Heat pump vs Furnace in King County, Washington
When a heat pump makes sense
If your home already heats with electricity, or you want one system that handles both heating and cooling, a heat pump makes sense here. Winter nights average 32°F, which a cold-climate heat pump is built to handle without losing heating power. Look for a cold-climate model rather than a standard one, since standard heat pumps lose capacity in that kind of cold.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has gas line service, a furnace is worth keeping in the picture. Natural gas costs at least 5% less than a heat pump to run at Washington prices, and with heat needed about 10 months of the year, that difference adds up. A furnace only heats, though, so you would still need a separate system for cooling.
When a heat pump makes sense
If your home already heats with electricity, or you want one system that handles both heating and cooling, a heat pump makes sense here. Winter nights average 32°F, which a cold-climate heat pump is built to handle without losing heating power. Look for a cold-climate model rather than a standard one, since standard heat pumps lose capacity in that kind of cold.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has gas line service, a furnace is worth keeping in the picture. Natural gas costs at least 5% less than a heat pump to run at Washington prices, and with heat needed about 10 months of the year, that difference adds up. A furnace only heats, though, so you would still need a separate system for cooling.
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
Heat pump wins in King County.
Most homes here already heat with electricity, and a heat pump uses that same power while also giving you cooling in the summer.
If your home already has a gas line and you don't need air conditioning, a furnace paired with lower gas rates can still cost less to run through the winter.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | Costs more to run | At least 5% less to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in the Pacific states that heat with one | 4.8% | 56.9% |
| Handles a 32°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 heats with electricity, or you want one system that handles both heating and cooling, a heat pump makes sense here. Winter nights average 32°F, which a cold-climate heat pump is built to handle without losing heating power. Look for a cold-climate model rather than a standard one, since standard heat pumps lose capacity in that kind of cold.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has gas line service, a furnace is worth keeping in the picture. Natural gas costs at least 5% less than a heat pump to run at Washington prices, and with heat needed about 10 months of the year, that difference adds up. A furnace only heats, though, so you would still need a separate system for cooling.
A King County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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