Heat pump vs Furnace in Orange County, New York
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling from the same system and you are set on staying off gas entirely. Look for a cold-climate model, since a standard heat pump loses heating power once temperatures drop toward what this area sees on a winter night. Even so, expect to pay more to run it than a furnace, since gas heat costs at least 35% less here at current New York prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call for most homes here, and gas already heats close to half the houses in Orange County. With winter nights averaging 21°F and heat needed about 8 months of the year, a furnace holds its output through the cold without losing power the way a standard heat pump does. It costs less to run here too, since gas heat runs at least 35% cheaper than a heat pump at local prices.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling from the same system and you are set on staying off gas entirely. Look for a cold-climate model, since a standard heat pump loses heating power once temperatures drop toward what this area sees on a winter night. Even so, expect to pay more to run it than a furnace, since gas heat costs at least 35% less here at current New York prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call for most homes here, and gas already heats close to half the houses in Orange County. With winter nights averaging 21°F and heat needed about 8 months of the year, a furnace holds its output through the cold without losing power the way a standard heat pump does. It costs less to run here too, since gas heat runs at least 35% cheaper than a heat pump at local prices.
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 Orange County.
Gas heat runs at least 35% cheaper than a heat pump at New York's electric rates, and with 8 months of heating here, that adds up.
If your home has no gas line to tap into, a cold-climate heat pump still heats and cools from one system without one.
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 21°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 from the same system and you are set on staying off gas entirely. Look for a cold-climate model, since a standard heat pump loses heating power once temperatures drop toward what this area sees on a winter night. Even so, expect to pay more to run it than a furnace, since gas heat costs at least 35% less here at current New York prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call for most homes here, and gas already heats close to half the houses in Orange County. With winter nights averaging 21°F and heat needed about 8 months of the year, a furnace holds its output through the cold without losing power the way a standard heat pump does. It costs less to run here too, since gas heat runs at least 35% cheaper than a heat pump at local prices.
A Orange County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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