Heat pump vs Furnace in Harrison County, West Virginia
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want cooling as well as heating from one system, a heat pump does both. Just make sure it is a cold-climate model. Winter nights here average 25°F, and a standard heat pump loses heating power at those temperatures while a cold-climate one is built to keep up.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has a gas line, a furnace makes sense here. Natural gas costs at least 10% less than a heat pump to run at West Virginia prices, and with 8 months of heating a year that difference adds up. It is why 78% of homes in the county already heat this way.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want cooling as well as heating from one system, a heat pump does both. Just make sure it is a cold-climate model. Winter nights here average 25°F, and a standard heat pump loses heating power at those temperatures while a cold-climate one is built to keep up.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has a gas line, a furnace makes sense here. Natural gas costs at least 10% less than a heat pump to run at West Virginia prices, and with 8 months of heating a year that difference adds up. It is why 78% of homes in the county already heat this way.
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 Harrison County.
Almost 78% of homes in Harrison County already heat with gas, and gas costs less to run here than a heat pump.
If your home has no gas line to it, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through those 25°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 10% less to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in the South Atlantic states that heat with one | 30.1% | 48% |
| Handles a 25°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
If you want cooling as well as heating from one system, a heat pump does both. Just make sure it is a cold-climate model. Winter nights here average 25°F, and a standard heat pump loses heating power at those temperatures while a cold-climate one is built to keep up.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has a gas line, a furnace makes sense here. Natural gas costs at least 10% less than a heat pump to run at West Virginia prices, and with 8 months of heating a year that difference adds up. It is why 78% of homes in the county already heat this way.
A Harrison County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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