Heat pump vs Furnace in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
When a heat pump makes sense
If your house already has gas piped to it, a heat pump is worth a look mainly if you also want central air conditioning from the same equipment. Winter nights here average 24°F, cold enough that a standard heat pump loses heating power right when you need it most, so you would want a cold-climate model built to keep working at those temperatures. Even then, running it through a Pennsylvania winter costs more than gas, since heating with natural gas here runs at least 30% cheaper at current prices.
When a furnace makes sense
For most homes here, a furnace is the cheaper machine to run, since natural gas costs at least 30% less than a heat pump at Pennsylvania prices, and you will lean on it for about 8 months of the year. It does not lose output in cold weather the way a standard heat pump can, which matters when nights average 24°F through the winter. This is also the equipment most homes around you already use, with 81% heating on gas.
When a heat pump makes sense
If your house already has gas piped to it, a heat pump is worth a look mainly if you also want central air conditioning from the same equipment. Winter nights here average 24°F, cold enough that a standard heat pump loses heating power right when you need it most, so you would want a cold-climate model built to keep working at those temperatures. Even then, running it through a Pennsylvania winter costs more than gas, since heating with natural gas here runs at least 30% cheaper at current prices.
When a furnace makes sense
For most homes here, a furnace is the cheaper machine to run, since natural gas costs at least 30% less than a heat pump at Pennsylvania prices, and you will lean on it for about 8 months of the year. It does not lose output in cold weather the way a standard heat pump can, which matters when nights average 24°F through the winter. This is also the equipment most homes around you already use, with 81% heating on gas.
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 Allegheny County.
Gas heat runs at least 30% cheaper here, most of your neighbors already have the gas line in, and an older home like yours is set up for it.
If your home has no gas line to it, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it 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 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
If your house already has gas piped to it, a heat pump is worth a look mainly if you also want central air conditioning from the same equipment. Winter nights here average 24°F, cold enough that a standard heat pump loses heating power right when you need it most, so you would want a cold-climate model built to keep working at those temperatures. Even then, running it through a Pennsylvania winter costs more than gas, since heating with natural gas here runs at least 30% cheaper at current prices.
When a furnace makes sense
For most homes here, a furnace is the cheaper machine to run, since natural gas costs at least 30% less than a heat pump at Pennsylvania prices, and you will lean on it for about 8 months of the year. It does not lose output in cold weather the way a standard heat pump can, which matters when nights average 24°F through the winter. This is also the equipment most homes around you already use, with 81% heating on gas.
A Allegheny County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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