Heat pump vs Furnace in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling in summer and heating from one system, and you're set on staying off gas. Just make sure it's a cold-climate model. Winter nights here average 24°F, and a standard heat pump loses heating power at those temperatures.
When a furnace makes sense
For most homes here, a furnace is the cheaper way to get through the roughly 8 months a year you need heat. Natural gas runs at least 45% less than a heat pump at Connecticut prices, and that gap holds all winter. If you already have a gas line to the house, it's the straightforward choice. It won't cool your home, so you'd still need a separate air conditioner for summer.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling in summer and heating from one system, and you're set on staying off gas. Just make sure it's a cold-climate model. Winter nights here average 24°F, and a standard heat pump loses heating power at those temperatures.
When a furnace makes sense
For most homes here, a furnace is the cheaper way to get through the roughly 8 months a year you need heat. Natural gas runs at least 45% less than a heat pump at Connecticut prices, and that gap holds all winter. If you already have a gas line to the house, it's the straightforward choice. It won't cool your home, so you'd still need a separate air conditioner for summer.
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 Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region.
Gas heat runs at least 45% cheaper 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 24°F nights, and you get cooling from the same system.
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 24°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 in summer and heating from one system, and you're set on staying off gas. Just make sure it's a cold-climate model. Winter nights here average 24°F, and a standard heat pump loses heating power at those temperatures.
When a furnace makes sense
For most homes here, a furnace is the cheaper way to get through the roughly 8 months a year you need heat. Natural gas runs at least 45% less than a heat pump at Connecticut prices, and that gap holds all winter. If you already have a gas line to the house, it's the straightforward choice. It won't cool your home, so you'd still need a separate air conditioner for summer.
A Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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