Heat pump vs Furnace in Franklin County, Massachusetts
When a heat pump makes sense
If your home already has gas or if gas is not an option for you, a cold-climate heat pump is built to keep working through nights at 17°F, unlike a standard heat pump that loses power in that kind of cold. It also covers your summer cooling, which a furnace cannot do. Expect your electric bills to run higher than a gas furnace would cost you here.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home has a gas line, a furnace is the cheaper way to heat it through a Franklin County winter. Natural gas runs at least 30% less than a heat pump at Massachusetts electric rates, and with 8 months of heating season here that difference adds up. A furnace only heats, so you would still need a separate way to cool your home in summer.
When a heat pump makes sense
If your home already has gas or if gas is not an option for you, a cold-climate heat pump is built to keep working through nights at 17°F, unlike a standard heat pump that loses power in that kind of cold. It also covers your summer cooling, which a furnace cannot do. Expect your electric bills to run higher than a gas furnace would cost you here.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home has a gas line, a furnace is the cheaper way to heat it through a Franklin County winter. Natural gas runs at least 30% less than a heat pump at Massachusetts electric rates, and with 8 months of heating season here that difference adds up. A furnace only heats, so you would still need a separate way to cool your home in summer.
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 Franklin County.
Winter nights here average 17°F, and gas heat costs at least 30% less than a heat pump at Massachusetts prices.
If your home has no gas line, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through a 17°F night and cool it come summer.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | Costs more to run | At least 30% less to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in New England that heat with one | 1.7% | 54.8% |
| Handles a 17°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 your home already has gas or if gas is not an option for you, a cold-climate heat pump is built to keep working through nights at 17°F, unlike a standard heat pump that loses power in that kind of cold. It also covers your summer cooling, which a furnace cannot do. Expect your electric bills to run higher than a gas furnace would cost you here.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home has a gas line, a furnace is the cheaper way to heat it through a Franklin County winter. Natural gas runs at least 30% less than a heat pump at Massachusetts electric rates, and with 8 months of heating season here that difference adds up. A furnace only heats, so you would still need a separate way to cool your home in summer.
A Franklin County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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