Heat pump vs Furnace in Windham County, Vermont
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling as well as heat and you're set on staying electric. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop, and nights here average 14°F from December through February. Expect it to cost more to run here than a furnace, so weigh that against what you gain in the summer.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if gas is already run to your house or easy to bring in. It costs at least 25% less to heat with here than a heat pump does, and with nine months of heating a year that difference adds up. You'll need a separate way to cool the house, since a furnace only heats.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling as well as heat and you're set on staying electric. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop, and nights here average 14°F from December through February. Expect it to cost more to run here than a furnace, so weigh that against what you gain in the summer.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if gas is already run to your house or easy to bring in. It costs at least 25% less to heat with here than a heat pump does, and with nine months of heating a year that difference adds up. You'll need a separate way to cool the house, since a furnace only heats.
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 Windham County.
Winter nights here average 14°F, and gas heat costs at least 25% less than a heat pump at Vermont prices.
If your home has no gas line to tap into, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through those 14 degree nights and cool it come summer.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | Costs more to run | At least 25% less to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in New England that heat with one | 1.7% | 54.8% |
| Handles a 14°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 as well as heat and you're set on staying electric. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop, and nights here average 14°F from December through February. Expect it to cost more to run here than a furnace, so weigh that against what you gain in the summer.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if gas is already run to your house or easy to bring in. It costs at least 25% less to heat with here than a heat pump does, and with nine months of heating a year that difference adds up. You'll need a separate way to cool the house, since a furnace only heats.
A Windham County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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