Heat pump vs Furnace in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want cooling as well as heating from one system, a heat pump gives you both. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power at 22°F and that is a normal winter night here. Expect to pay more to run it than gas, since natural gas costs at least 45% less to heat with in this area at current prices.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has a gas line, a furnace is the cheaper way to heat it here, by a wide margin. It will not cool your home, so you would need a separate air conditioner for summer. With about 8 months of heating a year and winter nights averaging 22°F, that running cost difference adds up.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want cooling as well as heating from one system, a heat pump gives you both. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power at 22°F and that is a normal winter night here. Expect to pay more to run it than gas, since natural gas costs at least 45% less to heat with in this area at current prices.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has a gas line, a furnace is the cheaper way to heat it here, by a wide margin. It will not cool your home, so you would need a separate air conditioner for summer. With about 8 months of heating a year and winter nights averaging 22°F, that running cost difference adds up.
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 Naugatuck Valley Planning Region.
Gas heat runs at least 45% cheaper than a heat pump here at Connecticut prices, and that's what settles it.
If your home has no gas line to tap into, a cold-climate heat pump still gets you both heating and cooling from one 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 22°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
If you want cooling as well as heating from one system, a heat pump gives you both. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power at 22°F and that is a normal winter night here. Expect to pay more to run it than gas, since natural gas costs at least 45% less to heat with in this area at current prices.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has a gas line, a furnace is the cheaper way to heat it here, by a wide margin. It will not cool your home, so you would need a separate air conditioner for summer. With about 8 months of heating a year and winter nights averaging 22°F, that running cost difference adds up.
A Naugatuck Valley Planning Region contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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