MeterMath

Heat pump Washington

Heat pump vs gas heating cost in Washington

$176 a year saved by heating a typical Washington home with a heat pump instead of a gas furnace.

A typical home here burns about 450 therms of gas a year for heat, about $765 at the national average of $1.70/therm. A heat pump would use about 4,004 kWh instead, $589 at 14.71¢/kWh. Electricity would have to pass 19.1¢/kWh before gas 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 Washington compares

Ranked by yearly saving against gas, Washington is 9th of 51. At U.S. average figures a heat pump saves $27 a year. Washington has the 13th cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC, near the middle, at 14.71¢/kWh, 20% below the U.S. average of 18.31¢.

With an estimated 5,000 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 $651 a year, against heating oil it saves $1,285 a year, and against electric baseboard heat it saves $1,060 a year.

Heating nowNow, per yearHeat pumpDifference
Natural gas furnace$765$589$176
Propane furnace$1,240$589$651
Oil furnace$1,873$589$1,285
Electric baseboard$1,649$589$1,060

One of its two neighbors does better against gas: Idaho at $250 a year saved.

StateElectricitySaving vs gas a year
Idaho13.73¢$250
Washington14.71¢$176
Oregon15.97¢$113

More for Washington

What these numbers assume

  • A heating load estimated from about 5,000 heating degree days a year: 450 therms of gas, 492 gallons of propane, 345 gallons of oil or 11,210 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.