Heat pump vs Furnace in Somerset County, Maine
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning from the same equipment and you are buying a cold-climate model built to keep making heat at 7 degrees. Standard heat pumps lose heating power in that kind of cold, so the equipment matters here. Electricity costs more than gas in this county, so expect higher bills to run it than a furnace would need.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace makes sense if gas is already run to your house. Winter nights here average 7 degrees from December through February, and heat is needed about 10 months of the year, so a furnace runs often. Gas costs at least 25% less to heat with than a heat pump at Maine prices, and that difference adds up over a heating season this long.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning from the same equipment and you are buying a cold-climate model built to keep making heat at 7 degrees. Standard heat pumps lose heating power in that kind of cold, so the equipment matters here. Electricity costs more than gas in this county, so expect higher bills to run it than a furnace would need.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace makes sense if gas is already run to your house. Winter nights here average 7 degrees from December through February, and heat is needed about 10 months of the year, so a furnace runs often. Gas costs at least 25% less to heat with than a heat pump at Maine prices, and that difference adds up over a heating season this long.
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 Somerset County.
Nights here average 7°F all winter, and gas heat costs at least 25% less than a heat pump at Maine prices.
If your home has no gas line to it, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through a 7°F night, and cool it come summer.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | Costs more to run | At least 25% less to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in New England that heat with one | 1.7% | 54.8% |
| Handles a 7°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 from the same equipment and you are buying a cold-climate model built to keep making heat at 7 degrees. Standard heat pumps lose heating power in that kind of cold, so the equipment matters here. Electricity costs more than gas in this county, so expect higher bills to run it than a furnace would need.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace makes sense if gas is already run to your house. Winter nights here average 7 degrees from December through February, and heat is needed about 10 months of the year, so a furnace runs often. Gas costs at least 25% less to heat with than a heat pump at Maine prices, and that difference adds up over a heating season this long.
A Somerset County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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