Heat pump vs Furnace in Alexandria city, Virginia
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want one system that heats and cools, a heat pump does both and costs about the same to run here as a furnace. Winter nights average 29°F, which is cold but not extreme, so a cold-climate model is built to keep up without losing heating power. It also means you are not paying for a gas line and a separate air conditioner.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has a gas line and gas ductwork in place, a furnace is a proven way to heat through the coldest nights, when temperatures average 29°F from December through February. It runs on natural gas and costs about the same here as a heat pump to operate. You would still need a separate system for cooling, since a furnace only heats.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want one system that heats and cools, a heat pump does both and costs about the same to run here as a furnace. Winter nights average 29°F, which is cold but not extreme, so a cold-climate model is built to keep up without losing heating power. It also means you are not paying for a gas line and a separate air conditioner.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has a gas line and gas ductwork in place, a furnace is a proven way to heat through the coldest nights, when temperatures average 29°F from December through February. It runs on natural gas and costs about the same here as a heat pump to operate. You would still need a separate system for cooling, since a furnace only heats.
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
Heat pump wins in Alexandria city.
Almost a third of homes in this region already heat with a heat pump, and it costs about the same here as running a furnace.
If your home already has gas line and you would rather not add cooling into the mix, a furnace still gets the job done.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | About the same | About the same |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in the South Atlantic states that heat with one | 30.1% | 48% |
| Handles a 29°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 one system that heats and cools, a heat pump does both and costs about the same to run here as a furnace. Winter nights average 29°F, which is cold but not extreme, so a cold-climate model is built to keep up without losing heating power. It also means you are not paying for a gas line and a separate air conditioner.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has a gas line and gas ductwork in place, a furnace is a proven way to heat through the coldest nights, when temperatures average 29°F from December through February. It runs on natural gas and costs about the same here as a heat pump to operate. You would still need a separate system for cooling, since a furnace only heats.
A Alexandria city contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.