Heat pump vs Furnace in Franklin County, Ohio
Heat pump wins when your winters stay mild
A house with a well-insulated envelope and a mild winter gets full whole-house heating and cooling through one system, no combustion, no gas line required. Where outdoor temperatures rarely drop hard, the heat pump pulls enough warmth from the air to condition every room without straining. A panel that can carry the load is the main thing to check.
Furnace wins in Franklin County cold
A house that already has ducts and a gas line at the street gets whole-house heat that does not drop off when outdoor temperatures fall below freezing. Franklin County winters push into that range often enough that a furnace holds steady output through the coldest nights. That reliability is what gave it the verdict here.
Heat pump wins when your winters stay mild
A house with a well-insulated envelope and a mild winter gets full whole-house heating and cooling through one system, no combustion, no gas line required. Where outdoor temperatures rarely drop hard, the heat pump pulls enough warmth from the air to condition every room without straining. A panel that can carry the load is the main thing to check.
Furnace wins in Franklin County cold
A house that already has ducts and a gas line at the street gets whole-house heat that does not drop off when outdoor temperatures fall below freezing. Franklin County winters push into that range often enough that a furnace holds steady output through the coldest nights. That reliability is what gave it the verdict here.
Heat pump
- Runs on
- Electricity
- What it does
- Heats and cools
- Federal minimum
- 7.5 British thermal units of heat per watt-hour of electricity
- Federal credit
- None — the credit ended 31 December 2025
Sources: 10 CFR 430.32 · 430.32(c)(5), table row for (ii) Split systems—heat pumps · 26 U.S.C. 25C · 26 U.S.C. 25C(i)
Furnace
- Runs on
- Natural gas
- What it does
- Heats only
- Federal minimum
- 80% of the fuel it burns delivered as heat
- Federal credit
- None — the credit ended 31 December 2025
Sources: 10 CFR 430.32 · 430.32(e)(1)(ii), table row for (A) Non-weatherized gas furnaces (not including mobile home furnaces) · 26 U.S.C. 25C · 26 U.S.C. 25C(i)
Furnace wins in Franklin County.
Gas heat costs less per unit here, and most homes in Franklin County already run on gas.
| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Running cost per unit of heat over a 8-month heating season — a gap of 1.32× | $21.31 per million Btu of heatElectricity price, EIA · divided by the federal minimum | $16.11 per million Btu of heatNatural gas price, EIA · divided by the federal minimum |
| Heats and cools | Both10 CFR 430.32 · 430.32(c)(5), table row for (ii) Split systems—heat pumps | Heat only10 CFR 430.32 · 430.32(e)(1)(ii), table row for (A) Non-weatherized gas furnaces (not including mobile home furnaces) |
| Federal efficiency floor | 7.5 British thermal units of heat per watt-hour of electricity10 CFR 430.32 · 430.32(c)(5), table row for (ii) Split systems—heat pumps | 80% of the fuel it burns delivered as heat10 CFR 430.32 · 430.32(e)(1)(ii), table row for (A) Non-weatherized gas furnaces (not including mobile home furnaces) |
| Share of homes in the East North Central division | 3.4%EIA RECS 2020 · RECS 2020, table HC6.7, section "Main heating equipment (including all fuels)", row "Heat pump", column G (East North Central) | 78.8%EIA RECS 2020 · RECS 2020, table HC6.7, section "Main heating equipment (including all fuels)", row "Central warm-air furnace", column G (East North Central) |
Heat pump wins when your winters stay mild
A house with a well-insulated envelope and a mild winter gets full whole-house heating and cooling through one system, no combustion, no gas line required. Where outdoor temperatures rarely drop hard, the heat pump pulls enough warmth from the air to condition every room without straining. A panel that can carry the load is the main thing to check.
Furnace wins in Franklin County cold
A house that already has ducts and a gas line at the street gets whole-house heat that does not drop off when outdoor temperatures fall below freezing. Franklin County winters push into that range often enough that a furnace holds steady output through the coldest nights. That reliability is what gave it the verdict here.
A Franklin County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.