Heat pump vs Furnace in Kings County, New York
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want cooling as well as heating from one system, a heat pump gives you both. Get a cold-climate model, since winter nights here average 29°F and a standard heat pump loses power in that kind of cold. Expect to pay more to heat with it than with gas, at New York's prices.
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has a gas line, a furnace is the cheaper way to heat it, running at least 35% less than a heat pump at New York's prices. It has no trouble keeping up when nights sit near 29°F, and most homes in this area already heat with gas. The tradeoff is that it only heats, so you would still need a separate way to cool the house in summer.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want cooling as well as heating from one system, a heat pump gives you both. Get a cold-climate model, since winter nights here average 29°F and a standard heat pump loses power in that kind of cold. Expect to pay more to heat with it than with gas, at New York's prices.
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has a gas line, a furnace is the cheaper way to heat it, running at least 35% less than a heat pump at New York's prices. It has no trouble keeping up when nights sit near 29°F, and most homes in this area already heat with gas. The tradeoff is that it only heats, so you would still need a separate way to cool the house in summer.
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 Kings County.
Gas costs at least 35% less to heat with here, and most homes in Kings County already run on it, so a furnace makes sense.
If you want one system that heats in the winter and cools in the summer without a separate air conditioner, a cold-climate heat pump is worth a look.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | Costs more to run | At least 35% 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 29°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. Get a cold-climate model, since winter nights here average 29°F and a standard heat pump loses power in that kind of cold. Expect to pay more to heat with it than with gas, at New York's prices.
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has a gas line, a furnace is the cheaper way to heat it, running at least 35% less than a heat pump at New York's prices. It has no trouble keeping up when nights sit near 29°F, and most homes in this area already heat with gas. The tradeoff is that it only heats, so you would still need a separate way to cool the house in summer.
A Kings County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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