2023’s Most Expensive Cities to Heat a Home in Winter

Which cities will burn a hole through residents’ wallets during colder months?

With heating costs expected to rise for most consumers this winter, HVAC Gnome ranked 2023’s Most Expensive Cities to Heat a Home in Winter.

We compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on 3 categories: Energy Costs, Cost Inflators, and Lack of Energy Efficiency. More specifically, we looked at average monthly electricity and gas bills, periods of extreme cold, the average size of homes, and residential energy efficiency code adoption, among 10 total metrics.

Check out which cities drop the most cash when temperatures dip in our ranking below. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology.

Contents

• Rankings
• Top 5 Close Up
• The Upshot
• Ask the Experts
• Behind the Ranking
• Insulate Your Home — and Energy Budget

Rankings

See how each city fared in our ranking:

Top 5 Close Up

Check out the slideshow below for standout stats on each of our top 5 most expensive cities to heat a home in winter.

The Upshot

Missouri residents can expect to “show me” the cash when they switch the heat on this winter. 5 out of 8 Missouri cities in our ranking — including Springfield, the No. 1 most expensive city — pay among the 100 biggest monthly energy bills (when adjusted). With 3 cities in the top 20 overall, the Kansas City metro area is particularly not budget-friendly to cold-natured folks.

The most affordable cities are dominated by Central and Southern California and Washington state’s Puget Sound region. Although not as badly needed in winter, these regions’ leading energy efficiency measures help coldproof homes. Cheaper energy prices also help offset higher costs during abnormally cold winters, as is the forecast this year for the Pacific Northwest.

(Possible) surprises: 

• Florida and Georgia pay nosebleed prices for energy — mostly in the summer.
• Arizona isn’t one big desert. High-elevation Flagstaff, which gets about 100 inches of snow annually, placed No. 17 overall. 
• “Wintry” Northern cities like New York and Boston didn’t land at the top of our ranking, thanks to more affordable energy prices, more energy-efficient homes, or both.

Ask The Experts

There are many ways to lower your energy bill. For helpful tips and insights, we reached out to a panel of experts. Read their thoughts below.

1. What are three creative ways to reduce heating costs in winter?
2. What is the best temperature at which to keep the thermostat during winter to avoid high heating bills?
3. What are the three best strategies for keeping warm when the power goes out?
4. What are two cheaper alternative heating sources or solutions?
5. Is gas or electric heat cheaper? Why?
6. Can having an updated HVAC system help minimize energy bills? How so?

Karin Abel

Adjunct faculty, CCS Interior Design, and Reid Mauti, Associate / Architectural Designer

Karin Abel

Adjunct faculty, CCS Interior Design, and Reid Mauti, Associate / Architectural Designer

College for Creative Studies, McIntosh Poris Architects

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Karin Abel

Adjunct faculty, CCS Interior Design, and Reid Mauti, Associate / Architectural Designer

College for Creative Studies, McIntosh Poris Architects

What are three creative ways to reduce heating costs in winter?

• Insulate windows by using heavier window treatments (e.g. draperies) that can be shut once the sun goes down and opened in the morning to let warmth from the sun inside.

• Invest in a programmable thermostat to automatically lower the temperature when at work or school.

• Research plans through your energy provider that offer savings based on main usage times. For example, DTE offers a plan that provides savings if major appliances such as a washer and dryer are used on the weekends rather than weekdays.

What is the best temperature at which to keep the thermostat during winter to avoid high heating bills?

• According to the Department of Energy, one can save 10% on energy by lowering the thermostat 7-10 degrees for 8 hours a day. Consider setting the thermostat at 68 degrees when home and lowering a few more degrees when you are away. An automatic thermostat will do this for you!

What are the three best strategies for keeping warm when the power goes out?

• Consider purchasing battery-powered/rechargeable blankets, handwarmers and warming vests to have on hand for emergencies.

• Layer clothing and add extra blankets while sleeping.

• Block drafts from windows and doors by using blankets and towels.

• Use as few rooms as possible and keep doors closed when not in use.

What are two cheaper alternative heating sources or solutions?

Consider lowering the overall temperature. It depends on existing infrastructure and available utilities but localized heating systems are often most efficient and experience less energy loss. Consider upgrades to problem areas rather than upgrading entire centralized systems

Is gas or electric heat cheaper? Why?

Typically, natural gas is more cost-effective that electricity. Those heating methods use energy more efficiently than what’s available currently for electric heating technology.

Can having an updated HVAC system help minimize energy bills? How so?

Absolutely! Whether it be gas, electric, or possibly steam, all energy sources have corresponding systems that are more energy efficient. Steam is probably your most efficient energy source if available in your area but requires a large up-front investment. Gas systems transfer energy very efficiently especially in a centralized system. Electric is going to be most suited towards localized systems like heat pumps which have gotten much more efficient to operate for heating recently.

Behind the Ranking

First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Most Expensive Cities to Heat Homes in Winter. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into 3 categories: Energy Costs, Cost Inflators, and Lack of Energy Efficiency. The categories, factors, and their weights are listed in the table below.

For each of the 500 biggest U.S. cities, we then gathered data on each factor from the sources listed below the table. Because “winter” in Hawaii remains relatively warm, energy bills in the state reflect cooling of homes. We therefore excluded Honolulu from our sample, resulting in a final sample size of 499 cities.

Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Most Expensive” (No. 1) and the lowest “Most Affordable” (No. 499).

Sources: Electricity Local, EnergySage, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Financial Housing Finance Agency, Green Building Information Gateway, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Census Bureau, and U.S. Department of Energy

Insulate Your Home — and Energy Budget

Winters in the U.S. are getting shorter and warmer, but that trend comes with a harsh tradeoff due to climate change: Winter storms also could grow more intense, dialing up our heat consumption.

At the policy level, energy efficiency codes for buildings and appliances have been helping fight off the cold and higher energy costs. In 2023 — for the first time in 8 years — the federal government revised minimum energy efficiency standards on all new home central ACs and heat pumps sold in the U.S. to put more money back in our pockets.

Not all of us have the budget to build a self-sustaining home to ultimately lower energy costs, but there are ways to minimize your heating expenses this winter. Follow these cheap tricks and other ways to stay warm:

• Bundle up and keep your curtains open during the day. 
• Is there a draft around your windows or doors? Seal up leaks that let in cold air.
• Extend the life of your furnace with regular maintenance, and keep an eye on signs of disrepair.
• Furnace not working? Putting down rugs, drinking hot liquids, and plugging in a space heater are smart, temporary solutions.
• If you have an old heat pump, thermostat, or entire HVAC system, knowing how much they cost now can help you save up for a new one next winter. 

Old HVAC systems can cost more money in the long run compared with the latest energy-efficent models. If you need an upgrade, HVAC Gnome can quickly connect you with a top HVAC specialist in your area who can help. 

HVAC Gnome is part of the Home Gnome family of home services sites.

Media Resources

• High-resolution images of cities

Main Photo Credit: zimmytws’s Images (cropped, overlaid with red, opaque circle, and thermostat screen text customized) / Canva Pro / Canva License

Richie Bernardo

Richie Bernardo is a managing editor. A native of the Philippines and current resident of the Twin Cities, one of the coldest metro areas in the U.S., Richie appreciates warm weather. When he lived in Seattle, he learned the hard way that most homes don’t have AC.

Posts by Richie Bernardo