Cost to heat a home in South Dakota
Cheapest to run in South Dakota is
a heat pump
A heat pump costs about $378 a year less than a gas furnace here. That is a consequence of South Dakota's prices, not of the equipment — the same comparison goes the other way in states with cheaper gas.
A heating season compared
| Gas furnace80% AFUE | $2429 |
| Heat pumpcheapestHSPF2 8.5 | $2051 |
| Electric resistanceBaseboard or furnace | $5108 |
At 15.37¢ a kilowatt hour and $1.71 a therm, for a 1,800 square foot home over 7,500 heating degree days.
About the cold
South Dakota sees about 165 freezing nights a year. That is enough that a heat pump needs to be a cold-climate model, and backup heat will run on the worst nights — which is already reflected in the figures above.
Common questions
Is a heat pump cheaper than gas heating in South Dakota?
Yes. At South Dakota's prices a heat pump costs about $2051 a season against $2429 for a gas furnace — roughly $378 less a year for the same heat.
What does it cost to heat a house in South Dakota for a winter?
Between about $2051 and $5108 for a 1,800 square foot home, depending entirely on the system. South Dakota runs around 7,500 heating degree days a year.
Why is electric resistance heat so much more expensive?
It converts electricity to heat one for one, while a heat pump moves heat rather than making it and delivers two to three times as much per unit of electricity. In South Dakota that difference is about $3057 a season.
Work it out for your home
These assume a 1,800 square foot home and typical equipment. The calculator takes your ZIP code, your floor area and your actual furnace efficiency, and includes what switching would cost to install.
Prices from the US Energy Information Administration, residential sector, 2026-07. Heating load estimated from South Dakota's heating degree days. An estimate, not a bill — insulation, air sealing, ductwork and thermostat habits all move it, and no calculator can see those.
More for South Dakota
Everything in South Dakota
All five figures at once
Energy rates in South Dakota
What power and gas cost
Average electric bill in South Dakota
What households pay
Cost to run AC in South Dakota
Per hour and per year
Heat pump cost in South Dakota
To install, and vs a furnace
Furnace replacement cost in South Dakota
What a new one costs
Solar payback in South Dakota
Whether panels pay off