How much does it cost to run an electric furnace?
EIA data · June 2026About $251 a month at the U.S. average price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour — but that figure moves a long way depending on where you live. Set your state below.
1,368.8 kWh a month at the U.S. average, 18.34¢/kWh for June 2026. Excludes fixed charges, taxes and time-of-use rates, which vary by utility and are on your bill.
Typical 10,000–25,000 W. Use the figure on your own label if you have it.
30% duty cycle applied — it draws power for part of that time.
An electric furnace is #1 of 88 on this site by annual cost, so it is probably not the only thing worth checking. See what an electric furnace costs beside everything else you run.
Published figures for this appliance disagree by a wide margin. Why other sites price an electric furnace so differently.
How many watts an electric furnace uses
Electric furnaces heat with banks of resistance elements, typically 10,000–20,000 W in total, staged so that only some engage at once. This is the largest electrical load in a house by a wide margin.
- Low
- 10,000 W
- Typical
- 15,000 W
- High
- 25,000 W
What it costs across the country
Same appliance, same usage, different electricity price. Annual cost at 15,000 W and the default usage above.
| State | ¢/kWh | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 52.72 | $8,659 |
| California | 34.74 | $5,706 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61 | $4,863 |
| New York | 29.49 | $4,844 |
| Ohio | 19.19 | $3,152 |
| Texas | 15.94 | $2,618 |
| Florida | 15.10 | $2,480 |
| Utah | 13.37 | $2,196 |
| Nebraska | 13.25 | $2,176 |
| Nevada | 13.11 | $2,153 |
Worth knowing
- This is the single most expensive appliance on this site to run, and by a wide margin. A cold month on electric resistance heat can exceed the rest of the household bill combined.
- Elements are staged, so the furnace rarely draws its full nameplate rating — but the duty cycle rises sharply as outdoor temperatures fall.
- Replacing electric resistance heat with a heat pump is the largest single running-cost reduction available in an all-electric home.
Other appliances
- Space heater
- Central air conditioner
- Window air conditioner
- Dehumidifier
- Ceiling fan
- Electric blanket
- Heat pump
- Electric baseboard heater
Prices are statewide residential averages for June 2026 from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. They exclude fixed monthly charges, taxes and time-of-use rates. See how these figures are calculated.