What is the cheapest way to heat a house in District of Columbia?

At current prices, natural gas costs $17.30 per million Btu of delivered heat in District of Columbia, the lowest of the fuels compared. A typical 2,000 sq ft home would spend about $790 in a normal winter.

Cheapest way to heat in District of Columbia

Natural gas

$17.30 per million Btu of heat in the house, about $790 for a typical winter. The most expensive option, electric resistance, would cost $3,326.

Typical winter: a 2,000 sq ft house of average insulation in a normal District of Columbia heating season (degree days from Maryland). Prices as of October 26, 2026.

Cost of one million Btu of heat

Natural gas $17.30 per million Btu

$16.13/Mcf · 90% efficient · District of Columbia residential, last winter · $790 for a typical winter
Heat pump $29.14 per million Btu

24.9¢/kWh · COP 2.5 · District of Columbia residential, year to date · $1,330 for a typical winter
Propane $46.81 per million Btu

$3.64/gal · 85% efficient · Central Atlantic regional average (no state survey) · $2,137 for a typical winter
Heating oil $53.64 per million Btu

$6.32/gal · 85% efficient · Central Atlantic regional average (no state survey) · $2,449 for a typical winter
Electric resistance $72.86 per million Btu

24.9¢/kWh · 100% efficient · District of Columbia residential, year to date · $3,326 for a typical winter

Your home, your winter

Change the size and insulation to match your house. Prices are this week’s District of Columbia figures.

Normal heating season in District of Columbia: 4,565 heating degree days, so about 46 million Btu of heat to deliver.

Natural gas $790
Heat pump $1,330
Propane $2,137
Heating oil $2,449
Electric resistance $3,326

A typical-weather season at this week’s fuel prices. Efficiencies: gas furnace 90%, propane and oil 85%, heat pump seasonal COP 2.5. How the estimate works

District of Columbia’s winters

A normal heating season here has 4,565 heating degree days (1991–2020 average; U.S. lower 48: about 4,300).

Last season (2025–26) had 4,587, close to normal.

Oct262
Nov562
Dec838
Jan969
Feb810
Mar662
Apr319

In the coldest season of the last 30 (2002–03) the same house would have needed 13% more heat; in the mildest (2011–12), 17% less.

What this comparison leaves out

Equipment you already have. Switching fuels means new equipment. This page compares the cost of heat, not the cost of a new furnace, boiler or heat pump.
Availability. Natural gas needs a utility main on your street. EIA does not survey propane or heating oil prices in District of Columbia, so the regional or U.S. average stands in; local prices can differ.
Heat pumps in deep cold. A heat pump’s efficiency falls as it gets colder. The seasonal COP of 2.5 used here suits a modern unit in a moderate climate; older units, or cold-climate homes with resistance backup, do worse.
Your rate structure. Gas and electricity prices here are state averages including fixed charges. Each extra unit on your bill may cost a little less.