MeterMath

Heat pump District of Columbia

Heat pump vs gas heating cost in the District of Columbia

$205 a year more to heat a typical the District of Columbia home with a heat pump than with a gas furnace.

A typical home here burns about 378 therms of gas a year for heat, about $643 at the national average of $1.70/therm. A heat pump would use about 3,363 kWh instead, $848 at 25.21¢/kWh. Electricity would have to fall to 19.1¢/kWh, or gas rise in price, before the heat pump became the cheaper way to heat.

Prices updated October 2026 from EIA, AAA and BLS data.

How you heat now
therms/yr
 
$/therm
 
¢/kWh
 
Efficiency, upfront cost and rebates
%
Older furnaces 78 to 80, new 90 to 97.
 
$
Heat pumps also replace your AC.
$
State, utility or HEAR rebates.

How the District of Columbia compares

Ranked by yearly saving against gas, the District of Columbia is 41st of 51. At U.S. average figures a heat pump saves $27 a year. The District of Columbia has the 9th most expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 25.21¢/kWh, 38% above the U.S. average of 18.31¢.

With an estimated 4,200 heating degree days a year, winters here are moderate, and the calculator uses a seasonal COP of 2.8.

Against propane the heat pump saves $194 a year, against heating oil it saves $727 a year, and against electric baseboard heat it saves $1,526 a year.

Heating nowNow, per yearHeat pumpDifference
Natural gas furnace$643$848−$205
Propane furnace$1,041$847$194
Oil furnace$1,575$848$727
Electric baseboard$2,374$848$1,526

Every neighboring state does better against gas, led by Virginia at $51 a year saved.

StateElectricitySaving vs gas a year
Virginia17.55¢$51
Maryland21.41¢−$83
District of Columbia25.21¢−$205

More for the District of Columbia

What these numbers assume

  • A heating load estimated from about 4,200 heating degree days a year: 378 therms of gas, 413 gallons of propane, 290 gallons of oil or 9,417 kWh of baseboard heat.
  • Natural gas at $1.70/therm, the U.S. city average for September 2026. Gas prices vary a lot by state and utility, so enter the price per therm from your bill.
  • Propane at $2.52 and heating oil at $5.43 a gallon, EIA forecasts for winter 2026–27.
  • Furnaces 85% efficient (oil 80%), and a heat pump with a seasonal COP of 2.8.
  • No federal tax credit: Section 25C ended for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025.

Change any of them in the calculator above to match your own bills. The formulas are on the main heat pump calculator.

Sources

  • Electricity price: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data).
  • Natural gas: BLS U.S. city average, September 2026.
  • Propane and heating oil: EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook winter forecast, October 2026.
  • Heating degree days: MeterMath rounded estimate for the state.
  • Tax credit status: Public Law 119-21.