Heat pump vs Furnace in Pueblo County, Colorado
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning as part of the same system and you're set on staying electric. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward what Pueblo County sees on winter nights. Even then, expect to pay more to heat your home than a gas furnace would cost at Colorado gas prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call for most homes here, given winter nights averaging 19°F from December through February and eight months of the year needing heat. Natural gas costs at least 35% less than a heat pump to run at Colorado prices, and a furnace doesn't lose output in the cold the way a standard heat pump can. If you don't need air conditioning from the same system, there's little reason to pay more to heat with electricity.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning as part of the same system and you're set on staying electric. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward what Pueblo County sees on winter nights. Even then, expect to pay more to heat your home than a gas furnace would cost at Colorado gas prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call for most homes here, given winter nights averaging 19°F from December through February and eight months of the year needing heat. Natural gas costs at least 35% less than a heat pump to run at Colorado prices, and a furnace doesn't lose output in the cold the way a standard heat pump can. If you don't need air conditioning from the same system, there's little reason to pay more to heat with electricity.
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 Pueblo County.
Winter nights here average 19°F, and gas heat costs at least 35% less than a heat pump to run at that temperature.
If your home has no gas line to work with, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through those 19°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 19°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
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning as part of the same system and you're set on staying electric. Look for a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward what Pueblo County sees on winter nights. Even then, expect to pay more to heat your home than a gas furnace would cost at Colorado gas prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call for most homes here, given winter nights averaging 19°F from December through February and eight months of the year needing heat. Natural gas costs at least 35% less than a heat pump to run at Colorado prices, and a furnace doesn't lose output in the cold the way a standard heat pump can. If you don't need air conditioning from the same system, there's little reason to pay more to heat with electricity.
A Pueblo County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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