Heat pump vs Furnace in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling and heating from one system and you're set on staying electric. Get a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop, and winter nights here average 24°F from December through February. Expect to pay more to heat with electricity than you would with gas, since gas runs at least 30% cheaper at Pennsylvania's prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if you already have a gas line and want the lowest heating cost you can get. With about eight months of heating a year here, that 30% savings over a heat pump adds up fast. You'll need a separate air conditioner for summer, since a furnace only heats.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling and heating from one system and you're set on staying electric. Get a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop, and winter nights here average 24°F from December through February. Expect to pay more to heat with electricity than you would with gas, since gas runs at least 30% cheaper at Pennsylvania's prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if you already have a gas line and want the lowest heating cost you can get. With about eight months of heating a year here, that 30% savings over a heat pump adds up fast. You'll need a separate air conditioner for summer, 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 Bucks County.
Gas heat runs at least 30% cheaper than a heat pump here, and with winter nights averaging 24°F, that adds up fast.
If your home has no gas line to tap into, a cold-climate heat pump is worth a look since it will still heat and cool without one.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | Costs more to run | At least 30% less to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in the Mid-Atlantic that heat with one | 4.2% | 51.4% |
| 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 and heating from one system and you're set on staying electric. Get a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop, and winter nights here average 24°F from December through February. Expect to pay more to heat with electricity than you would with gas, since gas runs at least 30% cheaper at Pennsylvania's prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if you already have a gas line and want the lowest heating cost you can get. With about eight months of heating a year here, that 30% savings over a heat pump adds up fast. You'll need a separate air conditioner for summer, since a furnace only heats.
A Bucks County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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