Heat pump vs Furnace in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling and heating from one system and you are set on getting off gas. Look at a cold-climate model rather than a standard one. Winter nights here average 25°F, and that is cold enough that a standard heat pump loses heating power right when you need it most. Know that you will be paying more to run it than a furnace, at Pennsylvania gas and electric prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if you already have gas line to the house or are willing to run one. It costs at least 30% less to heat with here than a heat pump, and it holds its output no matter how cold the night gets. You will need a separate system for cooling, but for heating alone through the 7 months a year you need it, this is what most homes around you are running.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling and heating from one system and you are set on getting off gas. Look at a cold-climate model rather than a standard one. Winter nights here average 25°F, and that is cold enough that a standard heat pump loses heating power right when you need it most. Know that you will be paying more to run it than a furnace, at Pennsylvania gas and electric prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if you already have gas line to the house or are willing to run one. It costs at least 30% less to heat with here than a heat pump, and it holds its output no matter how cold the night gets. You will need a separate system for cooling, but for heating alone through the 7 months a year you need it, this is what most homes around you are running.
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 Montgomery County.
Gas heat runs at least 30% cheaper than a heat pump here, and most of your neighbors already heat with gas.
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 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 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 cooling and heating from one system and you are set on getting off gas. Look at a cold-climate model rather than a standard one. Winter nights here average 25°F, and that is cold enough that a standard heat pump loses heating power right when you need it most. Know that you will be paying more to run it than a furnace, at Pennsylvania gas and electric prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if you already have gas line to the house or are willing to run one. It costs at least 30% less to heat with here than a heat pump, and it holds its output no matter how cold the night gets. You will need a separate system for cooling, but for heating alone through the 7 months a year you need it, this is what most homes around you are running.
A Montgomery County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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