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Home heating

What is the best way to heat a Colorado mountain home?

Mountain homes past the gas lines heat with propane or electricity. The price per gallon, the price per kWh and a state credit shape the choice.

Call or text 303-955-4220Read the short answer

A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree. Updated September 2026.

Photos: Ski lift climbing the mountain with snowy peaks, morning light, Live Kaiah (Unsplash).

The short answer

Compare the fuel prices, then the credits. Colorado residential propane ran $2.302 a gallon (EIA, week of March 30, 2026). CORE Electric charges $0.1155/kWh with a $20 basic charge, and United Power $0.1184/kWh with a $22 fixed charge. Colorado's 2026 heat pump tax credit is $1,000 for air-source and $2,000 for ground-source. Confirm credits with a tax professional.

By the Kenna Real Estate Group · Reviewed by Brian Lee Burke, licensed broker since 2002 · Updated September 2026

Propane

$2.302 a gallon.

EIA Colorado residential price, week of March 30, 2026.

CORE Electric

$0.1155/kWh.

Plus a $20 basic charge (2026).

United Power

$0.1184/kWh.

Plus a $22 fixed charge (2026).

Heat pump credit

$1,000 to $2,000.

Air-source $1,000, ground-source $2,000 (2026).

What do propane and electricity cost in the mountains?

  • Propane: $2.302 a gallon. EIA Colorado residential price for the week of March 30, 2026, the last heating-season value.
  • CORE Electric: $0.1155/kWh. Plus a $20 basic charge in 2026.
  • United Power: $0.1184/kWh. Plus a $22 fixed charge in 2026.

Ask the seller for 12 months of propane and electric bills. Actual use beats any estimate.

What does Colorado pay toward a heat pump?

  • Air-source: $1,000. Colorado heat pump tax credit, 2026.
  • Ground-source: $2,000. Colorado heat pump tax credit, 2026.
  • Heat pump water heater: $250. Colorado heat pump tax credit, 2026.

Confirm eligibility with the Colorado Energy Office and a tax professional.

How do you protect an empty mountain home in winter?

  • Keep the heat on. The Red Cross says set the heat no lower than 55°F when away.
  • Watch the fuel. Check the propane level before you leave for a long stretch.
  • Plan for snow. Winter Park averages 214.0 inches of snow a year and Evergreen 80.8 inches (NOAA 1991-2020).

What does Colorado law require for carbon monoxide alarms?

  • At sale. C.R.S. 38-45-102: a seller of a single-family home with a fuel-fired appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage must have a working CO alarm.
  • Placement. Within 15 feet of each sleeping room.
  • Propane homes count. A propane furnace or boiler is a fuel-fired appliance.

Call the Kenna Real Estate Group at 303-955-4220 to check a home's heating system and fuel costs before your inspection deadline. Confirm legal requirements with a real estate attorney.

How should a buyer compare heating systems?

  • Find the fuel. Ask whether the home runs on propane, electric or both.
  • Find the utility. CORE Electric and United Power post different rates and fixed charges.
  • Age of the system. Ask the age of the furnace, boiler or heat pump and the last service date.
  • Tank ownership. Ask whether the propane tank is owned or leased from a supplier.

Questions

Quick answers.

How much is propane in Colorado?

$2.302 a gallon, the EIA Colorado residential price for the week of March 30, 2026.

What does CORE Electric charge per kWh?

$0.1155/kWh with a $20 basic charge in 2026.

Is there a Colorado tax credit for heat pumps?

Yes. In 2026, $1,000 for air-source, $2,000 for ground-source and $250 for a heat pump water heater.

What temperature should I keep my mountain home when away?

No lower than 55°F, per the Red Cross.

Does Colorado require CO alarms when selling a home?

Yes. Under C.R.S. 38-45-102, a seller of a single-family home with a fuel-fired appliance, fireplace or attached garage must have a working CO alarm within 15 feet of each sleeping room.

Sources

Rules, rates and dates change. The county, town or state office named above has the current version.

Go deeper

Where to go next.

Propane or natural gas: how are Colorado mountain homes heated?Read nextCost of owning a mountain homeRead nextMountain towns near DenverTownsTalk to an agentAgents

The map

Where the mountain towns are.

Every pin opens that town's page. Drive times from downtown Denver, without traffic.

Colorado mountain towns near Denver: 34 mountain towns with drive times to downtown Denver.DenverEvergreen: 28.0 miles, 42 minutes to Denver without trafficConifer: 28.3 miles, 41 minutes to Denver without trafficGolden: 14.8 miles, 24 minutes to Denver without trafficLookout Mountain (Golden): 18.9 miles, 32 minutes to Denver without trafficGenesee: 18.3 miles, 29 minutes to Denver without trafficMorrison: 16.7 miles, 25 minutes to Denver without trafficIndian Hills: 25.6 miles, 46 minutes to Denver without trafficKittredge: 26.4 miles, 44 minutes to Denver without trafficPine: 46.6 miles, 75 minutes to Denver without trafficBuffalo Creek: 44.2 miles, 69 minutes to Denver without trafficBailey: 44.0 miles, 65 minutes to Denver without trafficWoodland Park: 83.7 miles, 104 minutes to Denver without trafficIdaho Springs: 32.0 miles, 44 minutes to Denver without trafficGeorgetown: 44.8 miles, 60 minutes to Denver without trafficBlack Hawk: 37.2 miles, 56 minutes to Denver without trafficCentral City: 37.6 miles, 55 minutes to Denver without trafficNederland: 45.0 miles, 70 minutes to Denver without trafficAllenspark: 61.7 miles, 99 minutes to Denver without trafficLyons: 44.5 miles, 63 minutes to Denver without trafficEstes Park: 67.8 miles, 102 minutes to Denver without trafficBreckenridge: 79.3 miles, 106 minutes to Denver without trafficFrisco: 70.7 miles, 91 minutes to Denver without trafficSilverthorne: 67.1 miles, 86 minutes to Denver without trafficDillon: 67.9 miles, 88 minutes to Denver without trafficKeystone: 73.9 miles, 98 minutes to Denver without trafficWinter Park: 68.3 miles, 100 minutes to Denver without trafficFraser: 71.0 miles, 105 minutes to Denver without trafficVail: 97.3 miles, 122 minutes to Denver without trafficAvon: 105.8 miles, 131 minutes to Denver without trafficEdwards: 116.8 miles, 157 minutes to Denver without trafficAspen: 198.3 miles, 245 minutes to Denver without trafficSnowmass Village: 196.9 miles, 243 minutes to Denver without trafficSteamboat Springs: 155.6 miles, 205 minutes to Denver without trafficCrested Butte: 225.8 miles, 304 minutes to Denver without trafficEvergreenConiferGoldenMorrisonPineBaileyWoodland ParkIdaho SpringsGeorgetownNederlandLyonsEstes ParkBreckenridgeWinter ParkVailAspenSteamboat SpringsCrested Butte
  • Front Range foothills
  • I-70 corridor
  • Peak to Peak
  • Summit County
  • Resort
  • Tap a town to open its page

Outline: U.S. Census Bureau. Roads from downtown Denver: OSRM on OpenStreetMap. Town points: OpenStreetMap and USGS. Drive times without traffic.

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Colorado Mountain Home Finder is part of the Kenna Real Estate Group at Keller Williams DTC (KWDTC).