Heat pump vs Furnace in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning as well as heating and you already have gas out of the picture, whether that's no gas line to the house or a preference to run on electricity alone. Get a cold-climate model, since winter nights here average 25°F and standard heat pumps lose heating power at those temperatures. Go in knowing you'll pay more to heat through the winter than a gas furnace would cost, since electricity runs at least 45% higher here at Connecticut prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if keeping winter heating costs down matters most, since gas runs at least 45% cheaper than a heat pump here. It also holds its output no matter how cold the night gets outside, which matters with about 8 months a year of needing heat. You'll need a separate system for cooling, since a furnace only heats.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning as well as heating and you already have gas out of the picture, whether that's no gas line to the house or a preference to run on electricity alone. Get a cold-climate model, since winter nights here average 25°F and standard heat pumps lose heating power at those temperatures. Go in knowing you'll pay more to heat through the winter than a gas furnace would cost, since electricity runs at least 45% higher here at Connecticut prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if keeping winter heating costs down matters most, since gas runs at least 45% cheaper than a heat pump here. It also holds its output no matter how cold the night gets outside, which matters with about 8 months a year of needing heat. You'll need a separate system for cooling, since a furnace only heats.
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 South Central Connecticut Planning Region.
Gas costs at least 45% less than a heat pump here, and with 8 months of heating a year, that difference adds up fast.
If your home has no gas line to it, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through those 25°F nights and cool it come summer.
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 25°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 air conditioning as well as heating and you already have gas out of the picture, whether that's no gas line to the house or a preference to run on electricity alone. Get a cold-climate model, since winter nights here average 25°F and standard heat pumps lose heating power at those temperatures. Go in knowing you'll pay more to heat through the winter than a gas furnace would cost, since electricity runs at least 45% higher here at Connecticut prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if keeping winter heating costs down matters most, since gas runs at least 45% cheaper than a heat pump here. It also holds its output no matter how cold the night gets outside, which matters with about 8 months a year of needing heat. You'll need a separate system for cooling, since a furnace only heats.
A South Central Connecticut Planning Region contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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