Replacement · independent publisher, not a contractor
Gas furnace to heat pump in a Los Angeles home
A ducted heat pump can replace both a gas furnace and a central AC, reusing sound ducts. In Los Angeles the steps are a mechanical permit, often electrical work, Title 24 tests and capping the furnace gas line. LADWP rebates a qualifying heat pump whether or not gas is removed; Burbank's rebate requires replacing a gas appliance. Published LA prices for a ducted heat pump run $8,000–$22,000.
Reviewed · 12 named sources · No named reviewer yet; see our editorial policy.
What actually changes
| Part | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor unit | AC condenser | Heat pump (cools and heats) |
| Indoor unit | Gas furnace + AC coil | Electric air handler + coil, or a heat pump coil on the furnace (dual fuel) |
| Fuel | Gas for heat | Electricity |
| Flue | Furnace vent | Removed or capped (all-electric) |
| Electrical | AC circuit | Heat pump circuit, often air handler and backup heat circuits |
The ducts, thermostat wiring path and return grilles usually stay. If the ducts are leaky or undersized, this is the moment to fix them, because Title 24 tests them anyway.
Why LA owners are switching
Los Angeles winters are mild, which is where heat pumps do their best work. DOE describes heat pumps as moving heat rather than generating it, and in moderate climates as an efficient alternative to a furnace plus AC. The furnace is also often the same age as the AC, so one replacement covers both. New gas furnaces sold in the South Coast air district must meet its NOx limit: South Coast AQMD Rule 1111 limits NOx from new residential gas furnaces to 14 ng/J, and the district is amending the rule toward zero-emission units. (South Coast AQMD, verify).
Comparing running costs without guessing rates
We do not print a "you will save X" figure. Gas and electric rates change, LADWP, SCE, Burbank and Pasadena all price differently, and tiered or time-of-use plans move the answer. What you can do is run the comparison with the numbers on your own bills.
| Step | Gas furnace | Heat pump |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heat the house needs | Same for both: from the load calculation | Same for both |
| 2. Efficiency | AFUE, e.g. 0.80 or 0.95 (fraction of gas that becomes heat) | Seasonal COP, about HSPF2 ÷ 3.412 |
| 3. Energy bought | Heat ÷ AFUE, in therms (1 therm = 100,000 Btu) | Heat ÷ COP, in kWh (1 kWh = 3,412 Btu) |
| 4. Cost | Therms × your SoCalGas (or Long Beach) rate | kWh × your electric rate, at the hours it runs |
Take a heat pump rated 7.7 HSPF2. Divided by 3.412, that is a seasonal COP of about 2.3, so it delivers roughly 2.3 units of heat for each unit of electricity. A furnace can never pass 1.0. Whether that beats gas on cost depends on how many times more a unit of electricity costs than a unit of gas heat, which is what your two bills tell you. Remember the cooling side too: the heat pump replaces the AC, so summer bills follow its SEER2 (SEER2 explained).
Use the calculator
The heat pump vs AC calculator takes your rates and does this arithmetic.
Which rebates care about the gas
| Program | Must gas be replaced? | Status (checked) |
|---|---|---|
| LADWP | No: per-ton rebate on qualifying heat pumps | Open (2026-10-20) |
| Burbank BWP | Yes: heat pump must replace a gas appliance | Open (form read) (2026-10-18) |
| Pasadena PWP | Not stated on the page | Open (funds limited) (2026-10-20) |
| AQMD GO ZERO | Yes, in its earlier phase | Closed; Phase 2 approved 2 Oct 2026 (2026-10-20) |
| TECH (SCE) | — | Fully reserved since 14 Nov 2025 |
Full status: LA rebate status board.
The electrical question
A heat pump with an electric air handler adds load the furnace never put on the panel, and backup electric strips add more. Many older LA houses have small services. If the load calculation shows the panel is short, a panel upgrade adds $2,000–$7,500 on published LA prices. There are sometimes cheaper routes, such as a smaller backup heater or sharing a circuit; the panel upgrade guide covers those and LADWP's process.
Do you need backup heat strips?
Electric resistance strips in the air handler cover defrost cycles and the coldest mornings. In most of the LA basin, a heat pump sized by a proper heating load calculation needs little of that help. Ask the contractor what size strip they specify and why. A large strip may be what pushes the panel over, and on cold nights it runs at a COP of 1.
The job, step by step
- Load calculation for heating and cooling, not cooling only.
- Panel check; any upgrade or circuit work priced separately.
- Permits: mechanical, plus electrical if circuits change (LADBS steps).
- Remove furnace and AC; the licensed installer caps the gas line.
- Install heat pump and air handler; ducts sealed and tested.
- ECC verification and final inspection, then the rebate application.
Published LA prices
| System | Published LA range (2026) |
|---|---|
| 2-ton ducted heat pump | $9,000–$11,500 |
| 3-ton ducted heat pump | $12,000–$15,000 |
| 4-ton ducted heat pump | $14,500–$18,000 |
| 5-ton ducted heat pump | $17,000–$22,000 |
| Panel upgrade adder | $2,000–$7,500 |
E & A Mechanical (2026-04-18), HVACProjectCost (2026-07-16), LA Heating & AC (2026-08-11) and others; retrieved 2026-09-29. Not our prices. Detail: heat pump cost guide.
Dual fuel: keeping the furnace
A heat pump coil can sit on an existing furnace, with the furnace taking over in the coldest hours. It keeps gas in the house, so Burbank's rebate and GO ZERO's earlier phase would not fit. It can make sense when the furnace is young and the AC is the part that failed. Run the arithmetic above with your own rates first.
Sources
- US Department of Energy, "Pump Up Your Savings with Heat Pumps" (retrieved 2026-10-26)
- South Coast AQMD, Rule 1111 and proposed amended Rule 1111 staff reports (retrieved 2026-09-29) — verify before relying on it
- LADWP Consumer Rebate Program (heat pump HVAC) (retrieved 2026-10-20)
- Pasadena Water and Power heat pump rebate (retrieved 2026-10-20)
- Burbank Water and Power Electrification Rebate (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- TECH Clean California single-family heat pump HVAC (retrieved 2026-10-20)
- South Coast AQMD GO ZERO (retrieved 2026-10-20)
- Reliable Heating and Air (Woodland Hills), AC installation cost in LA and Ventura County (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- Cold Cloud (Glendale), central air cost in Los Angeles (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- E & A Mechanical (Tujunga), heat pump installation cost in Los Angeles (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- HVACProjectCost.com, Los Angeles HVAC replacement cost (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- LA Heating and Air Conditioning (Woodland Hills), heat pump installation cost in Los Angeles (retrieved 2026-09-29)
Questions
Can a heat pump heat an LA house without a furnace?
In the LA basin and valleys winters are mild. The contractor's load calculation should size it for heating as well as cooling.
Do I need to close my gas account?
Only if nothing else uses gas. A water heater, stove or dryer may still need it.
Does LADWP require me to remove gas?
Its Consumer Rebate Program tiers are per ton of qualifying heat pump and do not state a gas-replacement requirement.
Will a heat pump cost less to run than my gas furnace?
It depends on your gas and electric rates. A heat pump at 7.7 HSPF2 delivers about 2.3 units of heat per unit of electricity; compare that with your furnace's AFUE and your two bills.
What is AFUE?
Annual fuel utilization efficiency: the share of the gas a furnace burns that becomes heat in the house. An 80 percent AFUE furnace turns 80 percent of its fuel into heat.
Next step
Free quote request
Get a quote to check against these numbers
- Tell us about the job. Service, ZIP, property and timing. The form says right away if your ZIP is outside the area.
- We check the license first. Requests go only to contractors whose CSLB C-20 license we have matched on the state register. If none covers your ZIP yet, we email you and say so.
- Compare what comes back. Line the written quote up against the published ranges and the quote checklist.
No cost and no obligation. We are a publisher, not a contractor; contractors pay us for introductions. How that works.
Request AC installation quotes
Licensed Los Angeles HVAC contractors. Free, no obligation.