Cost to heat a home in Massachusetts
Cheapest to run in Massachusetts is
a heat pump
A heat pump costs about $87 a year less than a gas furnace here. That is a consequence of Massachusetts'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 | $3287 |
| Heat pumpcheapestHSPF2 8.5 | $3200 |
| Electric resistanceBaseboard or furnace | $7972 |
At 30.49¢ a kilowatt hour and $2.95 a therm, for a 1,800 square foot home over 5,900 heating degree days.
About the cold
Massachusetts sees about 130 freezing nights a year. That is enough that a heat pump needs to be a cold-climate model, and backup heat will run on the worst nights — which is already reflected in the figures above.
Common questions
Is a heat pump cheaper than gas heating in Massachusetts?
Yes. At Massachusetts's prices a heat pump costs about $3200 a season against $3287 for a gas furnace — roughly $87 less a year for the same heat.
What does it cost to heat a house in Massachusetts for a winter?
Between about $3200 and $7972 for a 1,800 square foot home, depending entirely on the system. Massachusetts runs around 5,900 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 Massachusetts that difference is about $4772 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 Massachusetts'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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