Heat pump vs. gas furnace: which is cheaper to heat with in your state?
We priced the same heating load in every state with the latest EIA electricity and natural gas prices. An efficient heat pump is cheaper to run than a new 95% gas furnace in 15 of 51 states and D.C.
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15 states
$15.34 / Mcf
18.16¢ / kWh
| State | Electricity | Gas $/Mcf | Efficient HP | Typical HP | 95% furnace | 80% furnace | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.33¢ | $17.56 | $647 | $681 | $706 | $838 | Heat pump |
| Alaska | 29.41¢ | $12.96 | $3,176 | $3,343 | $1,421 | $1,687 | Gas |
| Arizona | 15.05¢ | $18.58 | $379 | $399 | $475 | $564 | Heat pump |
| Arkansas | 14.37¢ | $19.25 | $673 | $708 | $914 | $1,086 | Heat pump |
| California | 29.75¢ | $22.01 | $964 | $1,015 | $724 | $860 | Gas |
| Colorado | 17.17¢ | $11.17 | $1,236 | $1,301 | $816 | $969 | Gas |
| Connecticut | 24.51¢ | $16.83* | $1,941 | $2,043 | $1,353 | $1,607 | Gas |
| Delaware | 18.70¢ | $15.97 | $1,144 | $1,205 | $992 | $1,178 | Gas |
| District of Columbia | 25.98¢ | $16.68 | $1,496 | $1,575 | $975 | $1,158 | Gas |
| Florida | 14.99¢ | $25.48 | $243 | $256 | $419 | $498 | Heat pump |
| Georgia | 15.90¢ | $20.42 | $630 | $663 | $821 | $975 | Heat pump |
| Hawaii | 47.18¢ | $52.38 | $85 | $89 | $96 | $114 | Heat pump |
| Idaho | 13.37¢ | $7.69 | $1,011 | $1,064 | $590 | $701 | Gas |
| Illinois | 19.32¢ | $11.25 | $1,461 | $1,537 | $863 | $1,025 | Gas |
| Indiana | 17.02¢ | $11.49 | $1,225 | $1,290 | $840 | $997 | Gas |
| Iowa | 17.06¢ | $10.61 | $1,413 | $1,487 | $892 | $1,059 | Gas |
| Kansas | 15.47¢ | $14.81 | $1,002 | $1,055 | $974 | $1,157 | Gas |
| Kentucky | 13.80¢ | $14.23 | $795 | $837 | $832 | $988 | Heat pump |
| Louisiana | 12.87¢ | $17.39 | $324 | $341 | $445 | $528 | Heat pump |
| Maine | 32.11¢ | $18.95* | $3,005 | $3,164 | $1,800 | $2,138 | Gas |
| Maryland | 21.40¢ | $16.14* | $1,310 | $1,379 | $1,003 | $1,191 | Gas |
| Massachusetts | 30.48¢ | $25.06 | $2,524 | $2,657 | $2,106 | $2,501 | Gas |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $10.92 | $1,986 | $2,091 | $958 | $1,137 | Gas |
| Minnesota | 17.20¢ | $10.98 | $1,672 | $1,760 | $1,083 | $1,286 | Gas |
| Mississippi | 14.43¢ | $16.65 | $468 | $492 | $548 | $650 | Heat pump |
| Missouri | 16.02¢ | $14.94 | $980 | $1,032 | $928 | $1,102 | Gas |
| Montana | 15.57¢ | $8.99 | $1,401 | $1,475 | $821 | $975 | Gas |
| Nebraska | 13.54¢ | $11.40 | $1,024 | $1,077 | $875 | $1,039 | Gas |
| Nevada | 12.72¢ | $13.14 | $550 | $578 | $576 | $684 | Heat pump |
| New Hampshire | 27.64¢ | $18.61 | $2,488 | $2,619 | $1,700 | $2,019 | Gas |
| New Jersey | 24.61¢ | $14.21 | $1,595 | $1,679 | $935 | $1,110 | Gas |
| New Mexico | 16.51¢ | $9.83 | $892 | $938 | $539 | $640 | Gas |
| New York | 28.65¢ | $17.58 | $2,269 | $2,389 | $1,413 | $1,678 | Gas |
| North Carolina | 14.95¢ | $16.42* | $700 | $736 | $780 | $926 | Heat pump |
| North Dakota | 13.31¢ | $9.50 | $1,390 | $1,463 | $1,007 | $1,196 | Gas |
| Ohio | 19.38¢ | $13.85 | $1,395 | $1,469 | $1,012 | $1,202 | Gas |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | $14.38 | $747 | $786 | $736 | $874 | Gas |
| Oregon | 15.92¢ | $16.71 | $917 | $965 | $977 | $1,160 | Heat pump |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77¢ | $15.04 | $1,567 | $1,650 | $1,099 | $1,305 | Gas |
| Rhode Island | 28.18¢ | $21.66* | $2,232 | $2,349 | $1,741 | $2,068 | Gas |
| South Carolina | 15.76¢ | $16.91* | $624 | $657 | $680 | $807 | Heat pump |
| South Dakota | 15.15¢ | $9.86 | $1,364 | $1,435 | $901 | $1,070 | Gas |
| Tennessee | 13.42¢ | $11.84 | $676 | $712 | $606 | $719 | Gas |
| Texas | 15.91¢ | $19.42 | $515 | $543 | $639 | $758 | Heat pump |
| Utah | 13.31¢ | $10.19 | $910 | $958 | $708 | $840 | Gas |
| Vermont | 23.84¢ | $18.00 | $2,231 | $2,349 | $1,710 | $2,031 | Gas |
| Virginia | 17.64¢ | $16.79 | $953 | $1,003 | $920 | $1,093 | Gas |
| Washington | 14.63¢ | $17.62 | $895 | $942 | $1,095 | $1,300 | Heat pump |
| West Virginia | 16.31¢ | $13.80 | $1,057 | $1,113 | $908 | $1,078 | Gas |
| Wisconsin | 19.41¢ | $10.74 | $1,747 | $1,839 | $981 | $1,165 | Gas |
| Wyoming | 14.43¢ | $11.74 | $1,299 | $1,367 | $1,073 | $1,274 | Gas |
Yearly heating cost for a 36,000 BTU/h load and each state's heating hours. Efficient heat pump = HSPF2 10; typical = HSPF2 9.5. Gas converted at 1,037 BTU per cubic foot. *2024 gas price (2025 not yet published). Methodology.
How to read this table
The comparison holds the amount of heat constant and changes only the fuel. That isolates the one thing that differs between states: the price of electricity relative to natural gas. Where electricity is cheap compared with gas — much of the South, the Northwest and the Mountain West — heat pumps win easily. Where gas is cheap and electricity expensive — parts of the Midwest and Northeast — a high-efficiency furnace can still be cheaper for heating alone.
Three things push the real-world result further toward the heat pump: it replaces your air conditioner as well, many homes still have furnaces below 95% efficiency, and gas service carries fixed monthly charges that disappear if you go all-electric. In cold states with cheap gas, a dual-fuel system — a heat pump that hands off to a gas furnace in deep cold — often gives the lowest total bill.
Frequently asked questions
Is a heat pump cheaper to run than a gas furnace?
It depends on the ratio between your electricity and gas prices. Using EIA state averages, an efficient heat pump (HSPF2 10) has lower heating costs than a 95% gas furnace in 15 of 51 states and D.C., and beats an older 80% furnace in more.
Why is a heat pump cheaper in some states and not others?
A heat pump delivers roughly 2.5–3 units of heat per unit of electricity, while a gas furnace delivers about 0.8–0.95 units per unit of gas. Where electricity costs less than roughly three times the price of gas per unit of energy, the heat pump wins.
Does this include cooling?
No. The comparison is heating only. A heat pump also cools your home, whereas a furnace needs a separate air conditioner, so the total-cost case for a heat pump is usually stronger than these numbers show.