Heat pump vs Furnace in Caledonia County, Vermont
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling as well as heat and you are set on staying off gas entirely. Choose a cold-climate model, not a standard one, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward what you get here through the winter. Expect to run it alongside a backup heat source for the coldest nights, since your winters average 9°F from December through February.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace suits a home where keeping running costs down matters most, since natural gas costs at least 25% less than a heat pump here at Vermont prices, and you are heating for about 9 months of the year. It is also the simpler choice if you do not need central cooling from the same system. The tradeoff is that a furnace only heats, so cooling would need a separate system.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling as well as heat and you are set on staying off gas entirely. Choose a cold-climate model, not a standard one, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward what you get here through the winter. Expect to run it alongside a backup heat source for the coldest nights, since your winters average 9°F from December through February.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace suits a home where keeping running costs down matters most, since natural gas costs at least 25% less than a heat pump here at Vermont prices, and you are heating for about 9 months of the year. It is also the simpler choice if you do not need central cooling from the same system. The tradeoff is that a furnace only heats, so cooling would need 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 Caledonia County.
Winter nights here average 9°F, and gas comes in at least 25% cheaper 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 9°F 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 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 makes sense if you want cooling as well as heat and you are set on staying off gas entirely. Choose a cold-climate model, not a standard one, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward what you get here through the winter. Expect to run it alongside a backup heat source for the coldest nights, since your winters average 9°F from December through February.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace suits a home where keeping running costs down matters most, since natural gas costs at least 25% less than a heat pump here at Vermont prices, and you are heating for about 9 months of the year. It is also the simpler choice if you do not need central cooling from the same system. The tradeoff is that a furnace only heats, so cooling would need a separate system.
A Caledonia County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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