Cost to Heat a Home in Rhode Island: Gas vs Propane vs Heat Pump

In Rhode Island the cheapest heat last winter was natural gas at $22.53 per MMBtu delivered; electric resistance cost $89.21 — EIA prices, October 2025 to March 2026.

Updated September 2026 · Source: EIA STEO September 2026, Natural Gas Monthly, SHOPP · EPM Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next: EIA Winter Fuels Outlook Oct 6, weekly SHOPP prices from October

By SolarCostData Data Desk · Reviewed September 2026 · Corrections log

On this page: CalculatorTableHow we calculatedSources

Rhode Island heating cost per MMBtu, fuel by fuel

The season column is an illustrative 60 MMBtu of delivered heat; in Rhode Island that puts natural gas at $1,352 and electric resistance at $5,353 for the winter. The this-winter column applies EIA’s national STEO change per fuel to Rhode Island’s own price (oil +35% is the large one) — direction, not a state forecast.

The prices behind the table

Rhode Island’s winter gas average ($22.24/Mcf) sits close to its June figure ($25.75), so the seasonal fixed-charge effect that distorts most states’ summer prices is small here.

What Rhode Island’s utilities charge

The statewide 30.44¢ hides a 13.5¢ spread between Rhode Island’s largest utilities, worth $39.56 per MMBtu on resistance heat and $18.23 on a heat pump. The ZIP lookup finds yours.

How Rhode Island homes are heated

Natural gas heats 53.4% of Rhode Island’s 436,902 occupied homes against 46.8% nationally, with electricity at 12.1%, propane at 4.9% and heating oil at 27.2%. That lines up with the table above: natural gas was also Rhode Island’s cheapest heat last winter at $22.53 per MMBtu.

What the numbers say about Rhode Island

At last winter’s average prices, the cheapest way to heat a home in Rhode Island was natural gas at about $23 per million Btu delivered, and the most expensive was electric resistance at $89 — a 4.0× spread between the two columns. Gas beat a cold-climate heat pump at 17°F (COP 2.17) by $18.58/MMBtu, and at 47°F (COP 3.2, $27.88) the heat pump still trails. At Rhode Island’s winter rates the economic balance point lands above 47°F (COP 3.96 needed against 3.20 available), so the furnace is cheaper at every rated temperature. Heating oil averaged $4.11/gal across 26 SHOPP survey weeks and finished the season at $5.80 on March 30, 2026; EIA’s September outlook puts national oil +35% for this winter, which would carry Rhode Island’s figure to roughly $47/MMBtu. Propane averaged $3.63/gal in the state survey, with a national -5% outlook for this winter.

Heating degree-days: Rhode Island’s own figure and the EIA division forecast

Rhode Island itself logged 5,254 population-weighted heating degree-days from October 2025 to March 2026 (NOAA Climate Prediction Center state series, base 65°F), against 3,500 for the contiguous US. The month-by-month table below is a different, coarser series — EIA STEO New England census division degree-days, the only one with a forecast for the coming winter; it groups Rhode Island with its neighbours and is not a Rhode Island figure:

January in the EIA New England census division (the coarse series that groups Rhode Island with its neighbours) averaged about 23°F last winter (65°F minus degree-days per day) and is forecast at 29°F for January 2027, a season move of -633 degree-days. Degree-days set how much heat Rhode Island needs, the table above sets the price per unit, and the bill jump calculator multiplies the two.

Heating oil prices in Rhode Island

EIA’s weekly SHOPP survey priced residential No. 2 heating oil in Rhode Island at $3.64/gal in the first October week of the 2025-26 season and $5.80 in the final March week — a season average of $4.11, low $3.61, high $5.81, against a national average of $4.01. The survey resumes in October 2026; the weekly tracker carries every state.

Where the heat pump crosses over in Rhode Island

At last winter’s averages of 30.44¢/kWh and $2.14/therm, a heat pump beats a 95% gas furnace whenever its COP exceeds 3.96. Rhode Island’s economic balance point on the NEEP median curve is above 47°F (COP 3.96 needed against 3.20 available), so the furnace is cheaper at every rated temperature; the crossover tool runs seven named units at Rhode Island’s prices and the dual-fuel calculator turns the answer into a changeover setting.

From October 6 the EIA Winter Fuels Outlook adds household expenditure by region and the weekly SHOPP survey restarts, giving Rhode Island fresh state propane and heating-oil readings on the weekly tracker .

Frequently asked questions

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

• Winter heating cost hub: gas vs propane vs oil vs electric — The national table, the arithmetic behind every row here, and all {len(COLD)} state pages.
• Propane vs oil heat cost — Rhode Island’s two delivered fuels head to head, with the break-even price.
• Oil vs heat pump cost — Whether a cold-climate heat pump beats a 85% oil boiler at Rhode Island’s electricity price.
• Gas vs heat pump heating cost — The COP a heat pump needs to beat gas at $2.14/therm.
• Propane vs heat pump cost — Propane at $3.63/gal against a heat pump at 30.44¢/kWh.
• Electric vs gas heat cost — Resistance heat versus gas across every state with a published gas price.
• Propane vs electric heat cost — Propane at $3.63/gal against resistance strips at 30.44¢/kWh.
• Heating oil and propane prices by state (weekly tracker) — Every SHOPP weekly reading behind Rhode Island’s oil and propane figures, with season lows, highs and trend lines.
• Heat pump crossover temperature — Seven named NEEP units at 30.44¢ and $2.14/therm — Rhode Island needs COP 3.96 to beat gas.
• Dual-fuel switchover calculator — Turns Rhode Island’s balance point (above 47°F (COP 3.96 needed against 3.20 available)) into a thermostat changeover setting.
• Heat pump sizing estimator — Rhode Island sits in IECC zone 5A; a January mean near 23°F is the design context for capacity.
• Why is my electric bill so high? — Splits a Rhode Island bill jump into weather (5,608 degree-days last winter), rate and usage.
• Solar panel cost in Rhode Island — The same 28.29¢/kWh July rate driving payback, utilities and rate history for Rhode Island.
• Cost to heat a home in Pennsylvania — Cold-state neighbour on this list: cheapest heat there was natural gas at $15.68/MMBtu.
• Cost to heat a home in Illinois — Cold-state neighbour on this list: cheapest heat there was natural gas at $11.58/MMBtu.