Quick answer
Modern electric wins most head-to-heads in a Washington home: a heat pump delivers 2–4 units of heat per unit of electricity versus a gas furnace's 80–98% efficiency, a heat pump water heater runs about $150/yr versus roughly $355/yr for a gas tank, and induction outcooks gas while removing combustion byproducts from your kitchen. Gas still wins on outage resilience for older appliances — but 2026 rebates flow exclusively to electric.
- Heating: a heat pump turns one unit of electricity into 2–4 units of heat; the best gas furnace tops out at 98% efficient — physics gas can't match.
- Water heating: a heat pump water heater costs a typical family about $150/yr to run versus roughly $355/yr for a gas tank. (Gas does beat old-style electric resistance tanks — that comparison is real.)
- Cooking: induction beats gas on speed and control while removing NO2 and CO from your kitchen air — the conversion most cooks doubt until they try it.
- Money flows one direction: WA HEAR rebates (income-eligible) cover heat pumps up to $8,000, HPWHs up to $1,750, panels up to $4,000, and wiring up to $2,500 — nothing subsidizes a new gas appliance.
- Every gas-to-electric swap needs a circuit, and several need panel capacity — plan the electrical work once, not appliance-by-appliance.
What does each option cost installed in the Seattle area?
Replacing gas with gas is usually the cheapest install; replacing gas with electric costs more upfront (equipment plus wiring) but flips the operating-cost math and unlocks every rebate on the 2026 board. These representative Seattle-area framings compare the paths rather than quoting each appliance.
| Option | Typical installed range | What that covers |
|---|---|---|
| Replace a gas appliance in kind | Lowest upfront cost | Existing gas line, existing venting, no new circuit — but no rebates, gas rates near $1.60/therm and rising, and combustion stays in the home. |
| Switch to the electric equivalent | Moderate premium + wiring | Heat pump, HPWH, or induction range plus a dedicated 240V circuit each. WA HEAR (income-eligible) can offset much of the gap at the point of sale. |
| Panel/service work if capacity is short | $5,000–$12,000 | Multiple new 240V loads can exceed a 100A panel. HEAR adds up to $4,000 toward the panel and $2,500 toward wiring; SPAN load management sometimes avoids the upgrade entirely. |
What changes the price
- Panel capacity: the single biggest swing — one induction range fits almost anywhere, but range + HPWH + heat pump may need a 200A upgrade or smart-panel load management.
- Rebate eligibility: HEAR point-of-sale rebates (≤150% area median income) and PSE's $500–$1,500 heat pump rebate apply to electric equipment only, with a combined HEAR cap of $14,000.
- Fuel supply changes: capping or rerouting gas lines is licensed work that belongs in the quote, not a surprise on install day.
- Venting and placement: removing combustion venting simplifies some installs; HPWHs want a bit of air volume and a condensate path.
- Permits: electrical, plumbing, and gas-piping permits each apply where relevant — one licensed multi-trade team keeps it to one coordinated scope.
Ranges are representative Seattle / Puget Sound installed prices, not a quote — your home's specifics set the real number. Eco gives you an upfront price before any work begins.
How do they work differently?
How gas appliances do their jobs
Everything burns: a furnace ignites gas and pushes the heat through ducts (80–98% of the fuel's energy makes it into the house; the rest exits the flue), a gas water heater does the same around a tank, and a gas range burns fuel openly under your cookware — which is why kitchens with gas ranges measure elevated NO2 and CO, especially without strong ventilation. Gas's practical virtues are real: fuel has been historically cheap per unit of heat, and older appliances with standing pilots or simple controls keep working when the power goes out.
How modern electric appliances do the same jobs
The new generation moves or induces heat instead of making it by burning. A heat pump extracts warmth from outdoor air and delivers 2–4 units of heat per unit of electricity; a heat pump water heater does the same trick around its tank; induction generates heat directly in the pan through a magnetic field — faster than flame, precise, with a cool cooktop and nothing combusting in your airspace. On Washington's hydro-heavy grid at about $0.12/kWh, they run clean and cheap — and they're the only appliances 2026 rebate money will touch.
Pros and cons, honestly
Gas appliances
Pros
- Lowest upfront cost when replacing gas with gas — no new wiring
- Older, simple gas appliances keep working through power outages
- Gas water heating is genuinely cheap to run compared with old electric resistance tanks
- Familiar behavior — instant visible flame, known service network
Cons
- Zero rebate support in 2026 — every incentive dollar flows to electric
- Gas rates near $1.60/therm and rising, with fixed monthly charges on top
- Open combustion puts NO2 and CO into kitchen air; all gas appliances need venting and leak vigilance
- Seattle and WA code trend restricts gas in new construction — existing homes are unaffected, but the direction is one-way
Electric appliances (heat pump & induction)
Pros
- Heat pumps deliver 2–4x the heat per energy dollar; HPWH cuts water-heating costs to roughly $150/yr for a typical family
- Induction outperforms gas on speed and control with no combustion byproducts
- Runs on Washington's clean, hydro-heavy grid at about $0.12/kWh
- WA HEAR (income-eligible) rebates: up to $8,000 heat pump, $1,750 HPWH, $4,000 panel, $2,500 wiring; PSE adds $500–$1,500 for heat pumps
- One less combustion system to vent, inspect, and worry about
Cons
- Higher upfront cost per appliance plus dedicated circuits — and possibly panel work
- Standard electric resistance heat and water heating (the old kind) genuinely costs more to run than gas — only heat-pump-class equipment wins the math
- Grid-dependent: without a battery or generator, an outage takes everything down
- Induction requires magnetic cookware — some pans won't make the trip
Which one should you choose?
Choose (or keep) gas when
The appliance is mid-life and working, your budget can't absorb electrical work this year, or the specific comparison favors it — a gas tank water heater against an electric resistance tank, for instance, wins on operating cost, and that concession is honest. Frequent-outage areas without backup power also have a real argument for keeping one older gas appliance operable. Keeping gas for now is a legitimate decision; just make it knowing the rebate window, rate trends, and code direction all point the other way, and plan the eventual transition rather than being surprised by it at 6 a.m. when the water heater dies.
Choose electric when
A gas appliance is due for replacement anyway — that's the golden moment, because you pay the changeover cost once and bank the operating savings for the equipment's whole life. It's the clear pick if you qualify for HEAR's point-of-sale rebates, if anyone in the house has respiratory sensitivities (the kitchen air-quality case for induction is strongest here), or if you're already upgrading the panel for an EV. A Wallingford kitchen we think about often traded a 1990s gas range for induction during a remodel: the cook was the biggest skeptic and is now the loudest advocate — faster boils, no fumes, and a cooktop the kids can't ignite.
Also consider: switch on failure, wire ahead
You don't have to convert everything at once. The pragmatic play is to run wiring for future electric appliances whenever walls are open or the panel is being touched, then switch each gas appliance to electric when it fails. You never pay for demolition-driven electrical work twice, and every replacement decision gets made calmly instead of in an emergency.
Ready to compare for your home?
Get honest numbers for both options side by side — an upfront range, the considerations, and the rebates you qualify for, before any work begins.
Continue exploring
- Book: Heat pump installation →
- Book: Heat pump water heaters →
- Book: Gas line services →
- Compare: Whole-Home Electrification vs Natural Gas: The Strategic Decision →
- Compare: Gas vs Electric Water Heater: Which Fuel Should a Washington Home Pick? →
- Compare: Heat Pump vs Electric Furnace: The All-Electric Showdown →
- Heat pump vs gas furnace in Puget Sound →
- Tank vs heat pump water heater →
- Washington HVAC rebates explained →
- All home energy & electrification comparisons →
Common questions
Is cooking on induction really better than gas?
For most cooking, yes — induction boils water roughly twice as fast as gas, holds low temperatures more precisely, and responds instantly. The bigger local argument is air quality: gas ranges emit NO2 and CO into your kitchen, and Seattle homes ventilate less in the rainy months. The adjustment is real (magnetic cookware, new habits) but short.
Will my electric bill spike if I switch appliances from gas?
Your electric bill rises and your gas bill falls — the honest question is the total. With heat-pump-class equipment, the total usually drops: a heat pump delivers 2–4 units of heat per unit of electricity at about $0.12/kWh, while gas runs near $1.60/therm and rising. Resistance-electric equipment is the exception; it genuinely costs more than gas to run.
What rebates apply to switching from gas to electric in 2026?
The federal 25C credit expired December 31, 2025 — ignore anything citing it as current. What's real in Washington: HEAR point-of-sale rebates for income-eligible households (heat pump up to $8,000, HPWH up to $1,750, panel up to $4,000, wiring up to $2,500, combined cap $14,000 — HEAR also covers qualifying electric cooking appliances), plus PSE's $500–$1,500 heat pump rebate for its customers.
Will Seattle force me to remove my gas appliances?
No. Seattle and Washington code changes restrict gas primarily in new construction — existing homes can keep and replace gas appliances. The practical effect on you is directional: rebates, rate trends, and code all favor electric, so each replacement decision is a chance to move with the current rather than against it.
Does my panel have room for an induction range, HPWH, and heat pump?
Each needs a dedicated 240V circuit, and together they can exceed a 100A panel's headroom — the reason we run a load calculation before quoting any conversion. Options if you're short: a 200A upgrade (HEAR adds up to $4,000, income-eligible) or SPAN smart-panel load management, which often lets the existing service carry the new loads.
Last updated: 2026-07-05