Heat pump vs Furnace in Navajo County, Arizona
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want the lower running cost and you also want air conditioning from the same system, a heat pump makes sense here. Winter nights average 21°F, which is cold but not extreme, and a cold-climate heat pump is built to keep producing heat at those temperatures. Standard heat pump models lose heating power once it gets this cold, so if you go this route, the cold-climate version is the one worth asking about.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace still fits if you already have gas line into the house and want to keep using it, or if you would rather not rely on electric heat at all. It runs on natural gas and heats only, so you would need a separate system for cooling. You will pay more to heat with it than with a heat pump at Arizona's gas prices, but the choice can still make sense if keeping gas heat matters to you.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want the lower running cost and you also want air conditioning from the same system, a heat pump makes sense here. Winter nights average 21°F, which is cold but not extreme, and a cold-climate heat pump is built to keep producing heat at those temperatures. Standard heat pump models lose heating power once it gets this cold, so if you go this route, the cold-climate version is the one worth asking about.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace still fits if you already have gas line into the house and want to keep using it, or if you would rather not rely on electric heat at all. It runs on natural gas and heats only, so you would need a separate system for cooling. You will pay more to heat with it than with a heat pump at Arizona's gas prices, but the choice can still make sense if keeping gas heat matters to you.
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 Navajo County.
A heat pump runs about 20% cheaper than gas here, and with eight months of heating a year that adds up fast.
If your home already has a gas line and a furnace that still runs well, replacing it before it fails is harder to justify than switching when it's time anyway.
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 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 the lower running cost and you also want air conditioning from the same system, a heat pump makes sense here. Winter nights average 21°F, which is cold but not extreme, and a cold-climate heat pump is built to keep producing heat at those temperatures. Standard heat pump models lose heating power once it gets this cold, so if you go this route, the cold-climate version is the one worth asking about.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace still fits if you already have gas line into the house and want to keep using it, or if you would rather not rely on electric heat at all. It runs on natural gas and heats only, so you would need a separate system for cooling. You will pay more to heat with it than with a heat pump at Arizona's gas prices, but the choice can still make sense if keeping gas heat matters to you.
A Navajo County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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