Heat pump vs Furnace in Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling as well as heat from one system, or if you don't have gas line access. Get a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward 20°F, which is a normal winter night here. Expect higher running costs than gas at Connecticut electric rates, since heat is needed here about eight months of the year.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace fits a home with gas already run to it, or one where the owner wants the lowest heating bill winter after winter. Natural gas runs at least 45% cheaper than a heat pump here, and that gap holds through months of nights near 20°F. The tradeoff is that a furnace only heats, so cooling has to come from somewhere else.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling as well as heat from one system, or if you don't have gas line access. Get a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward 20°F, which is a normal winter night here. Expect higher running costs than gas at Connecticut electric rates, since heat is needed here about eight months of the year.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace fits a home with gas already run to it, or one where the owner wants the lowest heating bill winter after winter. Natural gas runs at least 45% cheaper than a heat pump here, and that gap holds through months of nights near 20°F. The tradeoff is that a furnace only heats, so cooling has to come from somewhere else.
Heat pump
- Runs on
- Electricity
- What it does
- Heats and cools
- Tax credit
- No federal tax credit since the end of 2025
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy · Internal Revenue Code
Furnace
- Runs on
- Natural gas
- What it does
- Heats only
- Tax credit
- No federal tax credit since the end of 2025
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy · Internal Revenue Code
Furnace wins in Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region.
Winters here average 20°F at night, and gas heat costs at least 45% less than a heat pump at Connecticut prices.
If your home has no gas line to it, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through winter and cool it come summer, with no second system to install.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | Costs more to run | At least 45% less to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in New England that heat with one | 1.7% | 54.8% |
| Handles a 20°F night | Standard models lose heating power in the cold; cold-climate models are built for it | Yes |
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, NOAA
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling as well as heat from one system, or if you don't have gas line access. Get a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward 20°F, which is a normal winter night here. Expect higher running costs than gas at Connecticut electric rates, since heat is needed here about eight months of the year.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace fits a home with gas already run to it, or one where the owner wants the lowest heating bill winter after winter. Natural gas runs at least 45% cheaper than a heat pump here, and that gap holds through months of nights near 20°F. The tradeoff is that a furnace only heats, so cooling has to come from somewhere else.
A Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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