Heat pump vs Furnace in Union County, New Jersey
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning and heat from one system, or if you don't have a gas line to the house. Get a cold-climate model, since your winter nights average 26°F and a standard heat pump loses heating power in that kind of cold. Expect to pay more to heat with electricity than a neighbor on gas, since gas runs at least 35% cheaper here.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if your house already has a gas line, which is true of 82% of homes in the county. It costs less to run than a heat pump at New Jersey's electricity and gas prices, and it holds its output no matter how cold the night gets outside. The one thing it won't do is cool your house, so you'd still need a separate AC for summer.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning and heat from one system, or if you don't have a gas line to the house. Get a cold-climate model, since your winter nights average 26°F and a standard heat pump loses heating power in that kind of cold. Expect to pay more to heat with electricity than a neighbor on gas, since gas runs at least 35% cheaper here.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if your house already has a gas line, which is true of 82% of homes in the county. It costs less to run than a heat pump at New Jersey's electricity and gas prices, and it holds its output no matter how cold the night gets outside. The one thing it won't do is cool your house, so you'd still need a separate AC for summer.
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 Union County.
Gas heat costs at least 35% less here, and with most homes already on gas and older housing stock, a furnace makes more sense than a heat pump.
If your home has no gas line, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through those 26-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 35% less to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in the Mid-Atlantic that heat with one | 4.2% | 51.4% |
| Handles a 26°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 air conditioning and heat from one system, or if you don't have a gas line to the house. Get a cold-climate model, since your winter nights average 26°F and a standard heat pump loses heating power in that kind of cold. Expect to pay more to heat with electricity than a neighbor on gas, since gas runs at least 35% cheaper here.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if your house already has a gas line, which is true of 82% of homes in the county. It costs less to run than a heat pump at New Jersey's electricity and gas prices, and it holds its output no matter how cold the night gets outside. The one thing it won't do is cool your house, so you'd still need a separate AC for summer.
A Union County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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