If you heat with propane in rural Boone County, a heat pump is usually the single biggest change you can make to how your home is heated — because a heat pump moves heat rather than burning a delivered fuel you buy by the tank. Propane heats about 17.8% of occupied homes outside Columbia versus just 1.6% inside the city, roughly an eleven-to-one difference, and in Harrisburg it's 46.2%. This is a rural-Boone-County question, not a Columbia one.
How common is propane out here?
| Area | Propane | Natural gas | Electricity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County outside Columbia (~23,998 units) | ~17.8% | ~35.7% | ~43.5% |
| City of Columbia | 1.6% | 53.9% | 43.4% |
| Harrisburg | 46.2% | 4.3% | 46.2% |
Harrisburg is the clearest case in the county: with only five occupied units on natural gas, the village is effectively off the gas grid, and households there choose between propane and electricity. Hartsburg leans electric at 54.3%. Towns like Sturgeon and Hallsville report essentially no propane at all — the fuel map here is local, not regional.
Why do propane customers see the biggest change?
Three reasons, and none of them depend on a price we'd have to quote you.
- Delivered fuel, delivered pricing. Propane arrives by truck and is bought by the fill, so the household absorbs seasonal swings and delivery minimums that piped fuel customers don't see.
- Physics. A furnace can at best deliver slightly less heat than the fuel contains. A heat pump moves existing heat, so it delivers several times the energy it consumes in the mild weather that makes up most of a Missouri heating season.
- You're already buying the cooling. A heat pump is an air conditioner that also runs in reverse. If the A/C is due for replacement, the heating side is close to free of extra equipment.
What does the conversion actually involve?
- A real load calculation. Rural houses vary enormously — additions, crawl spaces, uninsulated bonus rooms. Sizing off the old equipment's nameplate repeats whatever mistake was made last time.
- An electrical check. Panel capacity, breaker space and the circuit feeding the air handler get looked at before anything is ordered.
- A duct evaluation. Heat pumps deliver a larger volume of cooler air than a furnace does. Undersized returns are the most common reason a technically correct heat pump feels disappointing.
- The outdoor unit. A level pad, clearance from drifting snow and leaf litter, and a line set routed where it won't get mowed or trimmed.
- The decision on the propane furnace — keep it as the backup stage, or remove it. See below.
- The permit. Unincorporated Boone County requires a permit for HVAC installation or upgrade; our permit guide covers who to call.
Thinking About Getting Off Propane?
We'll size the house, check the service and tell you honestly whether dual fuel or a full conversion fits better — and which utility's rebate you qualify for.
Should you keep the propane furnace?
Usually, yes — at least at first. Columbia's normal January low is near 21°F, which is right where a standard air-source heat pump starts needing help. Leaving a sound propane furnace in place as the cold-weather stage of a dual-fuel system gives you heat-pump economics through the bulk of the season and full furnace output on the nights that test the house, without betting the whole winter on one technology.
It can also pay. Boone Electric offers $300 per dual-fuel system on a new install, minimum HSPF2 7.5, up to two systems per member, expiring 12/31/2026. If the furnace is old or unsafe, that changes the calculus — have it evaluated on a furnace service call before you build a plan around it.
Which rebates apply where you live?
This is where rural homeowners get tripped up, so be precise about it: the rebate follows the utility on your bill, not the city limit.
| Utility | What it pays | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| Boone Electric Cooperative — serves all of Harrisburg and all of Rocheport | $750 per ton ground-source geothermal (10-ton residential cap; service must use 6,000+ kWh/yr) · $300 per dual-fuel system, min HSPF2 7.5 | 12/31/2026 |
| City of Columbia Water & Light — City of Columbia Utilities electric customers | $800 / $1,200 by SEER2 tier · $1,200 geothermal under 5 tons · $1,200 Efficient Electrification for switching off gas or propane | Ongoing, first-come first-served |
Read the utility name on your electric bill before you plan around any of this, or call and ask. Territories don't follow a tidy boundary, and we won't tell you a rule that doesn't exist. Boone Electric member services is 573-449-4181; Columbia Water & Light's efficiency team is at Efficiency@CoMo.gov or 573-441-5528.
If you are a city customer switching off propane, the $1,200 Efficient Electrification rebate is aimed squarely at you — with one exclusion: if the system being replaced already contained a heat pump or an electric furnace, no rebate is available. The claim walkthrough has the full packet.
⚠️ No federal credit in 2026
The federal 25C and 25D credits both ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, under Public Law 119-21 — the geothermal credit included. Plan around utility rebates only. What changed →
What if the house has no usable ductwork?
Then the conversion still works — it just takes a different shape. Ductless mini-splits are heat pumps without the duct requirement, which is why they turn up so often in older rural houses and in additions that the original system never reached. And where the yard allows it, geothermal removes the cold-weather question altogether while earning the largest rebate on either utility's list.
Frequently asked questions
How common is propane heat in Boone County?
Outside Columbia it is about eleven times more common than inside. Roughly 17.8% of occupied homes outside the city heat with propane, some 4,272 units, compared with 1.6% inside Columbia. Harrisburg is the extreme case at 46.2% propane and just 4.3% natural gas.
Can I keep my propane furnace if I add a heat pump?
Yes, and in rural Boone County that is often the best arrangement. Keeping the propane furnace as the cold-weather stage of a dual-fuel system means the heat pump carries most of the season while the furnace covers the coldest nights. Boone Electric pays $300 per dual-fuel system, with a minimum of HSPF2 7.5, on a new install.
Which rebate applies to my house outside Columbia?
It depends on which utility serves your meter, not on where the city limit falls. Boone Electric Cooperative serves all of Harrisburg and all of Rocheport, and pays $750 per ton for ground-source geothermal and $300 per dual-fuel system, both expiring December 31, 2026. Sturgeon, Hallsville, Centralia and Ashland are served by other utilities. Check the utility name printed on your electric bill.
Do I need a permit for a heat pump conversion outside the city?
Unincorporated Boone County does require a permit for HVAC installation or upgrade. The county also states that under state statute it is not allowed to license contractors. For specifics on your job, Boone County Resource Management can be reached at 573-886-4330.
Will my electrical service handle a heat pump?
Often yes, but it has to be checked rather than assumed, especially on older rural services. We look at the panel capacity, the available breaker space and the circuit for the air handler or furnace before quoting, so an electrical surprise does not appear halfway through the install.
Is there still a federal tax credit for a heat pump conversion?
No. The federal 25C and 25D credits both ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, under Public Law 119-21. Utility rebates through Boone Electric or Columbia Water and Light are what remain.
Keep reading
- Heat pump vs. furnace in Columbia — the dual-fuel case in detail.
- Ductless mini-splits for older Boone County homes
- HVAC service in Rocheport — also served entirely by Boone Electric.