Heat pump vs Furnace in Orleans County, Vermont
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump fits a home where summer cooling matters as much as winter heat, since it handles both. The tradeoff is that it works hardest exactly when Orleans County nights are coldest, averaging 9°F from December through February, so a standard model will struggle and a cold-climate model is the one built to keep up. It also costs more to run here than a furnace on natural gas.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace fits a home that needs heat most of the year, about nine months here, and wants the lower running cost that comes with it. Heating with natural gas costs at least 25% less than a heat pump at Vermont prices, and a furnace holds its output steady whether the night is mild or down at 9°F. It only heats, so cooling the home in summer takes a separate system.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump fits a home where summer cooling matters as much as winter heat, since it handles both. The tradeoff is that it works hardest exactly when Orleans County nights are coldest, averaging 9°F from December through February, so a standard model will struggle and a cold-climate model is the one built to keep up. It also costs more to run here than a furnace on natural gas.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace fits a home that needs heat most of the year, about nine months here, and wants the lower running cost that comes with it. Heating with natural gas costs at least 25% less than a heat pump at Vermont prices, and a furnace holds its output steady whether the night is mild or down at 9°F. It only heats, so cooling the home in summer takes a separate system.
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 Orleans County.
Nights here average 9°F all winter, and gas heat runs at least 25% cheaper than a heat pump at Vermont prices.
If you want cooling from the same system and don't want a gas line run to your house, a cold-climate heat pump is still worth asking about.
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 9°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 fits a home where summer cooling matters as much as winter heat, since it handles both. The tradeoff is that it works hardest exactly when Orleans County nights are coldest, averaging 9°F from December through February, so a standard model will struggle and a cold-climate model is the one built to keep up. It also costs more to run here than a furnace on natural gas.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace fits a home that needs heat most of the year, about nine months here, and wants the lower running cost that comes with it. Heating with natural gas costs at least 25% less than a heat pump at Vermont prices, and a furnace holds its output steady whether the night is mild or down at 9°F. It only heats, so cooling the home in summer takes a separate system.
A Orleans County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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