Heat pump vs. furnace in California by electric utility

What to know about the California numbers

• Rebates not checked yet. We haven't checked heat pump rebates in California yet, so the numbers here leave them out. Utility and state programs can take thousands off a heat pump, so ask your utility and your contractor what's available.
• Some average prices. 80% of California ZIP codes here are priced on a current utility tariff; the rest use the utility's average price from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (about two years old). Each utility page says which.
• Regional fuel prices. EIA doesn't publish a California price for every fuel: propane uses the national average and heating oil uses the national average. Enter your own price if you heat with it.
• Tiers and time-of-use. California's investor-owned utilities put most homes on time-of-use rates with a baseline allowance that depends on your climate zone. We use one tariff per utility and assume heating use is spread evenly across the day; your bill's actual winter price per kWh may differ.