Gas vs Electric Heating Cost
Seasonal cost of the same heat from a gas furnace, a heat pump, or electric resistance — priced with the latest EIA residential rates in every state. June 2026 data · refreshed monthly.
In the median state, heating a typical home for a season costs about $1,467.23 with gas (92% furnace) vs $956.64 with a heat pump (COP 3) and $2,869.91 with electric resistance — and the heat pump already beats gas in 37 of 51 states. Both rates are measured; the efficiencies are labeled assumptions you can change below.
Heating comparison calculator
Same heat delivered three ways. Efficiencies: heat-pump COP (typical seasonal range 2–4) and furnace AFUE (typical 80–98%). Heating load is a typical northern-home season in MMBtu.
Season cost by state, cheapest gas first
60 MMBtu season, COP 3, AFUE 92% — latest EIA rates per state. Green marks the cheapest option.
| # | State | Gas furnace | Heat pump | Resistance | Cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $585.51 | $882.84 | $2,648.52 | Gas |
| 2 | Montana | $636.45 | $887.17 | $2,661.52 | Gas |
| 3 | Idaho | $712.55 | $842.24 | $2,526.73 | Gas |
| 4 | Utah | $744.62 | $783.59 | $2,350.76 | Gas |
| 5 | Nevada | $869.77 | $768.23 | $2,304.69 | Heat pump |
| 6 | Minnesota | $930.15 | $1,026.74 | $3,080.22 | Gas |
| 7 | Colorado | $946.50 | $1,004.09 | $3,012.28 | Gas |
| 8 | South Dakota | $959.71 | $900.56 | $2,701.69 | Heat pump |
| 9 | Louisiana | $1,045.24 | $790.77 | $2,372.31 | Heat pump |
| 10 | Alaska | $1,091.15 | $1,653.33 | $4,960.00 | Gas |
| 11 | New Jersey | $1,111.90 | $1,462.52 | $4,387.55 | Gas |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $1,142.72 | $1,146.41 | $3,439.24 | Gas |
| 13 | North Dakota | $1,145.24 | $827.38 | $2,482.13 | Heat pump |
| 14 | Wyoming | $1,149.64 | $893.41 | $2,680.23 | Heat pump |
| 15 | Illinois | $1,239.57 | $1,165.61 | $3,496.84 | Heat pump |
| 16 | Michigan | $1,240.20 | $1,347.83 | $4,043.49 | Gas |
| 17 | Tennessee | $1,242.09 | $825.02 | $2,475.07 | Heat pump |
| 18 | Nebraska | $1,264.10 | $776.53 | $2,329.60 | Heat pump |
| 19 | California | $1,278.56 | $2,036.30 | $6,108.90 | Gas |
| 20 | Washington | $1,342.08 | $874.12 | $2,622.35 | Heat pump |
| 21 | Oregon | $1,358.43 | $956.64 | $2,869.91 | Heat pump |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $1,362.84 | $1,583.48 | $4,750.44 | Gas |
| 23 | Iowa | $1,393.65 | $934.04 | $2,802.11 | Heat pump |
| 24 | Maryland | $1,419.44 | $1,280.15 | $3,840.45 | Heat pump |
| 25 | Ohio | $1,435.79 | $1,124.74 | $3,374.21 | Heat pump |
| 26 | Connecticut | $1,467.23 | $1,425.50 | $4,276.49 | Heat pump |
| 27 | Florida | $1,485.47 | $884.93 | $2,654.79 | Heat pump |
| 28 | Alabama | $1,513.14 | $961.59 | $2,884.77 | Heat pump |
| 29 | Indiana | $1,542.07 | $1,026.41 | $3,079.24 | Heat pump |
| 30 | West Virginia | $1,552.14 | $905.82 | $2,717.47 | Heat pump |
| 31 | Arizona | $1,555.91 | $889.74 | $2,669.22 | Heat pump |
| 32 | Kansas | $1,579.81 | $920.64 | $2,761.93 | Heat pump |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $1,619.43 | $1,713.57 | $5,140.72 | Gas |
| 34 | Vermont | $1,639.55 | $1,432.70 | $4,298.11 | Heat pump |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $1,640.18 | $1,274.00 | $3,821.99 | Heat pump |
| 36 | New York | $1,698.67 | $1,728.80 | $5,186.40 | Gas |
| 37 | Virginia | $1,710.62 | $1,009.64 | $3,028.93 | Heat pump |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $1,715.65 | $1,429.86 | $4,289.57 | Heat pump |
| 39 | Arkansas | $1,752.13 | $827.74 | $2,483.21 | Heat pump |
| 40 | Missouri | $1,809.99 | $950.74 | $2,852.23 | Heat pump |
| 41 | Mississippi | $1,826.34 | $872.27 | $2,616.80 | Heat pump |
| 42 | South Carolina | $1,828.23 | $911.49 | $2,734.47 | Heat pump |
| 43 | Delaware | $1,869.73 | $1,130.50 | $3,391.51 | Heat pump |
| 44 | North Carolina | $1,893.00 | $863.87 | $2,591.60 | Heat pump |
| 45 | Massachusetts | $1,928.22 | $1,735.44 | $5,206.31 | Heat pump |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $1,965.33 | $840.09 | $2,520.28 | Heat pump |
| 47 | Maine | $1,988.60 | $1,734.21 | $5,202.62 | Heat pump |
| 48 | Texas | $2,005.58 | $934.52 | $2,803.56 | Heat pump |
| 49 | Kentucky | $2,087.96 | $835.84 | $2,507.52 | Heat pump |
| 50 | Georgia | $2,427.57 | $959.12 | $2,877.35 | Heat pump |
| 51 | Hawaii | $4,203.60 | $3,090.31 | $9,270.92 | Heat pump |
Constants: 1 Mcf ≈ 1.037 MMBtu of delivered gas; 1 kWh = 0.003412 MMBtu. Rates: electric residential ¢/kWh (EIA-861M) and gas residential $/Mcf (EIA dnav), both June 2026. Efficiencies are labeled typicals — real seasonal numbers vary with climate and equipment.
Common questions
Answered from the data on this page.
Is gas or electric heat cheaper?
In the median state, heating a typical home costs about $1,467.23 with a modern gas furnace versus $2,869.91 with plain electric resistance for the same heat — gas usually wins per unit of heat, because resistance heating turns every kWh directly into heat and rates are priced per kWh. The calculator above recomputes both with your state’s latest EIA rates and your own efficiency assumptions.
Are heat pumps cheaper than gas furnaces?
It depends entirely on local rates. At a seasonal COP of 3, a heat pump costs about $956.64 for the same heat in the median state — and in 37 of 51 states it already beats the gas-furnace assumption. Move the efficiency sliders above: a colder climate or an older heat pump narrows the gap fast.
Why does the answer change by state?
Because the two fuels are priced independently: gas delivered to homes ranges from $9.31 to $66.84/Mcf across states, and electricity from 15.06¢ to 52.72¢/kWh (latest EIA month). Cheap-gas states tend to favor furnaces; cheap-power states like the Pacific Northwest favor heat pumps. The table below shows both fuels for every state, and each state page has the full rate history.
Method: season cost = heating load (MMBtu) × price ÷ efficiency. See the methodology. Delivery charges and fixed customer fees are on top of these rates.