Heat pump vs Furnace in Champaign County, Illinois
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want air conditioning and heat from one system, a cold-climate heat pump will keep working through a 21°F night, which a standard heat pump won't. You'll pay more to heat with it than with gas at Illinois's rates, so it fits best if you value having one system for both jobs more than you value the lower running cost.
When a furnace makes sense
With heat needed about eight months of the year here, the 35% lower running cost on gas adds up. A furnace only heats, so you'd still need a separate air conditioner for summer, but for straightforward winter heat at the lowest cost, it's the one most homes here already choose.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want air conditioning and heat from one system, a cold-climate heat pump will keep working through a 21°F night, which a standard heat pump won't. You'll pay more to heat with it than with gas at Illinois's rates, so it fits best if you value having one system for both jobs more than you value the lower running cost.
When a furnace makes sense
With heat needed about eight months of the year here, the 35% lower running cost on gas adds up. A furnace only heats, so you'd still need a separate air conditioner for summer, but for straightforward winter heat at the lowest cost, it's the one most homes here already choose.
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 Champaign County.
Gas heat runs at least 35% cheaper here than a heat pump, and most of your neighbors already heat with it.
If your home has no gas line to it, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through those 21°F nights without that hookup.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | Costs more to run | At least 35% less to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in the Great Lakes states that heat with one | 3.4% | 78.8% |
| Handles a 21°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 air conditioning and heat from one system, a cold-climate heat pump will keep working through a 21°F night, which a standard heat pump won't. You'll pay more to heat with it than with gas at Illinois's rates, so it fits best if you value having one system for both jobs more than you value the lower running cost.
When a furnace makes sense
With heat needed about eight months of the year here, the 35% lower running cost on gas adds up. A furnace only heats, so you'd still need a separate air conditioner for summer, but for straightforward winter heat at the lowest cost, it's the one most homes here already choose.
A Champaign County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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