Cost to Heat a Home in Utah: Gas vs Propane vs Heat Pump

In Utah the cheapest heat last winter was natural gas at $11.05 per MMBtu delivered; electric resistance cost $38.66 — 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

Utah heating cost per MMBtu, fuel by fuel

The season column is an illustrative 60 MMBtu of delivered heat; in Utah that puts natural gas at $663 and electric resistance at $2,319 for the winter. The this-winter column applies EIA’s national STEO change per fuel to Utah’s own price (electricity +3%) — direction, not a state forecast.

The prices behind the table

Utah’s winter gas average ($10.94/Mcf) sits close to its June figure ($11.84), so the seasonal fixed-charge effect that distorts most states’ summer prices is small here.

What Utah’s utilities charge

The statewide 13.19¢ hides a 1.1¢ spread between Utah’s largest utilities, worth $3.22 per MMBtu on resistance heat and $1.49 on a heat pump. The ZIP lookup finds yours.

How Utah homes are heated

Natural gas heats 79.1% of Utah’s 1,094,896 occupied homes against 46.8% nationally, with electricity at 16.4%, propane at 2.5% and heating oil at 0.1%. That lines up with the table above: natural gas was also Utah’s cheapest heat last winter at $11.05 per MMBtu.

What the numbers say about Utah

At last winter’s average prices, the cheapest way to heat a home in Utah was natural gas at about $11 per million Btu delivered, and the most expensive was electric resistance at $39 — a 3.5× spread between the two columns. Gas beat a cold-climate heat pump at 17°F (COP 2.17) by $6.76/MMBtu, and at 47°F (COP 3.2, $12.08) the heat pump still trails. At Utah’s winter rates the economic balance point lands above 47°F (COP 3.50 needed against 3.20 available), so the furnace is cheaper at every rated temperature. No EIA state or regional heating-oil series exists for Utah; the oil row is the national STEO average ($3.94/gal last winter, $5.30 forecast) and is labelled as such. Propane averaged $2.29/gal in the state survey, with a national -5% outlook for this winter.

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

Utah itself logged 4,523 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 Mountain census division degree-days, the only one with a forecast for the coming winter; it groups Utah with its neighbours and is not a Utah figure:

January in the EIA Mountain census division (the coarse series that groups Utah with its neighbours) averaged about 39°F last winter (65°F minus degree-days per day) and is forecast at 37°F for January 2027, a season move of +791 degree-days. Degree-days set how much heat Utah needs, the table above sets the price per unit, and the bill jump calculator multiplies the two.

Where the heat pump crosses over in Utah

At last winter’s averages of 13.19¢/kWh and $1.05/therm, a heat pump beats a 95% gas furnace whenever its COP exceeds 3.50. Utah’s economic balance point on the NEEP median curve is above 47°F (COP 3.50 needed against 3.20 available), so the furnace is cheaper at every rated temperature; the crossover tool runs seven named units at Utah’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 Utah fresh state propane 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.
• Gas vs heat pump heating cost — The COP a heat pump needs to beat gas at $1.05/therm.
• Propane vs heat pump cost — Propane at $2.29/gal against a heat pump at 13.19¢/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 $2.29/gal against resistance strips at 13.19¢/kWh.
• Heating oil and propane prices by state (weekly tracker) — Every SHOPP weekly reading behind Utah’s oil and propane figures, with season lows, highs and trend lines.
• Heat pump crossover temperature — Seven named NEEP units at 13.19¢ and $1.05/therm — Utah needs COP 3.50 to beat gas.
• Dual-fuel switchover calculator — Turns Utah’s balance point (above 47°F (COP 3.50 needed against 3.20 available)) into a thermostat changeover setting.
• Heat pump sizing estimator — Utah sits in IECC zone 5B; a January mean near 39°F is the design context for capacity.
• Why is my electric bill so high? — Splits a Utah bill jump into weather (3,138 degree-days last winter), rate and usage.
• Solar panel cost in Utah — The same 13.12¢/kWh July rate driving payback, utilities and rate history for Utah.
• Cost to run a space heater in Utah — 1,500 W at Utah’s winter rate and degree-days — the per-hour and per-winter figure for one room.
• Cost to run a heat pump in Utah — 3,500 W at Utah’s winter rate and degree-days — the per-hour and per-winter figure for one room.
• Cost to run a ductless mini-split in Utah — 2,000 W at Utah’s winter rate and degree-days — the per-hour and per-winter figure for one room.
• Cost to heat a home in Illinois — Cold-state neighbour on this list: cheapest heat there was natural gas at $11.58/MMBtu.
• Cost to heat a home in Connecticut — Cold-state neighbour on this list: cheapest heat there was natural gas at $17.68/MMBtu.