Cost to heat a home in District of Columbia
Cheapest to run in District of Columbia is
a heat pump
A heat pump costs about $524 a year less than a gas furnace here. That is a consequence of District of Columbia's prices, not of the equipment — the same comparison goes the other way in states with cheaper gas.
A heating season compared
| Gas furnace80% AFUE | $2363 |
| Heat pumpcheapestHSPF2 8.5 | $1839 |
| Electric resistanceBaseboard or furnace | $4580 |
At 25.21¢ a kilowatt hour and $3.05 a therm, for a 1,800 square foot home over 4,100 heating degree days.
About the cold
District of Columbia sees about 80 freezing nights a year. A modern heat pump handles that without much backup heat, so the running costs above are what you would actually see.
Common questions
Is a heat pump cheaper than gas heating in District of Columbia?
Yes. At District of Columbia's prices a heat pump costs about $1839 a season against $2363 for a gas furnace — roughly $524 less a year for the same heat.
What does it cost to heat a house in District of Columbia for a winter?
Between about $1839 and $4580 for a 1,800 square foot home, depending entirely on the system. District of Columbia runs around 4,100 heating degree days a year.
Why is electric resistance heat so much more expensive?
It converts electricity to heat one for one, while a heat pump moves heat rather than making it and delivers two to three times as much per unit of electricity. In District of Columbia that difference is about $2741 a season.
Work it out for your home
These assume a 1,800 square foot home and typical equipment. The calculator takes your ZIP code, your floor area and your actual furnace efficiency, and includes what switching would cost to install.
Prices from the US Energy Information Administration, residential sector, 2026-07. Heating load estimated from District of Columbia's heating degree days. An estimate, not a bill — insulation, air sealing, ductwork and thermostat habits all move it, and no calculator can see those.
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