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If you are weighing a pool heater vs heat pump this fall, the answer on the Georgia coast comes down to two things: what fuel you have at the house, and how you actually use the pool. A gas heater is fast. A heat pump is cheap to run. Below we put current Georgia Power, natural gas and propane prices side by side to show what each costs for the same heat.

How each one makes heat

Gas heaters burn natural gas or propane and push that heat into the water. The federal minimum efficiency for a gas pool heater is 82 percent, so at that rating about 82 cents of every fuel dollar ends up in the pool. Our math below uses 82 percent. Output does not depend on the weather, which is why gas is the fast option.

Heat pumps do not make heat. They use electricity to move heat from the outdoor air into the water. The U.S. Department of Energy puts their efficiency (COP) between 3 and 7, meaning 3 to 7 units of heat for every unit of electricity. The catch is that they need warm air. DOE says they run efficiently while the outside air stays above roughly 45 to 50 degrees.

The rates behind our numbers

We checked these in early October 2026. Treat everything below as approximate.

Electricity: Georgia Power's standard residential rate charges about 8.2 cents per kWh from October through May. Once the fuel charge, riders and franchise fee are added, that comes to about 13.5 cents before sales tax. We used 13.5 to 15 cents.
Natural gas: $0.70 to $1.80 per therm. Fixed-rate plans on the Georgia Public Service Commission's September 2026 price chart ran about $0.66 to $0.92 per therm before monthly base charges. The federal Energy Information Administration's average delivered price for Georgia homes last winter worked out to about $1.40 to $1.80 per therm with all charges included.
Propane: $2.95 to $3.20 per gallon, the range of the same agency's weekly Georgia residential price through the 2025-26 heating season.

If you are on an electric co-op, or on Amelia Island with a Florida utility, use the rate on your own bill.

Pool heater vs heat pump: what the same heat costs

To compare fairly, look at the cost of putting 100,000 BTU into the water. That is about what it takes to warm a 12,000-gallon pool by one degree.

Heat pump: about $0.65 to $1.10
Natural gas heater: about $0.85 to $2.20
Propane heater: about $3.90 to $4.30

Now a real job. Warming a 15,000-gallon pool by 10 degrees takes about 1.25 million BTU:

Heat pump: about $8 to $14
Natural gas: about $11 to $28
Propane: about $49 to $53

Those figures cover only the heat that goes into the water. A warm pool loses heat the whole time, so real bills run higher, especially without a cover.

On a low fixed natural gas rate, gas and a heat pump are closer than most people expect. On propane, a heat pump delivers the same heat for roughly a quarter of the cost or less.

Speed is the other half of the decision

A 400,000 BTU gas heater delivers about 328,000 BTU an hour, so that 10-degree rise takes under four hours. A heat pump rated at 120,000 BTU an hour needs more than ten, and longer on a cool day.

The attached spa is where this matters most. Taking a 500-gallon spa from 65 to 102 degrees:

Gas heater: about half an hour, and roughly $1.30 to $3.40 on natural gas or $6.10 to $6.60 on propane.
Heat pump: well over an hour at full output, for about $1.00 to $1.70.

Gas suits heat on demand. A heat pump suits holding a steady temperature for weeks.

What the coast changes

Mild winters help heat pumps. NOAA's 30-year climate normals for Brunswick show average lows in the mid-40s and highs in the low 60s from December through February. A heat pump will run on most winter days here, but slowly on cold mornings.
Salt air is hard on both. Expect roughly 7 to 10 years from either type near the marsh or the beach.
No natural gas line at the house? If your only gas option is a propane tank, running cost tips strongly toward a heat pump for the pool itself.

What each costs to install

In our service records, replacing a gas pool heater has run from about $3,000 to $9,000 installed. The spread comes from heater size and model and from how much gas line, venting and plumbing work the job needs.

We do not publish a heat pump range because the price swings with the unit size and the electrical work each site needs. DOE notes that heat pumps cost more to buy than gas heaters, and many need a new dedicated electrical circuit. We quote those after looking at your equipment pad and breaker panel. Either way, the total depends on equipment size and model.

Which one fits your pool

A heat pump usually makes sense if:

You want the pool warm for weeks at a stretch in spring and fall.
Your only gas option is propane.
You have no spa, or you do not mind the spa taking longer.

A gas heater usually makes sense if:

You have an attached spa you heat on short notice.
You heat the pool for occasional weekends or winter cold snaps, not all season.
You already have a natural gas line at the pad.

Some owners run both: a heat pump to hold the pool and gas for the spa. Whichever you choose, cover the pool. DOE calls a cover the single most effective way to cut pool heating costs, with savings of 50 to 70 percent possible.

Heater installs and upgrades in the Golden Isles, Camden County and Amelia Island

Jeff's Pool & Spa Service has served coastal Georgia for more than 25 years, and heater installs and repairs are everyday work for our technicians. We will size the heater to your pool, check your gas or electrical supply, and tell you plainly which type fits. Request a quote, see our repair and installation services, or call:

Brunswick and the Golden Isles: (912) 554-0636
St. Marys, Kingsland and Amelia Island: (912) 576-3636

Frequently asked questions

Is a heat pump cheaper to run than a gas pool heater?
Per unit of heat, yes in most cases. At current rates a heat pump costs about $0.65 to $1.10 per 100,000 BTU, against $0.85 to $2.20 for natural gas and $3.90 to $4.30 for propane.

How much does a heat pump pool heater cost to run?
At Georgia Power's October to May rates, a unit putting out 120,000 BTU an hour at a COP of 5 uses about 7 kWh an hour, or roughly a dollar an hour while it runs. Hours per day depend on pool size, weather and your cover.

Propane pool heater vs heat pump: which is better?
For holding pool temperature, the heat pump costs far less to run. Propane still wins on speed, which matters for spas and last-minute heating.

Will a heat pump work in a coastal Georgia winter?
On most days, yes, but output drops as the air cools toward the 40s. For reliable midwinter swimming, gas is the better tool.

Gas Pool Heater vs. Heat Pump in Coastal Georgia: What Each Costs to Run