Should a Spokane house have a furnace or a heat pump?

What it costs, with dates

No official or utility source gives an installed price for either system, so none appears here. Ask each bidder to itemize the equipment model and its ratings, the Manual J load calculation, the back-up heat type, duct work, electrical work, permits, removal of old equipment and rebate paperwork.

Running costs are our arithmetic on EIA's 2024 Washington prices: $11.65 per million Btu for gas and $34.87 for electricity. That yields the table's $12.26 and $14.47. At the 2025 gas price, the 95% row would be about $17.0. Electricity moved too: at the state's August 2026 rate of 14.63 cents per kWh, a summer month used only for illustration, our arithmetic gives about $17.8 at COP 2.41 and about $14.1 at COP 3.05. So the gap at newer prices is too close to call. These are statewide averages, not Avista's rates. The COP comes from pilot homes metered in 2008-09, AFUE is a rating rather than a measurement, and duct losses aren't counted. The full set is on what heat costs.

Avista's Washington tariff lists its electric lines from 10.322 to 14.349 cents per kWh and gas lines of $0.58423 and $0.75931 per therm, effective Jan. 1, 2026 (archived copies, 2026). Those are single tariff lines, not the all-in rate on a bill, so confirm with the utility. Dividing a winter bill by its units gets you closer. The IRS FAQ ends federal credits for anything placed in service after Dec. 31, 2025.

Who does the work

A registered HVAC contractor does this work. Check the registration, certification and workers' comp account on L&I's verify tool. Spokane's own mechanical permit rules could not be confirmed, so ask the city's permit office and put in the contract who pulls what. Electrical permits must be bought before work starts. Refrigerant is handled by EPA-certified technicians.

Your part is the filter, clearing snow from around the outdoor unit and checking a breaker or switch. If you smell gas, leave first. Don't touch switches or plugs or use a phone inside. From outside and away, call 911 and Avista at 800-227-9187 (archived copy, October 2025; confirm with the utility). If a CO alarm sounds, get everyone out first, then call 911 from outside, as DOH advises.

How cold does Spokane get for a heat pump?

Cold enough to plan for back-up, but not usually in the extreme range. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals put Spokane's January low at 24.7F and its January high at 34.5F. Its annual normals show 2.2 days a year at 0F or below and 6,462.6 heating degree days. The record low is -30F, from 1888.

Cold-climate models are rated at 5F and keep running below it. ENERGY STAR's ductless page notes that below that point, back-up heats most efficiently. Washington's code also requires controls that stop supplementary heaters above 40F, with a thermostat exception for ductless units that have an integral thermostat. Ask each bidder how their design handles that.

Does summer heat change the choice?

It can, because a furnace alone leaves you without cooling. Spokane normals show 20.8 days a year at 90F or above and a July high of 84.4F. The airport's record high is 109F, set June 29, 2021. If you'd buy AC anyway, one outdoor unit covers both jobs. Inland Empire pilot homes used only about 408 kWh a year for cooling, so that's a comfort and safety gain more than a large bill item. More choices for the region are on the east side starting page.