Heat pump vs Furnace in Gila County, Arizona
When a heat pump makes sense
If you're picking one system to run both heating and cooling, a heat pump does both and costs about 20% less to heat with than natural gas at Arizona prices. Winter nights here average 32°F, which a standard heat pump handles fine, and a cold-climate model holds its heating power if you want a margin for colder snaps. With only about 6 months of heating a year, you're running it as an air conditioner most of the time.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace makes sense if your home already runs on natural gas and you'd rather keep heating and cooling as separate systems. It only heats, so you'd still need a separate air conditioner for the other 6 months of the year. Gas is what a third of the homes here heat with, but on cost alone it runs higher than a heat pump at Arizona prices.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you're picking one system to run both heating and cooling, a heat pump does both and costs about 20% less to heat with than natural gas at Arizona prices. Winter nights here average 32°F, which a standard heat pump handles fine, and a cold-climate model holds its heating power if you want a margin for colder snaps. With only about 6 months of heating a year, you're running it as an air conditioner most of the time.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace makes sense if your home already runs on natural gas and you'd rather keep heating and cooling as separate systems. It only heats, so you'd still need a separate air conditioner for the other 6 months of the year. Gas is what a third of the homes here heat with, but on cost alone it runs higher than a heat pump at Arizona prices.
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 Gila County.
It costs about 20% less to heat with a heat pump than with gas here, and winter nights only drop to 32°F.
If your home already has a gas line and you'd rather keep heating and cooling on separate systems, a furnace is still worth asking about.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | About 20% less to run | Costs more to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in the Mountain West that heat with one | 9.1% | 69.6% |
| Handles a 32°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're picking one system to run both heating and cooling, a heat pump does both and costs about 20% less to heat with than natural gas at Arizona prices. Winter nights here average 32°F, which a standard heat pump handles fine, and a cold-climate model holds its heating power if you want a margin for colder snaps. With only about 6 months of heating a year, you're running it as an air conditioner most of the time.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace makes sense if your home already runs on natural gas and you'd rather keep heating and cooling as separate systems. It only heats, so you'd still need a separate air conditioner for the other 6 months of the year. Gas is what a third of the homes here heat with, but on cost alone it runs higher than a heat pump at Arizona prices.
A Gila County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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