = 11.5; 3,500 ÷ 1,000 × 11.5 × 182 × 0.1541 = $1,132 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 heat pump (national page) — The 3,500 W and 5.87 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 ductless mini-split in Minnesota — Same Minnesota rates and degree-days applied to a 2,000 W ductless mini-split.
- Cost to run heat pump in Wisconsin — $1,209 for the winter at 18.39¢ and 10.3 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.
- Cost to run heat pump in Michigan — $1,244 for the winter at 20.11¢ and 9.7 h/day — the nearest cold-state comparison.