Heat pump vs Furnace in St. Joseph County, Indiana
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling and heating from one system and you don't mind paying more to run it through the winter. Get a cold-climate model, not a standard one. Standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward 20°F, and that's a normal winter night here from December through February.
When a furnace makes sense
For most homes here, a furnace is the cheaper way to stay warm. Natural gas costs at least 40% less than a heat pump to run at Indiana prices, and with winter nights averaging 20°F from December through February, you want a system that doesn't lose power in the cold. A furnace holds its output no matter how far the temperature drops, which matters when you're heating for around 8 months a year.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling and heating from one system and you don't mind paying more to run it through the winter. Get a cold-climate model, not a standard one. Standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward 20°F, and that's a normal winter night here from December through February.
When a furnace makes sense
For most homes here, a furnace is the cheaper way to stay warm. Natural gas costs at least 40% less than a heat pump to run at Indiana prices, and with winter nights averaging 20°F from December through February, you want a system that doesn't lose power in the cold. A furnace holds its output no matter how far the temperature drops, which matters when you're heating for around 8 months a year.
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 St. Joseph County.
Winter nights here average 20°F, and gas heat costs at least 40% less than a heat pump at Indiana prices, so the furnace wins.
If your home has no gas line to it, a cold-climate heat pump will heat and cool it without one.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | Costs more to run | At least 40% less to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in the Great Lakes states that heat with one | 3.4% | 78.8% |
| Handles a 20°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 and heating from one system and you don't mind paying more to run it through the winter. Get a cold-climate model, not a standard one. Standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward 20°F, and that's a normal winter night here from December through February.
When a furnace makes sense
For most homes here, a furnace is the cheaper way to stay warm. Natural gas costs at least 40% less than a heat pump to run at Indiana prices, and with winter nights averaging 20°F from December through February, you want a system that doesn't lose power in the cold. A furnace holds its output no matter how far the temperature drops, which matters when you're heating for around 8 months a year.
A St. Joseph County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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