Heat pump vs Furnace in Westchester County, New York
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you also want central air conditioning from the same system, or if you don't have gas line access at all. Choose a cold-climate model, since a standard heat pump loses heating power once temperatures drop toward 24°F, which is a normal winter night here. Expect to run it against electric rates for close to eight months a year, and know that natural gas runs at least 35% cheaper here at current prices.
When a furnace makes sense
If gas is already run to your house, a furnace is the cheaper way to get through a Westchester winter, costing at least 35% less than a heat pump at New York's rates. It has no trouble holding its output when nights drop to 24°F, since burning gas doesn't lose power in the cold the way a standard heat pump does. It won't cool your home in summer, so you would still need separate air conditioning for that.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you also want central air conditioning from the same system, or if you don't have gas line access at all. Choose a cold-climate model, since a standard heat pump loses heating power once temperatures drop toward 24°F, which is a normal winter night here. Expect to run it against electric rates for close to eight months a year, and know that natural gas runs at least 35% cheaper here at current prices.
When a furnace makes sense
If gas is already run to your house, a furnace is the cheaper way to get through a Westchester winter, costing at least 35% less than a heat pump at New York's rates. It has no trouble holding its output when nights drop to 24°F, since burning gas doesn't lose power in the cold the way a standard heat pump does. It won't cool your home in summer, so you would still need separate air conditioning for that.
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 Westchester County.
Gas heat runs at least 35% cheaper than a heat pump at New York prices, and most homes here already have the gas line for it.
If your home has no gas line to tap into, a cold-climate heat pump still heats and cools from one system without running new gas service.
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 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 also want central air conditioning from the same system, or if you don't have gas line access at all. Choose a cold-climate model, since a standard heat pump loses heating power once temperatures drop toward 24°F, which is a normal winter night here. Expect to run it against electric rates for close to eight months a year, and know that natural gas runs at least 35% cheaper here at current prices.
When a furnace makes sense
If gas is already run to your house, a furnace is the cheaper way to get through a Westchester winter, costing at least 35% less than a heat pump at New York's rates. It has no trouble holding its output when nights drop to 24°F, since burning gas doesn't lose power in the cold the way a standard heat pump does. It won't cool your home in summer, so you would still need separate air conditioning for that.
A Westchester County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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