Neither a heat pump nor a gas furnace is automatically cheaper for every U.S. home. A heat pump moves heat using electricity; a gas furnace makes heat by burning fuel. Which costs less to run depends on your local electricity and gas rates, climate, home heating load, system performance, and installation choices. Heat pumps have no on-site fuel combustion, but their total emissions depend partly on how electricity is generated.
How heat pumps and gas furnaces differ
A heat pump does not create heat by burning fuel. It moves heat between indoors and outdoors using electricity. The U.S. Department of Energy explains: “Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity to transfer heat from a cool space to a warm space.” A gas furnace instead burns natural gas to produce heat for the home.
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An air-source heat pump can also provide cooling, so a fair cost comparison should consider whether it replaces an air conditioner as well as a furnace. Comparing a heat-pump installation that supplies both heating and cooling with a furnace-only quote can make the options look more different in cost than they are.
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There is no supported universal dollar estimate for what a household will save by replacing a gas furnace with a heat pump. The upfront cost and operating cost are separate questions: installation bids determine the initial comparison, while local energy prices and the home’s heating needs drive much of the ongoing comparison.
#1 Best Overall
- Accessories such as Linesets, thermostats, LP conversion kits, Sold Separately
- ACCESSORIES - Sold separately unless specified in this listing
- Uses the HKSC/HKSX series of heat kits; NOT the HKR series
- Uses the HKSC/HKSX series of heat kits; NOT the HKR series
Compare installed costs fairly
Get itemized local bids for the equipment and work each option requires. Include verified local incentives, any electrical-service or ductwork changes, and whether the heat pump replaces cooling equipment you would otherwise install or replace. DOE purchasing guidance frames cost-effectiveness in terms of lifetime energy savings versus an upfront premium; it is federal procurement guidance, not a homeowner quote or a promise of payback.
Estimate operating costs with your own rates and load
Ask contractors to estimate annual energy use using your home’s heating load and the specific equipment being proposed. Apply your actual electricity and gas tariffs, including relevant fixed or time-based charges, rather than relying on a national savings claim. Include maintenance and the cost of any backup heat in the estimate. DOE’s December 2024 federal purchasing guidance notes that climate affects air-source heat-pump use, but does not establish a universal household bill comparison.
Rank #2
- Home Comfort Solution: Elevate your living with Goodman's standout HVAC products. Merge the efficiency of the Goodman 2 Ton 15.2 SEER2 Heat Pump GLZS4BA2410and the Goodman Multi-Position Air handler AMST24BU1300. This duo forms the basis of a system, promising efficient heating and cooling and precision in temperature control, all crafted to deliver sustained performance over years. Note that you will want a heat kit if you live in a cold climate.
- Efficient and Reliable Cooling: Dive into a cooling experience with Goodman's 2 Ton 15.2 SEER2 Single Stage Heat Pump GLZS4BA2410. Designed for user-friendliness, it includes service valves, gauge ports, and inspection points. Pre-charged for 15’ of tubing, it's ready to ensure your home's comfort.,Couple its enduring build with a reassuring 10-year parts warranty, and you're set for efficient and reliable cooling throughout the year.
- Upgrade Your HVAC System: Goodman's Multi-Position Air handler AMST24BU1300 represents HVAC evolution. Constructed with corrosion-resistant aluminum, it boasts grooved tubing for better heat transfer. Rigorous helium pressure tests during its making vouch for its quality. This unit is tailored for versatile, long-standing cooling and heating needs.
- Versatile with Wide Compatibility: The AC unit stands out with its factory-installed filter drier, ensuring cleaner operation. Fully charged and ready for action, its design features secure performance optimization. The Horizontal coil design streamlines airflow, fortifying its reliability and efficiency credentials.
- This system uses R-32 refrigerant.
Heat pumps can deliver more heat than the electrical energy they consume under suitable operating conditions. DOE says current heat pumps can reduce electricity use for heating by up to 75% compared with electric resistance heating. That figure is not a comparison with gas furnaces and should not be used as one.
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A furnace’s AFUE and a heat pump’s heating-season performance describe equipment efficiency using different rating methods. Neither rating alone predicts your bill. Actual costs also depend on local fuel prices, outdoor temperatures, the home’s heat loss, equipment sizing, installation quality, and how often backup heat operates.
Rank #3
- Home Comfort Solution: Elevate your living with Goodman's standout HVAC products. Merge the efficiency of the Goodman 4 Ton 15.2 SEER2 Heat Pump GLZS4BA4810 and the Goodman Multi-Position Air handler AMST48CU1300. This duo forms the basis of a system, promising efficient heating and cooling and precision in temperature control, all crafted to deliver sustained performance over years. Note that you will want a heat kit if you live in a cold climate.
- Efficient and Reliable Cooling: Dive into a cooling experience with Goodman's 4 Ton 15.2 SEER2 Single Stage Heat Pump GLZS4BA4810. Designed for user-friendliness, it includes service valves, gauge ports, and inspection points. Pre-charged for 15’ of tubing, it's ready to ensure your home's comfort.,Couple its enduring build with a reassuring 10-year parts warranty, and you're set for efficient and reliable cooling throughout the year.
- Upgrade Your HVAC System: Goodman's Multi-Position Air handler AMST48CU1300 represents HVAC evolution. Constructed with corrosion-resistant aluminum, it boasts grooved tubing for better heat transfer. Rigorous helium pressure tests during its making vouch for its quality. This unit is tailored for versatile, long-standing cooling and heating needs.
- Efficient Cooling: The AMST48CU1300 R-32 only air handler features internal factory-installed thermal expansion valves that optimize cooling, ensuring efficient operation. The unit is equipped with appropriately sized evaporator coil tubes, ensuring effective transfer and improved cooling performance. Featuring a direct-drive, 9-speed ECM blower motor, ensuring efficient airflow and enhanced comfort. The coil mounting track enables easy repositioning and flexible installation options.Flexible Installation: The Goodman AMST48CU1300 air handler can be installed in an upflow, horizontal right or horizontal left configuration.
- AHRI certified. See certificate number 215213861. This system uses R-32 refrigerant.
For heat pumps proposed in colder regions, ask for low-temperature capacity and efficiency information, not just a headline efficiency rating. A system that is a good match for one house or climate may not be the right choice for another.
Are heat pumps suitable for cold climates?
Cold-climate heat pumps are designed to maintain more performance at lower outdoor temperatures, but equipment and system design still need to fit the home. ENERGY STAR’s cold-climate criteria include a coefficient of performance (COP) of at least 1.75 at 5°F and at least 70% of heating capacity at 5°F compared with its capacity at 47°F. These are program criteria for qualifying equipment—not a guarantee of comfort in every house or a complete forecast of seasonal costs.
Rank #4
- · Not Compatible: Two transformer systems, Conventional multi-stage systems, Dual fuel/hybrid heating, Electric baseboard heat (110-240 volts), Line voltage, Convectors, Radiant-ceiling heat, Mini split systems and 12V RV systems.
- · Easy to Install and Use: Large terminal blocks with universal sub-base, can be installed within 30 minutes, clear, easy-to-read backlight LCD display and easy controls make for a user-friendly experience.
- · Dual Power Supply: Can be powered by 24VAC power or 2 AAA batteries, No common wire (C-wire) required on most systems (only required on heat only and cool only systems).
- · Simple but Powerful Control: Easy-access front-load battery compartment, adjustable temperature differential (swing) for energy optimization and maximum system life, Support temperature
- · High Compatibility: Heat pump multi-stage systems or conventional single-stage systems, Forced air (gas, oil or electric), Electric furnace, Hot water steam or gravity radiant heat, Heat only systems, Heat pump w/o or with auxiliary or emergency heat, Millivolt conventional systems, Gas fireplaces (24V), Floor or wall furnaces, Cool only systems.(TIP: Before purchasing, check to see if this thermostat is compatible with your system.) auxiliary or emergency heat, Millivolt, Gas fireplaces (24V), Floor or wall furnaces, Cool only systems.(TIP: Before purchasing, check to see if this thermostat is compatible with your system.)
ENERGY STAR recommends proper sizing and identifies Manual J as the load calculation contractors should use to determine a home’s heating and cooling needs. In cold regions, discuss how backup heat will work and when it may be needed. A dual-fuel setup is another option: pair a heat pump with a gas or oil furnace, then choose which system operates based on local costs and environmental considerations. Have the contractor calculate the changeover point for your rates and equipment rather than assuming one temperature works everywhere.
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The answer depends on the accounting boundary. A gas furnace burns fuel at the home. A heat pump has no direct on-site combustion emissions; ENERGY STAR notes that this avoids direct emissions such as nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide from combustion in the home. But a grid-powered heat pump is not emissions-free over its full lifecycle, because generating its electricity can produce emissions.
Best Value
- · Not Compatible: Two transformer systems, Conventional multi-stage systems, Dual fuel/hybrid heating, Electric baseboard heat (110-240 volts), Line voltage, Convectors, Radiant-ceiling heat, Mini split systems and 12V RV systems.
- · Easy to Install and Use: Large terminal blocks with universal sub-base, can be installed within 30 minutes, clear, easy-to-read backlight LCD display and easy controls make for a user-friendly experience.
- · Factory Pre-set Energy-efficiency Program: 7-day, 5/1/1 easy-to-understand programming menus, flexible programming lets you sync your comfort with your schedule.
- · Simple but Powerful Control: Easy-access front-load battery compartment, adjustable temperature differential (swing) for energy optimization and maximum system life, Support temperature
- ·High Compatibility: Heat pump multi-stage systems or conventional single-stage systems, Forced air (gas, oil or electric), Electric furnace, Hot water steam or gravity radiant heat, Heat only systems, Heat pump w/o or with auxiliary or emergency heat, Millivolt conventional systems, Gas fireplaces (24V), Floor or wall furnaces, Cool only systems.(TIP: Before purchasing, check to see if this thermostat is compatible with your system.)
A U.S. Department of Energy residential building-stock analysis, published in August 2023, reports greenhouse-gas reductions from heat-pump electrification across U.S. states, while finding that household energy-bill effects and consumer net present value vary. That broad analysis does not establish an identical emissions reduction or financial result for every household. For a local comparison, use an analysis that identifies its location, method, and year.
What to ask before choosing
- What is the home’s heating and cooling load, and will the bid include a Manual J calculation?
- What capacity and efficiency does the proposed heat pump retain at the outdoor temperatures relevant to this location?
- When would backup heat run, and what fuel or electricity cost would that add?
- Do the bids compare equivalent work, including cooling equipment, electrical upgrades, ductwork, and verified incentives?
- What annual energy use does the contractor estimate for each option using this home’s load and local tariffs?
- For emissions estimates, what electricity mix, location, and accounting method are being used?
DOE consumer guidance, ENERGY STAR’s cold-climate criteria, and related official resources are available at DOE: Heat Pump Systems, ENERGY STAR: Air-Source Heat Pumps, ENERGY STAR: Key Product Criteria, DOE: Purchasing Energy-Efficient Residential Air-Source Heat Pumps, DOE: Decarbonizing the U.S. Buildings Sector, and ENERGY STAR: Benefits of Air-Source Heat Pumps.
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