Heat pump vs Furnace in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling and heating from one system and don't already have gas line access. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward the mid-20s, and that's about where winter nights here sit from December through February. Expect to pay more to heat with electricity than a neighbor on gas does, since natural gas runs at least 30% cheaper here at current Pennsylvania prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the cheaper way to heat here if you already have or can get a gas line. It runs on natural gas and only heats, so you'd still need a separate system for cooling. Given that homes here need heat about 7 months a year, that lower running cost adds up over a Lancaster County winter.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling and heating from one system and don't already have gas line access. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward the mid-20s, and that's about where winter nights here sit from December through February. Expect to pay more to heat with electricity than a neighbor on gas does, since natural gas runs at least 30% cheaper here at current Pennsylvania prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the cheaper way to heat here if you already have or can get a gas line. It runs on natural gas and only heats, so you'd still need a separate system for cooling. Given that homes here need heat about 7 months a year, that lower running cost adds up over a Lancaster County winter.
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 Lancaster County.
Gas heat runs at least 30% cheaper than a heat pump here, and with nights averaging 24°F all winter, that 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 without that hookup.
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 don't already have gas line access. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward the mid-20s, and that's about where winter nights here sit from December through February. Expect to pay more to heat with electricity than a neighbor on gas does, since natural gas runs at least 30% cheaper here at current Pennsylvania prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the cheaper way to heat here if you already have or can get a gas line. It runs on natural gas and only heats, so you'd still need a separate system for cooling. Given that homes here need heat about 7 months a year, that lower running cost adds up over a Lancaster County winter.
A Lancaster County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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