Heat pumps do not use natural gas — they run on electricity
A heat pump is an electric appliance. It pulls heat from the air or ground and moves it indoors to warm your home, or moves it outdoors to cool. It has no burner, no combustion, and no gas line. If your home has natural gas heating now, switching to a heat pump means you stop using gas for warmth and start using electricity instead.
This is the core difference between a heat pump and a furnace. A furnace burns natural gas (or oil, or propane) to create heat. A heat pump does not burn anything. It uses electricity to run a compressor and refrigerant loop that transfers heat from one place to another — much like an air conditioner works in reverse during winter.
Some homes have both: a heat pump for mild weather and a gas furnace as backup for the coldest days. But the heat pump itself uses only electricity, not gas.
Key Takeaways
- Heat pumps run entirely on electricity and have no connection to a natural gas line.
- A heat pump transfers existing heat from outside air or ground into your home rather than burning fuel to create heat.
- Switching from a gas furnace to a heat pump means your heating bills shift from gas charges to electricity charges.
- Some homes use a heat pump as the primary heater and keep a gas furnace as a backup for extreme cold.
- The electricity a heat pump uses is typically less than the energy content of the gas it would replace, though your actual bill depends on local electricity and gas prices.
How a heat pump moves heat instead of making it
A heat pump works by circulating refrigerant through a closed loop. In heating mode, the outdoor unit absorbs heat from the air or ground (even when it is cold outside, heat energy still exists). The refrigerant carries that heat indoors, where it releases the warmth into your home through a fan or ductwork. Then the refrigerant cycles back outside and repeats.
This is fundamentally different from burning fuel. A gas furnace ignites natural gas in a combustion chamber, and the heat from that flame warms air that blows through your ducts. Once the gas is burned, it is gone. A heat pump straightforward moves heat that already exists, so it can deliver more warmth per unit of energy consumed than a furnace can.
The electricity powers the compressor and fan. The amount of electricity needed depends on how much heat is available outside and how cold you want your home. On very cold days, a heat pump works harder and uses more electricity. On mild days, it uses less.
Why electricity use is not the same as gas use
If you currently heat with natural gas, your monthly bill shows therms or cubic feet of gas burned. If you switch to a heat pump, that bill goes away and your electricity bill rises instead. The electricity bill will be higher in dollars per unit, but you are not using more total energy — you are using less.
A heat pump can deliver 2 to 4 units of heat for every 1 unit of electricity it consumes, depending on the model and outdoor temperature. A gas furnace delivers roughly 0.8 to 0.95 units of heat for every 1 unit of gas energy burned (the rest escapes up the chimney). So a heat pump is more efficient, meaning lower total energy cost — but only if your local electricity rate is reasonable compared to your gas rate.
Your actual savings depend on where you live. In areas where electricity is cheap and gas is expensive, a heat pump saves money. In areas where gas is cheap and electricity is expensive, the savings are smaller or may not exist. Check your local utility rates before deciding.
What happens to your gas line if you install a heat pump
If you remove a gas furnace and install a heat pump as your only heater, you no longer need the gas line to your furnace. You can ask your gas company to disconnect it, which usually means capping the line at the meter and stopping service. You will no longer pay a monthly gas bill for heating.
If your home uses gas for other things — a water heater, stove, or dryer — you keep the gas line and continue paying for those uses. Only the heating portion of your bill disappears.
Some homeowners keep the gas furnace in place as a backup and do not disconnect the gas line. This is common in cold climates where a heat pump alone might struggle on the coldest days. In that setup, the heat pump runs most of the time, and the furnace kicks in only when outdoor temperature drops below a set point (often around 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the system).
Heat pump electricity costs versus gas heating costs
To compare costs, you need to know three things: your local electricity rate (per kilowatt-hour), your local gas rate (per therm), and the efficiency of the equipment you are replacing or installing.
A typical air-source heat pump uses 3,000 to 5,000 kilowatt-hours per year for heating in a moderate climate. At an electricity rate of 15 cents per kilowatt-hour, that is $450 to $750 per year. A gas furnace heating the same home might use 40 to 60 therms per year. At a gas rate of $1.50 per therm, that is $60 to $90 per year — but that does not account for the furnace's lower efficiency. When you factor in that the furnace wastes energy up the chimney, the true energy cost is closer to $75 to $120 per year.
These numbers vary widely by region, home size, insulation, and winter severity. The only way to know your actual cost is to check your utility rates and ask a heat pump installer for an estimate based on your home's heating needs.
When you might keep both a heat pump and gas furnace
In climates where winter temperatures regularly drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, some homeowners install a heat pump as the primary heater and keep the gas furnace as a backup. The heat pump handles most of the heating season, which saves money. When extreme cold arrives, the furnace takes over automatically.
This setup uses both electricity and gas, so you keep both utility bills. It costs more upfront than a heat pump alone, but it ensures you have reliable heat even if the heat pump cannot keep up. It also protects you if the heat pump breaks down during winter — the furnace is still there.
In milder climates, a heat pump alone is usually sufficient, and you can disconnect the gas furnace entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my existing gas furnace ducts with a heat pump?
Yes, in most cases. If your home has forced-air ducts, an air-source heat pump can use them. The heat pump's indoor unit connects to the ductwork the same way a furnace does. You may need to adjust dampers or add insulation to ducts, but major ductwork replacement is usually not necessary.
What if I do not have natural gas now — can I still install a heat pump?
Yes. A heat pump needs only an electrical connection and outdoor space for the outdoor unit. It does not require a gas line. In fact, homes without gas service often choose heat pumps because there is no alternative fuel to compare.
Do heat pumps work in very cold climates?
Modern heat pumps work down to about 5 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the model. Below that, efficiency drops sharply. In climates where temperatures regularly fall below zero, a heat pump alone may not be practical, and a backup furnace (gas or electric) is common.
Will my electricity bill double if I switch from gas to a heat pump?
Not necessarily. Although your electricity use increases, a heat pump is more efficient than a gas furnace, so your total energy cost may stay the same or decrease. Your actual bill depends on local electricity and gas rates. Ask your utility for a comparison estimate.
Can I install a heat pump if I rent my home?
That depends on your lease and your landlord. Heat pumps are permanent installations that require electrical work and outdoor space. Most landlords would need to approve the change. Some rental properties have heat pumps already installed by the owner.