HVAC system selection

Heat pump vs furnace

Compare fuel costs for the same delivered heat.

Entries are saved on this device for this browser tab. Reset clears them.

Equal-heat fuel cost comparison
1. Demand and source
2. Performance (required)

COP must describe the stated period and temperature conditions. Zero backup is a declared scenario, not a verified promise for your house.

3. Rates (editable defaults)

EIA 2025 US residential averages: electricity 17.30 cents/kWh; natural gas $15.34 per thousand cubic feet. Gas reference converts to about $1.4807/therm using EIA approximate 1,036 BTU/ft³. National references, not your local tariff; replace with your bill. Checked October 14, 2026. Electricity source; gas source; unit conversion.

Result not yet calculated

Enter the required data. Unknown assumptions do not become guessed values.

Method v1.0. Checked October 14, 2026. Sources and limits.

Paper method and limits

For equal period heat: resistance kWh = BTU / 3,412. Gas therms = BTU / (100,000 times AFUE fraction). Heat-pump input uses the declared COP and resistance backup share. Price each with its correct energy-unit rate. Fixed fees, cooling and unrecorded loads remain outside the variable subtotal.

A residential room in natural window light
Sections9

Heat pump vs furnace is a choice about heat source, winter output and installed scope. A heat pump moves heat and can cool the house. A furnace makes heat from fuel or resistance elements. Compare the same home load, full system and local rates before choosing either route.

Choose a heat pump when its stated cold-weather output, ducts and power supply fit the house. A furnace may fit a sound existing fuel system, or act as planned backup in a dual-fuel design. Neither has a fixed bill advantage. Use equal delivered heat and current rates, and keep cooling and site work in the installed check.

Heat pump vs furnace: heating technology and suitability

A gas, oil or propane furnace burns fuel. An electric furnace uses resistance heat. An air-source heat pump transfers heat from outdoor air. Those are different systems, even when all use indoor ducts and a blower.

The ENERGY STAR heat-pump guide explains the reversible heating and cooling role. The exact outdoor unit must work with the stated indoor unit and controls. A brand or outdoor family name alone does not prove a match.

Decision Heat pump Furnace
Cooling Can supply cooling in a matched system Needs separate cooling equipment
Heat source Electricity to move heat Fuel combustion or electric resistance
Winter proof Output and COP at local design conditions Rated output and real installed setup
Existing service Power and distribution assessment Fuel or power and distribution assessment
Backup Defined heat source and control plan May itself be the backup source

Installed scope comparison

An air-source bid can cover an outdoor unit, indoor coil or air handler, controls and fitting work. A furnace bid can omit the outdoor cooling unit. Their totals need equal duties before a useful check.

Use heat pump installation prices for the air-source scope and the main furnace calculator for the fuel scope. Neither range proves a conversion price for your home.

Keep power work, vents, drains, ducts and removal named. Ask whether a retained furnace is included as backup or leaves the house. A new furnace line must not be added again if the quoted dual-fuel package already covers it.

Fuel prices and efficiency

COP compares heat delivered with power input at stated conditions. AFUE explains seasonal furnace fuel efficiency. A high COP or AFUE is useful evidence. But neither number alone is an electricity or gas bill.

The worksheet prices equal delivered heat. Its editable past rate references come from EIA's 2025 US residential data. They are US context, not your tariff. Read your bill's unit before replacing them. Dollars per thousand cubic feet are not dollars per therm.

Use heat pump cost to run for the period, COP and backup calculation. Do not enter purchased gas energy as delivered heat without accounting for the furnace scope. Keep hot water and cooking out when they share the meter.

Cold-weather output and backup

Heating use at a low outdoor temperature does not prove the unit meets the home's full load there. Compare the new match's output curve with the design load. Also record the planned resistance or furnace backup.

ACCA Manual J shows the load basis. Manual S guides unit choice. A square-foot rule or an old cabinet label is not that pair of records.

For a winter-focused project, compare cold-climate heat pump costs. A cold-climate label narrows research. It does not promise zero backup or a fixed monthly saving.

Heat pump vs furnace: running-cost scenario

This hypothetical example supplies 50,000,000 BTU of heat over one year. It uses heat-pump COP 3, no resistance backup, gas AFUE 80%, electricity $0.173/kWh and gas $1.4807/therm. Those are stated inputs, not an estimate of your house's demand.

Equal-heat calculation Annual variable cost from stated inputs
Heat pump: heat / 3,412 / COP About $845
Gas: heat / 100,000 / 0.80 About $925
Resistance: heat / 3,412 About $2,535

The small gap between the first two amounts is not a savings promise. At COP 2, the same heat-pump case is about $1,268. The order changes without changing the house demand or gas rate. Replace every input with a record for the stated period.

These totals exclude fixed fees, cooling and unrecorded other loads. A new installed price cannot be subtracted from one year's bill and treated as a recurring expense. Keep first cost and yearly use on separate sheets.

Decision table and next budget step

Home condition Evidence to gather before choosing
Sound ducts and fuel service Comparable furnace and heat-pump bids
Cold winter or high peak load Design-condition output and backup plan
No ducts in the target rooms Room coverage and ductless design
Furnace retained as backup Approved coil/control match and changeover duties
Full fuel conversion Utility, power, removal and inspection scope

A well-stated bid can be more useful than a family rating ceiling. Keep full model suffixes, matching record where stated and the installer's load basis. Ask which parts stay and who covers any excluded work.

Keep the current house duty in both bids

If insulation or a remodel changes the load, apply that current duty to both workable routes. Do not compare a heat pump chosen for a lower future demand with a furnace budget chosen for the old house without labelling the different scenarios.

Keep all shared tasks once in each full route. A source retirement or duct network task can belong to both options depending on the real plan. The difference is useful only when the included work and remaining unknowns can be traced to the same planned duties.

Sources and corrections

Technical scope follows ENERGY STAR and ACCA, checked October 14, 2026. Unit conversion and past rate references follow EIA energy units. Cost-guide dates and limits appear on the linked budget pages. This is research from source records, with no hands-on tests or reliability ranking.

To ask for a fix, use the contact page and name the model, source date and statement. A later model or different match can change the facts without proving the older system has the same rating.

Verdict: make heat pump vs furnace a whole-system comparison

Heat pump vs furnace is most useful with equal heat duties and a written backup plan. Compare the full installed scope. Then run a rate and performance range. Use system choices to check the options and the main calculator to keep unknown project costs visible.