Heat Pump vs. Furnace in Massachusetts
Compare winter capacity, cooling and running costs for the rooms you need to heat.
The short answer
A furnace burns fuel to provide heat. An air-source heat pump moves heat using electricity and can cool the same rooms in summer. To choose between them, compare the heating load, winter output, ducts and fuel prices for your home. Keeping a furnace as backup is another option.
Can the equipment heat my home on a cold day?
Ask for a room-by-room heating load and the proposed equipment’s output at the local winter design temperature. A heat pump’s advertised operating limit alone does not establish that it can heat the house. For a furnace, ask for the delivered output and whether the existing ducts distribute it adequately.
Compare the same rooms over the same year
Use a year of oil or gas and electricity bills. Ask for annual heat-pump electricity use, expected backup fuel and the rates used. Compare both proposals at the same thermostat setting. Separate space heating from water heating and ordinary electric use. If one option also replaces central air, include that difference in the upfront comparison.
What if I keep my furnace?
In a dual-fuel setup, controls decide when the heat pump hands heating over to the furnace. Ask who will configure the switchover and service both units. Keeping a fossil-fuel system may change the available rebate; compare whole-home and partial-home rules instead of assuming the same incentive applies.
Common questions
Do I need a furnace for air conditioning?
No. A heat pump can provide cooling and heating. A furnace provides heat; in a central air conditioning system its blower may also distribute cooled air. Ask the installer which indoor and outdoor components stay, which are replaced and how the controls will work together.
Which system will cost less per month?
There is no universal answer. Ask for an estimate using the actual electricity and fuel rates on your bills, your heating load and the performance of the proposed equipment. Check what changes in a colder winter and whether the estimate includes backup heat, maintenance or cooling.
Related: Compare dual fuel and all-electric heat · All homeowner guides
Sources and further reading
Use these guides to prepare questions; equipment and costs need to be assessed for your home.
Your next step
Bring your questions. Start with your home.
Tell us what you want to improve and what you would like to understand. Send a request; your appointment is confirmed separately.