Heat pump or new furnace and AC? For Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc customers

For Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc customers in Missouri, on the utility's average price, local weather.

Quick answer · updated

As of November 2026, for a typical 1,800 sq ft propane-heated home on Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc electricity rates in Missouri that needs a new furnace and AC: A heat pump comes out ahead here even with a high quote: about $10,000 less than a new furnace and AC over 15 years at typical prices, and $670 a year less to run.

Cite or reuse this answer

MeterWise, "Heat pump vs. propane furnace and AC on Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc rates (MO)", updated 2026-11-10, https://meterwise.app/mo/howell-oregon-elec-coop-inc/heat-pump-vs-furnace/. Data licensed CC BY 4.0. Also as Markdown and JSON.

Electricity

12.5¢/kWh

-10% vs. Missouri average

Heating fuel

$2.18/gallon

Propane: 30% of homes here

Climate

4,210

heating degree days · Dora 3se

Rebates

Not checked

not yet researched in Missouri

Our estimate for this home

A heat pump comes out ahead

A heat pump comes out ahead here even with a high quote: about $10,000 less than a new furnace and AC over 15 years at typical prices, and $670 a year less to run.

New propane furnace + new AC

Installed
$11,400$8,900–$13,900
Energy per year
$1,190Baseline
15-year total
$29,200
Payback
Baseline

Heat pump (replaces both)

Lowest 15-year cost

Installed
$11,400$7,900–$14,900
Energy per year
$520Saves $670/yr
15-year total
$19,200
Payback
Same price up front, cheaper to run

High-efficiency cold-climate heat pump

Installed
$14,900$10,900–$19,800
Energy per year
$410Saves $780/yr
15-year total
$21,000
Payback
4.5 years

Total cost over 15 years

Installed cost plus energy, year by year. Hover or tap the chart to compare.

$0$10K$20K$30KInstallYear 5Year 10Year 15 New AC $29,200 High-efficiency HP $21,000 Heat pump $19,200
  • New propane furnace + new AC
  • Heat pump (replaces both)
  • High-efficiency cold-climate heat pump
Show as a table
OptionInstalled cost (typical, range, after rebates)Energy cost per year15-year totalPayback vs. like-for-like
New propane furnace + new AC $11,400
$8,900–$13,900
$1,190
$29,200 Baseline
Heat pump (replaces both) Lowest 15-year cost $11,400
$7,900–$14,900
$520
saves $670/yr
$19,200 Same price up front, cheaper to run
High-efficiency cold-climate heat pump $14,900
$10,900–$19,800
$410
saves $780/yr
$21,000 4.5 years

What this is based on

  • Electricity: Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc's average residential price in MO (EIA), $0.125/kWh; the winter price of extra kWh is estimated at $0.095/kWh. Enter your own rate for a closer answer.
  • Weather: Dora 3se (4,210 heating and 1,327 cooling degree days a year, 1991-2020).
  • Heating fuel prices (EIA): gas $1.46/therm (Missouri, average of the last five winter months); propane $2.18/gallon (Missouri average this heating season); heating oil $5.97/gallon (regional average this heating season).
  • Homes in Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc's Missouri area heat with electricity 42%, propane 30%, gas 12% (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023). The calculator starts with propane, the most common furnace fuel here; pick yours above.
  • Missouri HVAC installer wages are 2% below the U.S. median (BLS), so installed prices are scaled by 0.99.
  • Energy use for heating and cooling:
    • New propane furnace + new AC: 1,914 kWh and 439 gallons of propane a year for heating and cooling
    • Heat pump (replaces both): 4,897 kWh a year for heating and cooling
    • High-efficiency cold-climate heat pump: 3,870 kWh a year for heating and cooling

Rebates

  • We haven't checked heat pump rebates in Missouri yet, so these numbers leave them out. Utility and state programs can take thousands off a heat pump: ask Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc and your contractor what's available. Each dollar of rebate adds a dollar to the quote gap a heat pump can carry.

What to know about the Missouri numbers

How Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc's rates change the answer

Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc's electricity price for a typical home is 10% below the Missouri average ($0.125 vs. $0.139 per kWh). A heat pump moves your heating from gas, propane or oil to electricity, so the electricity price is the biggest single factor: calculators that use a state average can get the answer wrong for your utility. At these prices, a heat pump is cheaper to run than propane heat for a typical home here.

Common questions

Is a heat pump worth it for Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc customers?

A heat pump comes out ahead here even with a high quote: about $10,000 less than a new furnace and AC over 15 years at typical prices, and $670 a year less to run. This is for a typical 1,800 sq ft home with average insulation that heats with propane and needs both a new furnace and AC; change the details in the calculator above for your home.

How much does a heat pump cost to run on Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc's rates?

About $520 a year for heating and cooling with a heat pump (4,897 kWh), compared with about $1,190 a year for a new furnace and AC, for a typical 1,800 sq ft home with weather like Dora 3se's.

How much does a heat pump cost to install in Missouri?

Our typical installed price for a heat pump in Missouri is about $11,397 (range $7,928 to $14,865), against about $11,397 for a new furnace and AC. Prices are published study ranges scaled for home size and Missouri installer wages; rebates in Missouri have not been checked yet, so they are not included. Always compare real quotes.

What electricity price does this use?

Electricity: Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc's average residential price in MO (EIA), $0.125/kWh; the winter price of extra kWh is estimated at $0.095/kWh. Enter your own rate for a closer answer.

How we calculate this

Heating and cooling need

Your home's yearly heating and cooling need comes from 1991-2020 NOAA climate normals for the nearest weather station, scaled by floor area and insulation level. If you know last winter's gas use, compare it with the therms in the energy-use list above.

Heating fuels

Choose the fuel your furnace burns: gas, propane, heating oil or electricity. Gas uses the state's average residential price over the last five winter months; propane and heating oil use the U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly residential prices for this heating season (state, regional or U.S. average, as available), converted by heat content (91,500 Btu per gallon of propane, 138,500 per gallon of oil). An electric furnace is priced through the same electricity rates as the heat pump. The starting fuel is the most common furnace fuel in the utility's area (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey).

Equipment efficiency

New gas or propane furnace 95% AFUE, new oil furnace 85%, electric furnace 100%; new AC SEER2 13.4; standard heat pump SEER2 15.2 / HSPF2 7.8; high-efficiency cold-climate heat pump SEER2 21.5 / HSPF2 10.6. Heat pump efficiency falls as it gets colder, and in cold months part of the heat comes from backup electric strips (or your old furnace, if you keep it). Existing equipment is assumed to be 15-20 years old: an 80% gas or propane furnace, a 78% oil furnace or a SEER2 9.5 AC.

Installed costs

Installed prices vary a lot, so we show a typical price and a range for a home of about 1,800 sq ft with existing ductwork, scaled for larger or smaller homes: furnace and AC together $9,000–$14,000; furnace alone $3,800–$7,000; AC alone $4,500–$9,000; standard heat pump $8,000–$15,000; high-efficiency cold-climate heat pump $11,000–$20,000; electrical panel upgrade, if needed, $1,500–$4,000. These are national figures drawn from published studies and program data (NESCAUM / Energy Solutions, Heat Pumps in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: Costs and Market Trends (October 2024); Rewiring America, Upfront cost of home electrification (March 2024); EIA, Updated Buildings Sector Appliance and Equipment Costs and Efficiencies (2023)). The most useful number here is how much more a heat pump can cost than a like-for-like quote and still come out ahead: get quotes for both and compare.

Labor and rebates

Half of each installed price is treated as labor and scaled by the state's median HVAC installer wage relative to the U.S. median (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Listed rebates are subtracted when the box is ticked; per-ton rebates assume about one ton of capacity per 600 sq ft. Rebates change often and have eligibility rules, so confirm with the program before you buy.

Not included

Financing, maintenance (similar for all options), local town rebates, and changes in energy prices over time.