Heat pump vs Furnace in Barnes County, North Dakota
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling as well as heating from one system, or if you don't have natural gas available to your house. Get a cold-climate model, since a standard heat pump loses heating power once temperatures drop, and your winter nights average 3°F here. Expect to pay more to run it than a furnace, since gas heat costs at least 30% less at North Dakota prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if you already have a gas line to your house and want the lower running cost. It has no trouble holding its output at 3°F, and with nine months of heating a year here, that cost difference adds up. The tradeoff is it only heats, so you would need a separate system for cooling.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling as well as heating from one system, or if you don't have natural gas available to your house. Get a cold-climate model, since a standard heat pump loses heating power once temperatures drop, and your winter nights average 3°F here. Expect to pay more to run it than a furnace, since gas heat costs at least 30% less at North Dakota prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if you already have a gas line to your house and want the lower running cost. It has no trouble holding its output at 3°F, and with nine months of heating a year here, that cost difference adds up. The tradeoff is it only heats, so you would need a separate system for 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 Barnes County.
Nights here average 3°F all winter, and gas heat costs at least 30% less than a heat pump at North Dakota prices.
If your home has no gas line, a cold climate heat pump will still heat it through a Barnes County winter and cool it come summer.
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
A heat pump makes sense if you want cooling as well as heating from one system, or if you don't have natural gas available to your house. Get a cold-climate model, since a standard heat pump loses heating power once temperatures drop, and your winter nights average 3°F here. Expect to pay more to run it than a furnace, since gas heat costs at least 30% less at North Dakota prices.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call if you already have a gas line to your house and want the lower running cost. It has no trouble holding its output at 3°F, and with nine months of heating a year here, that cost difference adds up. The tradeoff is it only heats, so you would need a separate system for cooling.
A Barnes County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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