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Rating

Low Home Energy Cost

Scale56-100

Graded like school, from F (56) to A+ (100). Higher is better.

About This Ranking

Goal

Estimate what a typical detached home pays each month for electricity and heating fuel here, from local utility rates, state fuel prices, the local climate, and how local homes are heated.

Sources

Data behind the rating

5 sources
Data
Each utility's 2024 residential revenue over its residential sales, moved to 2025 by its state's change in average price and matched to towns through retail service territory maps.
What it tells us
Gives the average residential rate of the utilities serving a town, not the rate plan or tier a particular household pays.

EIA natural gas, propane, and heating oil prices

2025 natural gas; 2024 propane and heating oil
Data
2025 state average residential natural gas prices, with 2024 residential propane and heating oil prices from the State Energy Data System.
What it tells us
Statewide averages, so a local gas utility or fuel dealer can charge more or less.

EIA 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey

2020 survey; public microdata version 7
Data
Energy use of 11,585 single-family detached homes, used to fit how heating and cooling grow with the climate for each main heating fuel and to calibrate each state's homes to their actual use.
What it tells us
Describes a typical detached home's energy use, not the size, insulation, or habits of any particular household.
Data
NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual and seasonal station normals matched to places using nearby stations, with distance and elevation mismatch penalties.
What it tells us
Provides typical annual heat, cold, precipitation, and snowfall conditions from nearby weather stations, not a block-level microclimate or future climate projection.

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