Heat pump vs Furnace in Ward County, North Dakota
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling and heating from one system and you are set on cutting gas out of the picture. Get a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop and Ward County nights average 5°F in December through February. Even then, expect to pay more to heat with electricity here than a gas furnace would cost you.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace fits most homes in Ward County, where winters run cold for about 9 months of the year and nights average 5°F in the coldest stretch. It runs on natural gas, which costs at least 30% less to heat with here than a heat pump, and it holds its output regardless of how cold it gets outside. It won't cool your home in summer, so you would need a separate air conditioner for that.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling and heating from one system and you are set on cutting gas out of the picture. Get a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop and Ward County nights average 5°F in December through February. Even then, expect to pay more to heat with electricity here than a gas furnace would cost you.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace fits most homes in Ward County, where winters run cold for about 9 months of the year and nights average 5°F in the coldest stretch. It runs on natural gas, which costs at least 30% less to heat with here than a heat pump, and it holds its output regardless of how cold it gets outside. It won't cool your home in summer, so you would need a separate air conditioner for that.
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 Ward County.
Nights here average 5°F all winter, and gas heat costs at least 30% less than a heat pump at that kind of cold, which is why most homes run gas.
If your home has no natural gas line to it, a cold-climate heat pump still heats and cools from one system without that hookup.
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 5°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 cooling and heating from one system and you are set on cutting gas out of the picture. Get a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop and Ward County nights average 5°F in December through February. Even then, expect to pay more to heat with electricity here than a gas furnace would cost you.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace fits most homes in Ward County, where winters run cold for about 9 months of the year and nights average 5°F in the coldest stretch. It runs on natural gas, which costs at least 30% less to heat with here than a heat pump, and it holds its output regardless of how cold it gets outside. It won't cool your home in summer, so you would need a separate air conditioner for that.
A Ward County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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