Contents
- Household heating expenditures statistics: annual U.S. space-heating costs by fuel
- Household heating expenditures statistics: regional, climate, and urban-rural heating costs
- Household heating expenditures statistics: state space-heating expenditures
- Household heating expenditures statistics: housing type and ownership
- Household heating expenditures by home size and household composition
- Household heating expenditures by income and energy-bill payment method
- Sources
Household heating expenditures statistics: annual U.S. space-heating costs by fuel
In 2020, the average annual space-heating expenditure was $519 per U.S. household using the end use. This is an average, not a median or a bill for every home. The U.S. estimate covers primary occupied housing units in the 50 states and Washington, DC. It excludes vacant homes, seasonal units, second homes, military housing and group quarters. The expenditure measure excludes biomass (wood), coal, district steam and solar thermal, even though the table also lists some homes by their main heating fuel. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6
The fuel categories show different reported averages. Among homes whose main heating fuel was natural gas, space-heating expenditures averaged $519. The average was $396 for homes primarily heated with electricity, $1,164 for fuel oil or kerosene, $1,010 for propane, and $220 for wood. These figures describe each group’s annual expenditure per household using space heating; they are not prices per unit of fuel or costs for otherwise identical homes. The table’s biomass exclusion also matters when reading the wood row: the expenditure measure excludes biomass. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6
| Main heating fuel | Average annual space-heating expenditure per household using the end use, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Natural gas | $519 |
| Electricity | $396 |
| Fuel oil or kerosene | $1,164 |
| Propane | $1,010 |
| Wood | $220 |
These are historical 2020 estimates, not current-year costs. “Space heating” includes main and secondary space heating. The averages are useful for describing the reported population and comparing categories, but they do not indicate what a particular household will pay. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6
Household heating expenditures statistics: regional, climate, and urban-rural heating costs
Regional averages in 2020 ranged from $355 per household using space heating in the West to $769 in the Northeast. The Midwest average was $644, while the South averaged $412. Within the Northeast, the New England division averaged $914. Region and division are separate geographic groupings in the EIA table, so the New England figure should be read as a division-level result rather than substituted for the full Northeast average. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6
| Census region or division | Average annual space-heating expenditure, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Northeast | $769 |
| New England | $914 |
| Midwest | $644 |
| South | $412 |
| West | $355 |
The climate-region figures provide another way to view the same broad subject. Homes in the combined Very cold and Cold regions averaged $684. Mixed-humid regions averaged $574, and Marine regions averaged $417. The combined Mixed-dry and Hot-dry regions averaged $262; Hot-humid regions averaged $264. Those labels preserve the categories reported in the table, including combined categories where EIA groups climate regions together. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6
Urban homes averaged $472 in annual space-heating expenditures, compared with $716 for rural homes. This is a comparison between the table’s urban and rural classifications. It does not establish why the averages differ: the figures alone do not isolate fuel, climate, dwelling size or other characteristics. Each result is an average per household using the end use in 2020. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6
Household heating expenditures statistics: state space-heating expenditures
State averages illustrate the range in the selected state observations. In 2020, Alaska homes averaged $1,254 in annual space-heating expenditures, while New Hampshire averaged $981 and Maine averaged $948. At the lower end of these selected examples, Florida averaged $186, Arizona $230, and Louisiana $244. Each amount is the average per primary occupied household using space heating in that state, not a household-level estimate or a state’s total spending. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6.ST
| State | Average annual space-heating expenditure, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $1,254 |
| New Hampshire | $981 |
| Maine | $948 |
| Louisiana | $244 |
| Arizona | $230 |
| Florida | $186 |
The state values should be interpreted as reported averages within each state. This selected group is not a complete ranking of all states, and the values do not identify the reasons behind state differences. They retain the same 2020 measure: annual dollars per household using the space-heating end use. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6.ST
Household heating expenditures statistics: housing type and ownership
Housing-unit type was associated with different reported 2020 averages. Single-family detached homes averaged $625 in annual space-heating expenditures. Single-family attached homes and mobile homes each averaged $476. Apartments in buildings with 2–4 units averaged $378, while apartments in buildings with 5 or more units averaged $220. The categories describe housing type; the table does not show that the building form itself caused a particular expenditure level. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6
| Housing-unit type | Average annual space-heating expenditure, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Single-family detached | $625 |
| Single-family attached | $476 |
| Apartments in buildings with 2–4 units | $378 |
| Apartments in buildings with 5 or more units | $220 |
| Mobile homes | $476 |
Ownership categories also show different averages: owned homes averaged $607, and rented homes averaged $330 per household using space heating. The EIA footnote defines rented homes to include households occupying their primary housing units without paying rent. As with the other comparisons, these are category averages and do not account for other household or home characteristics in isolation. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6
Household heating expenditures by home size and household composition
Average annual space-heating expenditures increased across the reported total-square-footage categories. Homes under 1,000 square feet averaged $284 in 2020. The average was $424 for homes of 1,000 to 1,499 square feet, $540 for 1,500 to 1,999 square feet, and $622 for 2,000 to 2,499 square feet. Larger categories averaged $681 for 2,500 to 2,999 square feet and $831 for 3,000 square feet or more. These figures are per household using space heating, grouped by reported total home area. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6
| Total home square footage | Average annual space-heating expenditure, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Less than 1,000 | $284 |
| 1,000 to 1,499 | $424 |
| 1,500 to 1,999 | $540 |
| 2,000 to 2,499 | $622 |
| 2,500 to 2,999 | $681 |
| 3,000 or more | $831 |
Household-member averages were less steadily ordered. One-member households averaged $443, two-member households $544, and three-member households $553. Four-member households averaged $540; five-member households, $533; and households with 6 or more members, $600. The small differences among the 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-member categories should be read as reported averages, not as a simple rule that each additional household member raises heating expenditure. Home size, fuel and other factors are not controlled for in these figures. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6
Household heating expenditures by income and energy-bill payment method
Annual space-heating expenditure averages generally rose across the reported income bands, though the lower bands do not form a strictly increasing sequence. In 2020, households with annual income below $5,000 averaged $407. The $5,000 to $9,999 group averaged $376, and the $10,000 to $19,999 group averaged $446. For incomes of $20,000 to $39,999, the average was $465; for $40,000 to $59,999, $480; and for $60,000 to $99,999, $529. Households in the $100,000 to $149,999 band averaged $572, while those with annual income of $150,000 or more averaged $674. These are expenditure averages by household income band, not a measure of affordability or the share of income spent on heat. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6
| Annual household income | Average annual space-heating expenditure, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Less than $5,000 | $407 |
| $5,000 to $9,999 | $376 |
| $10,000 to $19,999 | $446 |
| $20,000 to $39,999 | $465 |
| $40,000 to $59,999 | $480 |
| $60,000 to $99,999 | $529 |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | $572 |
| $150,000 or more | $674 |
Reported energy-bill payment method also corresponded with different averages. Households that paid all energy bills directly averaged $536 in annual space-heating expenditures. Those reporting some bills paid directly and some included in rent or a condominium fee averaged $345. Where all bills were included in rent or a condominium fee, the average was $312. Households reporting some other payment method averaged $633. These categories describe how energy bills were paid; they do not specify who ultimately bore every cost or explain the differences in the averages. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6
The figures throughout this article refer to 2020 annual average space-heating expenditures per household using the end use. They should not be read as current prices, medians, total household energy bills or estimates for an individual home. Source: EIA, Table CE3.6