Electric Heat Pump Vs Gas Furnace

The financial cost of heating a home with a natural gas furnace is much lower than an electric resistance furnace.

Electric heat pump vs gas furnace.

In contrast a high efficiency gas furnace is about 90 effective. Natural gas simply provides more power than you need when outdoor temperatures are in the 40 to 60 degree range. When you take into account the cost of fuel and the efficiency of the heating appliance either a gas furnace or an electric heat pump could be more cost effective. Gas furnaces generally heat homes more quickly than electric furnaces despite lower efficiency.

Heat pumps are powered by electricity so you can save considerably on fuel consumption. When compared against electric resistance equipment natural gas furnaces are a clear winner. Myth 4 gas furnaces are always more efficient than heat pumps. It s over 100 efficient in temperate environments and can serve as both a heater and an air conditioner.

Even the lowest efficiency gas furnace you can buy 80 fue costs much less to operate than the most efficient electric furnace you can buy. As such it is important to note that although a heat pump is more efficient meaning it transfers more of the energy used directly into usable heat it is usually still more expensive to operate than a furnace. Electric heat pumps are more energy efficient than gas furnaces and require much less electricity to operate than electric furnaces. Gas heat pumps differ from electric heat pumps in these ways.

Higher efficiency can be gained in a gas furnace with an alternative to the traditional pilot light such as an intermittent direct spark or hot surface ignition. Electric heat pumps have a number of advantages over traditional gas furnaces but they both have good and bad points. If you live in a cold area a gas furnace may be the best choice for your home whereas a heat pump will be more cost effective in a hot climate. A gas furnace generates heat by burning combustible fuel such as gas or propane while an electric furnace generates heat in much the same.

Electric furnaces convert nearly all of their energy into heat while gas furnaces can vary. This is because electricity used to power heat pumps is typically more expensive than the natural gas or propane used to power furnaces. Heat pumps don t generate heat they transfer it. Gas energy can be less wasteful than electric heat pumps if you live in an area where natural gas is affordable.

If you get dry skin in winter the scorching heat from your gas furnace doesn t make things any better. They don t use refrigerants like electric heat pumps. Continue reading below our video of the day. Gas furnaces are not always more efficient than heat pumps however.