Heat pump vs Furnace in Larimer County, Colorado
When a heat pump makes sense
If your home already runs on electricity with no gas line to it, a heat pump makes sense, since it covers both heating and cooling from one system. Look for a cold-climate model rather than a standard one. Larimer County nights average 15°F in the depths of winter, and a standard heat pump loses heating power at those temperatures. You will still pay more to heat with electricity than a furnace owner pays for gas at Colorado prices.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home has a gas line, a furnace is the cheaper way to get through the winter here. Nights averaging 15°F from December through February will not touch its output, and gas runs at least 35% less than electric heat at Colorado prices. With heat needed around 10 months of the year, that difference carries real weight. It only heats, so you would still need a separate system for summer cooling.
When a heat pump makes sense
If your home already runs on electricity with no gas line to it, a heat pump makes sense, since it covers both heating and cooling from one system. Look for a cold-climate model rather than a standard one. Larimer County nights average 15°F in the depths of winter, and a standard heat pump loses heating power at those temperatures. You will still pay more to heat with electricity than a furnace owner pays for gas at Colorado prices.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home has a gas line, a furnace is the cheaper way to get through the winter here. Nights averaging 15°F from December through February will not touch its output, and gas runs at least 35% less than electric heat at Colorado prices. With heat needed around 10 months of the year, that difference carries real weight. It only heats, so you would still need a separate system for summer 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
Furnace wins in Larimer County.
Winter nights here average 15°F, and gas heat costs at least 35% less than a heat pump at Colorado prices, so the furnace wins.
If your home has no gas line to begin with, a cold-climate heat pump still heats and cools from one system without one.
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 15°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 runs on electricity with no gas line to it, a heat pump makes sense, since it covers both heating and cooling from one system. Look for a cold-climate model rather than a standard one. Larimer County nights average 15°F in the depths of winter, and a standard heat pump loses heating power at those temperatures. You will still pay more to heat with electricity than a furnace owner pays for gas at Colorado prices.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home has a gas line, a furnace is the cheaper way to get through the winter here. Nights averaging 15°F from December through February will not touch its output, and gas runs at least 35% less than electric heat at Colorado prices. With heat needed around 10 months of the year, that difference carries real weight. It only heats, so you would still need a separate system for summer cooling.
A Larimer County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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