Heat pump vs gas furnace in BC - the real cost comparison
By the Vancouver Heat Pump Pro team
Updated
There's no single answer to "heat pump or gas furnace?" in BC. It depends on what you're replacing, what you pay for energy, and whether you want air conditioning. Here's how to think it through honestly.
Up-front cost
| Gas furnace | Central ducted heat pump | Dual fuel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical installed price (Metro Vancouver) | $5,500–$9,500 | $14,000–$20,000 | $15,000–$22,000 |
| Includes cooling | No | Yes | Yes |
| Typical rebates (gas home) | Generally none | Income-qualified CleanBC; federal from early 2027 | Income-qualified FortisBC $8,000 or CleanBC |
Planning ranges; see our cost guide and its sources.
If you'd otherwise buy a furnace and a central air conditioner, compare the heat pump against both.
Running cost: estimate your own
You can estimate running costs with three numbers from your bills:
- Your heating energy from gas. Take your winter gas use (in GJ) minus a summer month's use (hot water and stove), times the heating months.
- Convert it to heat delivered. Multiply by your furnace's efficiency (about 0.95 for a high-efficiency furnace, 0.8 for an older mid-efficiency one). One GJ is about 278 kWh.
- Divide by the heat pump's seasonal efficiency. In Metro Vancouver's mild climate a cold-climate heat pump often averages a coefficient of performance around 2.5–3. That gives the kWh you'd buy from BC Hydro.
Then multiply each by what you actually pay per GJ and per kWh, including delivery and fixed charges. That's the comparison that matters for your house.
Coming from electric baseboards the answer is simple: a heat pump uses roughly a third to a half of the electricity for the same heat. BC Hydro rates heat pumps as up to 300% more efficient than baseboards.
Coming from gas, the federal government itself has said that in regions with lower gas costs, switching may not save money. We'd rather tell you that than promise savings we can't stand behind.
Want both numbers for your house?
We'll price a furnace, a heat pump and a dual fuel system, and estimate running costs from your actual bills.
Comfort and other factors
- Cooling. A heat pump cools; a furnace doesn't. That matters more every summer.
- Air. Heat pumps run long and gentle; furnaces cycle hotter air on and off.
- Combustion. No gas combustion in the house means no carbon monoxide risk from the heating system.
- Lifespan. Gas furnaces often last 15–20 years; heat pumps around 15.
- Electrical capacity. Older 100-amp homes may need a panel upgrade for all-electric heat - or a dual fuel setup.
Our take
- On baseboards: a heat pump is almost always worth it, especially with the $4,000 rebate.
- Gas furnace near end of life and you want cooling: price a heat pump or dual fuel system alongside the furnace.
- Income-qualified: the CleanBC program can cover most or all of a heat pump - check the rebate guide first.
- Gas furnace with years left and no interest in cooling: there's no rush.