Heat pump vs Furnace in Cook County, Illinois
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want central air conditioning along with heat, a heat pump gives you both from one system. Make sure it's a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward 20°F, and that's a normal winter night here. Expect to run it against natural gas prices that favor the furnace, so weigh the convenience of one system against the higher cost of running it through a Cook County winter.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has gas line and you're mainly after the lowest heating cost, a furnace is the safer bet here. It runs on natural gas, which costs at least 35% less to heat with than a heat pump at Illinois prices, and it doesn't lose output when nights hit 20°F. It won't cool your home in summer, so you'd still need separate air conditioning for that.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want central air conditioning along with heat, a heat pump gives you both from one system. Make sure it's a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward 20°F, and that's a normal winter night here. Expect to run it against natural gas prices that favor the furnace, so weigh the convenience of one system against the higher cost of running it through a Cook County winter.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has gas line and you're mainly after the lowest heating cost, a furnace is the safer bet here. It runs on natural gas, which costs at least 35% less to heat with than a heat pump at Illinois prices, and it doesn't lose output when nights hit 20°F. It won't cool your home in summer, so you'd still need separate air conditioning 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 Cook County.
Winter nights here average 20°F, and gas heat costs at least 35% less than a heat pump at Illinois prices, so gas wins.
If your home doesn't have a gas line to it, a cold-climate heat pump is still worth looking at.
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 20°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 central air conditioning along with heat, a heat pump gives you both from one system. Make sure it's a cold-climate model, since standard heat pumps lose heating power once temperatures drop toward 20°F, and that's a normal winter night here. Expect to run it against natural gas prices that favor the furnace, so weigh the convenience of one system against the higher cost of running it through a Cook County winter.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has gas line and you're mainly after the lowest heating cost, a furnace is the safer bet here. It runs on natural gas, which costs at least 35% less to heat with than a heat pump at Illinois prices, and it doesn't lose output when nights hit 20°F. It won't cool your home in summer, so you'd still need separate air conditioning for that.
A Cook County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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