Guides
Home energy guides
The questions behind the calculators, answered with current state data. Written and reviewed by Rodrigo Saran Gomes.
- Electricity cost by state, ranked
Every state ranked by residential electricity rate, what 1,000 kWh costs in each, and why the most expensive state pays several times the cheapest. EIA data, updated monthly.
Updated 2026-10-06
- Why is my electric bill so high?
Why electric bills jump, ranked by the kWh each cause adds: heating, cooling, water heating, rates, fixed charges, standby power. And how to find yours.
Updated 2026-10-06
- Heat pump vs gas furnace: which costs less to run?
What a heat pump and a gas furnace cost to run in your state, using seasonal COP by climate zone and EIA prices. A simple price-ratio test shows which one wins.
Updated 2026-10-06
- Space heater vs central heat: when does it actually save money?
A space heater makes the priciest heat in most homes. It saves only when you turn the house down and heat one room. Worked examples by system and state.
Updated 2026-10-06
- How much does an air conditioner cost per month?
What central air, window units and mini splits cost per month to run, by state and climate zone, and how much a higher SEER2 rating actually saves.
Updated 2026-10-06
- How much it costs to charge an EV at home, by state
What it costs to charge an electric car at home in every state: per charge, per month and per 100 miles, Level 1 vs Level 2, and how it compares with gasoline.
Updated 2026-10-06
- Is solar worth it in your state?
Why solar pays back in about 8 years in some states and over 20 in others: electricity rate, sun per kW and the net metering rule, compared for all 50 states.
Updated 2026-10-06
- Home battery vs generator for power outages
Home battery or generator for power outages? Cost over 10 years, how long each runs, fuel, noise and what each can power, with worked numbers.
Updated 2026-10-06
- Natural gas prices by state, ranked
Residential natural gas prices per therm in all 50 states, why they differ, and what they mean for gas vs electric heat and water heating where you live.
Updated 2026-10-06
- Which appliances use the most electricity
Twenty household loads ranked by kWh per month, with what each costs at the US average rate and in a high- and a low-rate state.
Updated 2026-10-06
- Standby power and phantom load: what's worth unplugging
What draws power when it's off, realistic standby totals for a typical home, and which devices are worth unplugging at your state's electricity rate.
Updated 2026-10-06
- How to read your electric bill
kWh, tiers, time-of-use, the fixed customer charge, delivery vs supply, and how to work out the real rate per kWh to type into our calculators.
Updated 2026-10-06
- Heating and cooling degree-days, explained
What heating and cooling degree-days mean, the figures for every state, and how they scale heating and cooling costs from one state to another.
Updated 2026-10-06