Heat pump vs Furnace in Boulder County, Colorado
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want air conditioning as well as heat, a heat pump is the only one of the two that gives you both from one system. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward the teens, and Boulder County winter nights average 17°F from December through February. Expect to pay more to heat with electricity than a gas furnace here, at least 35% more at Colorado's rates.
When a furnace makes sense
If your house is already set up for gas, a furnace is the cheaper way to heat it here, running at least 35% less than a heat pump at Colorado's rates. It also has no trouble keeping up on the coldest nights, when winter lows average 17°F from December through February. It heats only, so you would still need a separate air conditioner for summer, but with heat needed about 10 months of the year, that gas savings adds up.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want air conditioning as well as heat, a heat pump is the only one of the two that gives you both from one system. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward the teens, and Boulder County winter nights average 17°F from December through February. Expect to pay more to heat with electricity than a gas furnace here, at least 35% more at Colorado's rates.
When a furnace makes sense
If your house is already set up for gas, a furnace is the cheaper way to heat it here, running at least 35% less than a heat pump at Colorado's rates. It also has no trouble keeping up on the coldest nights, when winter lows average 17°F from December through February. It heats only, so you would still need a separate air conditioner for summer, but with heat needed about 10 months of the year, that gas savings adds up.
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 Boulder County.
Winter nights here average 17°F, and gas heat costs at least 35% less than a heat pump at that cold, so the furnace wins.
If your home has no gas line to it, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through those 17°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 35% less to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in the Mountain West that heat with one | 9.1% | 69.6% |
| 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 you want air conditioning as well as heat, a heat pump is the only one of the two that gives you both from one system. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward the teens, and Boulder County winter nights average 17°F from December through February. Expect to pay more to heat with electricity than a gas furnace here, at least 35% more at Colorado's rates.
When a furnace makes sense
If your house is already set up for gas, a furnace is the cheaper way to heat it here, running at least 35% less than a heat pump at Colorado's rates. It also has no trouble keeping up on the coldest nights, when winter lows average 17°F from December through February. It heats only, so you would still need a separate air conditioner for summer, but with heat needed about 10 months of the year, that gas savings adds up.
A Boulder County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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