Heat pump vs Furnace in Morris County, New Jersey
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning and heat from one system and you're set on getting off gas. Get a cold-climate model, not a standard one. Winter nights here average 22°F, and a standard heat pump loses heating power in that kind of cold while a cold-climate model is built to keep working through it. Expect to pay more to run it than a furnace, since gas costs at least 35% less here at New Jersey prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call for most homes in Morris County. It costs less to run, and with heat needed about 8 months a year that difference adds up. It won't lose output on the coldest nights either. The tradeoff is that it only heats, so cooling has to come from a separate system.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning and heat from one system and you're set on getting off gas. Get a cold-climate model, not a standard one. Winter nights here average 22°F, and a standard heat pump loses heating power in that kind of cold while a cold-climate model is built to keep working through it. Expect to pay more to run it than a furnace, since gas costs at least 35% less here at New Jersey prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call for most homes in Morris County. It costs less to run, and with heat needed about 8 months a year that difference adds up. It won't lose output on the coldest nights either. The tradeoff is that it only heats, so cooling has to come from 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 Morris County.
Gas heat costs at least 35% less here than a heat pump, and with most Morris County homes already on gas, a furnace makes sense.
If your home has no gas line, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through those 22°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 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 22°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 and you're set on getting off gas. Get a cold-climate model, not a standard one. Winter nights here average 22°F, and a standard heat pump loses heating power in that kind of cold while a cold-climate model is built to keep working through it. Expect to pay more to run it than a furnace, since gas costs at least 35% less here at New Jersey prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call for most homes in Morris County. It costs less to run, and with heat needed about 8 months a year that difference adds up. It won't lose output on the coldest nights either. The tradeoff is that it only heats, so cooling has to come from a separate system.
A Morris County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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