The short answer
Heat pump for most homes here. Gas furnace if your gas bill is already cheap and you never want cooling.
A heat pump gives you heating and air conditioning from one outdoor box, and it runs on electricity. A furnace only heats. In our mild winters a heat pump is the better fit for most houses — but if you have cheap natural gas and a good furnace already, there is no rush.
Side by side
Both sides, plainly, including what each one is bad at.
Heat pump
One outdoor box that heats in winter and cools in summer.
- You get air conditioning included — no separate AC to buy
- Moves heat instead of burning fuel, so it delivers more warmth per dollar of energy
- No gas line, no flame, nothing burning in the house
- PSE and Washington income-qualified programs may apply — we check what is active when we quote
- Costs more up front than a furnace on its own
- On the few really cold nights a year it leans on a backup heater
- The air from the vents feels warm rather than hot, which takes getting used to
Gas furnace
Burns natural gas to make heat. Heating only.
- Cheapest way to add heat if you already have a gas line
- Blows genuinely hot air, which some people prefer
- Simple, familiar, and every company can service one
- Does nothing at all in summer — you still need an AC
- You are tied to whatever gas costs in future
- There is a flame and an exhaust pipe to keep safe and checked
Which one is you?
Pick a heat pump if…
You want cooling as well as heating, you heat with electricity today, or your furnace is near the end anyway. This is most of the homes we quote in Puget Sound, and the reason is simple: you were going to spend money on cooling sooner or later, and this way you only buy one machine.
Pick a gas furnace if…
You already have gas, you are happy without air conditioning, and you want the lowest price today. That is a perfectly sensible decision and we will not talk you out of it.
Not sure which suits your house?
Tell us about the home and we will price both, side by side, with the honest recommendation. No pressure toward the bigger number.
Get My Upfront Quote60 seconds online · or call (206) 486-6373
What each one costs to put in
Typical industry ranges for Western Washington — not a quote. Your exact price comes upfront, before any work starts, and you approve it first.
Why homeowners hand it to us
- You approve the price first. Upfront quote before a single screw turns.
- Same-day service. Book in a minute, hear from a tech within 1 business hour.
- 500+ jobs done by 4.9★ rated, professional technicians.
- Fixed right, guaranteed. If it’s not right, we make it right.
Quick answers
Does a heat pump really work in Seattle winters?
Yes, and this is close to the ideal climate for one. Lowland Western Washington rarely sits far below freezing, which is exactly where they perform best. The handful of hard nights each year are covered by a backup heater built into the system.
Which one is cheaper to run?
It depends on what you heat with now. Replacing electric baseboard or an electric furnace, a heat pump is dramatically cheaper — commonly 40 to 60 percent less. Against cheap natural gas it is much closer, and the heat pump usually edges it once you count the free air conditioning.
Can I keep my gas furnace and add a heat pump?
Yes. That setup is called dual fuel. The heat pump handles the mild 90 percent of our winter, and the furnace takes over on the coldest nights. It is a strong fit for this climate if you already own a good furnace.
Do I need new ducts for a heat pump?
Usually not. A ducted heat pump uses the same ducts your furnace uses. We do not do duct replacement, so if your ducts genuinely need work we will tell you plainly and you can bring in a specialist.
What is the backup heater everyone mentions?
A small electric heating element inside the system. It switches on by itself when it gets truly cold outside, then switches off again. You do not have to do anything, and in a normal Puget Sound winter it barely runs.
See both numbers before you commit.
We price the furnace and the heat pump side by side for your house, upfront. Book in 60 seconds.
Get My Upfront Quote60 seconds online · or call (206) 486-6373
More comparisons: Heat pump vs AC · Heat pump vs baseboard heat · High efficiency vs standard · all comparisons