Heat pump or gas furnace: which heats a home for less in your state?
The cost of one million Btu of delivered heat in each state, from 2024 average residential electricity and natural gas prices published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
At these settings, the heat pump delivered heat for less in 8 of 51 states, and the gas furnace in 43.
| Alabama | $18.74 | $18.93 | Heat pump less by $0.19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $30.64 | $11.92 | Gas furnace less by $18.72 |
| Arizona | $18.41 | $20.80 | Heat pump less by $2.39 |
| Arkansas | $15.21 | $16.35 | Heat pump less by $1.14 |
| California | $39.47 | $19.45 | Gas furnace less by $20.02 |
| Colorado | $18.42 | $10.75 | Gas furnace less by $7.67 |
| Connecticut | $35.49 | $17.10 | Gas furnace less by $18.39 |
| Delaware | $20.46 | $15.02 | Gas furnace less by $5.44 |
| District of Columbia | $21.86 | $16.75 | Gas furnace less by $5.11 |
| Florida | $17.46 | $25.78 | Heat pump less by $8.32 |
| Georgia | $17.38 | $18.48 | Heat pump less by $1.10 |
| Hawaii | $52.91 | $49.66 | Gas furnace less by $3.25 |
| Idaho | $14.22 | $8.65 | Gas furnace less by $5.57 |
| Illinois | $19.59 | $11.29 | Gas furnace less by $8.30 |
| Indiana | $18.23 | $9.65 | Gas furnace less by $8.58 |
| Iowa | $16.54 | $10.50 | Gas furnace less by $6.05 |
| Kansas | $17.47 | $13.35 | Gas furnace less by $4.12 |
| Kentucky | $15.79 | $13.83 | Gas furnace less by $1.96 |
| Louisiana | $14.48 | $16.64 | Heat pump less by $2.16 |
| Maine | $29.99 | $19.25 | Gas furnace less by $10.73 |
| Maryland | $22.05 | $16.40 | Gas furnace less by $5.65 |
| Massachusetts | $36.23 | $22.25 | Gas furnace less by $13.98 |
| Michigan | $23.83 | $10.93 | Gas furnace less by $12.89 |
| Minnesota | $19.07 | $10.82 | Gas furnace less by $8.25 |
| Mississippi | $16.53 | $15.67 | Gas furnace less by $0.86 |
| Missouri | $15.94 | $17.13 | Heat pump less by $1.19 |
| Montana | $15.63 | $8.35 | Gas furnace less by $7.28 |
| Nebraska | $14.23 | $10.80 | Gas furnace less by $3.43 |
| Nevada | $18.52 | $18.99 | Heat pump less by $0.47 |
| New Hampshire | $28.89 | $19.04 | Gas furnace less by $9.85 |
| New Jersey | $23.88 | $13.42 | Gas furnace less by $10.45 |
| New Mexico | $17.53 | $9.20 | Gas furnace less by $8.33 |
| New York | $30.16 | $16.85 | Gas furnace less by $13.31 |
| North Carolina | $17.44 | $16.68 | Gas furnace less by $0.76 |
| North Dakota | $14.21 | $9.13 | Gas furnace less by $5.07 |
| Ohio | $19.74 | $13.99 | Gas furnace less by $5.75 |
| Oklahoma | $15.11 | $14.21 | Gas furnace less by $0.90 |
| Oregon | $18.15 | $15.96 | Gas furnace less by $2.19 |
| Pennsylvania | $21.94 | $13.84 | Gas furnace less by $8.10 |
| Rhode Island | $35.37 | $22.01 | Gas furnace less by $13.36 |
| South Carolina | $17.57 | $17.18 | Gas furnace less by $0.39 |
| South Dakota | $15.88 | $9.47 | Gas furnace less by $6.41 |
| Tennessee | $15.33 | $10.92 | Gas furnace less by $4.41 |
| Texas | $18.44 | $18.27 | Gas furnace less by $0.17 |
| Utah | $15.09 | $13.36 | Gas furnace less by $1.72 |
| Vermont | $27.04 | $17.62 | Gas furnace less by $9.42 |
| Virginia | $17.79 | $15.65 | Gas furnace less by $2.14 |
| Washington | $14.69 | $12.92 | Gas furnace less by $1.77 |
| West Virginia | $18.60 | $15.50 | Gas furnace less by $3.10 |
| Wisconsin | $21.21 | $10.30 | Gas furnace less by $10.91 |
| Wyoming | $15.39 | $12.59 | Gas furnace less by $2.81 |
Dollars per million Btu of heat delivered into the home. Bars: left, gas furnace costs less;right, heat pump costs less.
How the numbers are calculated
Each figure is the fuel cost of putting one million Btu (MMBtu) of heat into a home. A heat pump's cost is the electricity price times 293.07 kWh per MMBtu, divided by its seasonal coefficient of performance (COP). COP comes from the efficiency rating: HSPF2 divided by 3.412, so HSPF2 7.5 is a COP of about 2.2 and HSPF2 8.1 about 2.4. A gas furnace's cost is the gas price divided by 1.036 MMBtu per thousand cubic feet, then by its AFUE. Electric resistance heat (baseboard or an electric furnace) has a COP of 1, so it costs about 2.2 to 2.4 times the heat pump figure in the same state.
What this comparison leaves out
- HSPF2 is measured for a moderate climate. In places with long stretches below freezing, a heat pump delivers less heat per kWh than its rating, so its real cost per MMBtu is higher than shown; cold-climate models narrow that gap.
- Prices are statewide annual averages. Your utility, your rate plan and time-of-use pricing can move either fuel well away from them.
- It compares fuel cost only. Equipment and installation cost, the fixed monthly charge on a gas account, and the value of a heat pump also replacing your air conditioner are not included.
- It does not include incentive programs, which vary by state and utility and change often.
For a decision about your own home, compare these figures with your actual rates and ask a contractor to size the equipment with a load calculation. Our guides to heat pump installation and furnace installation cover what each job involves. To turn these figures into a yearly estimate for your home, use the heating cost calculator.
Sources
- U.S. EIA, Electric Power Annual, Table 2.10: average residential electricity price by state, 2024
- U.S. EIA, natural gas residential price by state, 2024
- U.S. Department of Energy: residential heat pump efficiency standards (HSPF2 7.5 for split systems)
- ENERGY STAR: air-source heat pump key product criteria (HSPF2 7.8 for split systems, 8.1 for the ducted cold-climate level)
Prices retrieved October 2026. Figures are recalculated in your browser when you change the efficiency settings.
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