Heat pump vs Furnace in Williams County, North Dakota
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want cooling as well as heat from one system, a cold-climate heat pump is the one to look at here. At 4°F, a standard heat pump loses much of its heating power, so it takes a cold-climate model built for that kind of cold to keep up. Even then, natural gas runs at least 30% cheaper here for the same heat.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is worth a close look if you want the lower running cost. Winter nights here average 4°F from December through February, and heat is needed about 10 months of the year, so that cost difference carries across most of the year. A furnace only heats, though, so you would need a separate system for cooling.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want cooling as well as heat from one system, a cold-climate heat pump is the one to look at here. At 4°F, a standard heat pump loses much of its heating power, so it takes a cold-climate model built for that kind of cold to keep up. Even then, natural gas runs at least 30% cheaper here for the same heat.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is worth a close look if you want the lower running cost. Winter nights here average 4°F from December through February, and heat is needed about 10 months of the year, so that cost difference carries across most of the year. A furnace only heats, though, 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 Williams County.
Winter nights here average 4°F, and gas heat costs at least 30% less than a heat pump at North Dakota prices.
If your home has no gas line to it, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through a Williams County winter and cool it in summer too.
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 4°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 cooling as well as heat from one system, a cold-climate heat pump is the one to look at here. At 4°F, a standard heat pump loses much of its heating power, so it takes a cold-climate model built for that kind of cold to keep up. Even then, natural gas runs at least 30% cheaper here for the same heat.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is worth a close look if you want the lower running cost. Winter nights here average 4°F from December through February, and heat is needed about 10 months of the year, so that cost difference carries across most of the year. A furnace only heats, though, so you would need a separate system for cooling.
A Williams County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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