Heat pump vs Furnace in Sweetwater County, Wyoming
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want cooling as well as heating from one system, a heat pump is worth a look. Get a cold-climate model. Winter nights here average 11°F from December through February, and a standard heat pump loses power right when you need it most. You would also be running on electricity rather than the gas most homes here use, and gas runs at least 10% cheaper at Wyoming prices.
When a furnace makes sense
For most homes here, the furnace is the safer bet. Homes in this county need heat about 10 months a year, and a furnace holds its output no matter how far the temperature drops. It runs on natural gas, which costs at least 10% less than electric heat here, and it's what most of your neighbors already heat with.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want cooling as well as heating from one system, a heat pump is worth a look. Get a cold-climate model. Winter nights here average 11°F from December through February, and a standard heat pump loses power right when you need it most. You would also be running on electricity rather than the gas most homes here use, and gas runs at least 10% cheaper at Wyoming prices.
When a furnace makes sense
For most homes here, the furnace is the safer bet. Homes in this county need heat about 10 months a year, and a furnace holds its output no matter how far the temperature drops. It runs on natural gas, which costs at least 10% less than electric heat here, and it's what most of your neighbors already heat with.
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
Furnace wins in Sweetwater County.
Winter nights here average 11°F, cold enough to strain a standard heat pump, and it's why 81% of homes in the county already heat with gas.
If your home has no gas line to it, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through those 11°F nights and cool it come summer.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | Costs more to run | At least 10% less 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 11°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 cooling as well as heating from one system, a heat pump is worth a look. Get a cold-climate model. Winter nights here average 11°F from December through February, and a standard heat pump loses power right when you need it most. You would also be running on electricity rather than the gas most homes here use, and gas runs at least 10% cheaper at Wyoming prices.
When a furnace makes sense
For most homes here, the furnace is the safer bet. Homes in this county need heat about 10 months a year, and a furnace holds its output no matter how far the temperature drops. It runs on natural gas, which costs at least 10% less than electric heat here, and it's what most of your neighbors already heat with.
A Sweetwater County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.