Heat pump vs Furnace in Cass County, North Dakota
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want one system that heats and cools, a cold-climate model is built to keep working on nights near 3°F, where a standard heat pump would lose heating power. It costs more to run than a furnace, since gas heat costs at least 30% less here, and you'll be running it about 9 months of the year. It suits a home where having air conditioning without a separate system matters more than the lower running cost of gas.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the cheaper way to heat here, and that matters over 9 months of heating a year. It runs on natural gas, so nights averaging 3°F through December through February don't cost it any heating power the way they would a standard heat pump. You'll still need a separate air conditioner for summer, and 43% of homes here already heat this way.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want one system that heats and cools, a cold-climate model is built to keep working on nights near 3°F, where a standard heat pump would lose heating power. It costs more to run than a furnace, since gas heat costs at least 30% less here, and you'll be running it about 9 months of the year. It suits a home where having air conditioning without a separate system matters more than the lower running cost of gas.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the cheaper way to heat here, and that matters over 9 months of heating a year. It runs on natural gas, so nights averaging 3°F through December through February don't cost it any heating power the way they would a standard heat pump. You'll still need a separate air conditioner for summer, and 43% of homes here already heat this way.
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 Cass County.
At 3 degrees on a December night, a furnace just keeps up better, and gas here runs at least 30% cheaper to heat with.
If your home has no gas line to it, a cold climate heat pump still gives you heat and central air from one system.
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 the Plains states that heat with one | 5.4% | 77.6% |
| Handles a 3°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 one system that heats and cools, a cold-climate model is built to keep working on nights near 3°F, where a standard heat pump would lose heating power. It costs more to run than a furnace, since gas heat costs at least 30% less here, and you'll be running it about 9 months of the year. It suits a home where having air conditioning without a separate system matters more than the lower running cost of gas.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the cheaper way to heat here, and that matters over 9 months of heating a year. It runs on natural gas, so nights averaging 3°F through December through February don't cost it any heating power the way they would a standard heat pump. You'll still need a separate air conditioner for summer, and 43% of homes here already heat this way.
A Cass County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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