MeterMath

Heat pump Massachusetts

Heat pump vs gas heating cost in Massachusetts

$538 a year more to heat a typical Massachusetts home with a heat pump than with a gas furnace.

A typical home here burns about 531 therms of gas a year for heat, about $903 at the national average of $1.70/therm. A heat pump would use about 4,724 kWh instead, $1,440 at 30.49¢/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 Massachusetts compares

Ranked by yearly saving against gas, Massachusetts is 48th of 51. At U.S. average figures a heat pump saves $27 a year. Massachusetts has the 4th most expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 30.49¢/kWh, 67% above the U.S. average of 18.31¢.

With an estimated 5,900 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 $23 a year, against heating oil it saves $771 a year, and against electric baseboard heat it saves $2,593 a year.

Heating nowNow, per yearHeat pumpDifference
Natural gas furnace$903$1,440−$538
Propane furnace$1,464$1,441$23
Oil furnace$2,210$1,439$771
Electric baseboard$4,033$1,440$2,593

Four of its five neighbors come closer to breaking even with gas: Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont, led by Connecticut at $235 a year more than gas.

StateElectricitySaving vs gas a year
Connecticut24.16¢−$235
Rhode Island28.29¢−$404
New York29.90¢−$467
Vermont23.75¢−$517
Massachusetts30.49¢−$538
New Hampshire26.60¢−$659

More for Massachusetts

What these numbers assume

  • A heating load estimated from about 5,900 heating degree days a year: 531 therms of gas, 581 gallons of propane, 407 gallons of oil or 13,228 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.