Furnace vs Boiler in Orleans County, Vermont
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ducts, a furnace is the simpler path. Nine degrees on a winter night is real cold, and a furnace brings the whole house up to temperature fast, pushing heated air through every vent at once. It only handles heat, so cooling would need to come from somewhere else, but for nine months of heating a year that's what most of these homes are set up to use.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home already has radiators or in-floor pipes instead of ducts, a boiler is the natural fit, and it runs about 5% cheaper here than a furnace. Boiler heat tends to feel steadier through a long cold stretch, since it warms the room surfaces themselves rather than just the air passing through. Only 2% of homes here heat with gas at all, so check what your boiler would run on before counting on that savings.
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ducts, a furnace is the simpler path. Nine degrees on a winter night is real cold, and a furnace brings the whole house up to temperature fast, pushing heated air through every vent at once. It only handles heat, so cooling would need to come from somewhere else, but for nine months of heating a year that's what most of these homes are set up to use.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home already has radiators or in-floor pipes instead of ducts, a boiler is the natural fit, and it runs about 5% cheaper here than a furnace. Boiler heat tends to feel steadier through a long cold stretch, since it warms the room surfaces themselves rather than just the air passing through. Only 2% of homes here heat with gas at all, so check what your boiler would run on before counting on that savings.
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
Boiler
- 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 Orleans County.
In New England, 54.8% of homes heat with a furnace, so just over half already have the ductwork it needs.
If your home already has radiators or in-floor pipes and no ductwork, a boiler is still the better choice.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Furnace | Boiler |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | Costs more to run | About 5% less to run |
| What it does | Heats only | Heats only |
| Homes in New England that heat with one | 54.8% | 26.2% |
| Handles a 9°F night | Yes | Yes |
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, NOAA
When a furnace makes sense
If your house already has ducts, a furnace is the simpler path. Nine degrees on a winter night is real cold, and a furnace brings the whole house up to temperature fast, pushing heated air through every vent at once. It only handles heat, so cooling would need to come from somewhere else, but for nine months of heating a year that's what most of these homes are set up to use.
When a boiler makes sense
If your home already has radiators or in-floor pipes instead of ducts, a boiler is the natural fit, and it runs about 5% cheaper here than a furnace. Boiler heat tends to feel steadier through a long cold stretch, since it warms the room surfaces themselves rather than just the air passing through. Only 2% of homes here heat with gas at all, so check what your boiler would run on before counting on that savings.
A Orleans County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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