Cost to heat a home in District of Columbia
Cheapest to run in District of Columbia is
a gas furnace
A gas furnace costs about $208 a year less than a heat pump here. Cheap gas relative to electricity is the reason, and no amount of equipment efficiency closes that gap at these prices.
A heating season compared
| Gas furnacecheapest80% AFUE | $1645 |
| Heat pumpHSPF2 8.5 | $1852 |
| Electric resistanceBaseboard or furnace | $4615 |
At 25.40¢ a kilowatt hour and $2.12 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?
No. At District of Columbia's prices a gas furnace costs about $1645 a season against $1852 for a heat pump, so switching would raise running costs by roughly $208 a year. Cheap gas, not poor equipment, is the reason.
What does it cost to heat a house in District of Columbia for a winter?
Between about $1645 and $4615 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 $2763 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, 2026-05. 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.