Heat pump vs Furnace in Sheridan County, Wyoming
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning as well as heat and you are set on a cold-climate model built to keep its heating power at 13°F and below. A standard heat pump loses capacity right when a Sheridan County night needs it most, so that distinction matters here more than most places. Expect to run it nearly ten months of the year, and to pay more for that electricity than a neighbor pays for gas.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call for most homes here. It runs on natural gas, which costs at least 10% less than electric heat pump heat at Wyoming prices, and it has the output to hold its own on a 13°F night without losing power the way a standard heat pump would. Over half the homes in Sheridan County already heat this way, and with winters lasting most of the year, the lower running cost adds up.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning as well as heat and you are set on a cold-climate model built to keep its heating power at 13°F and below. A standard heat pump loses capacity right when a Sheridan County night needs it most, so that distinction matters here more than most places. Expect to run it nearly ten months of the year, and to pay more for that electricity than a neighbor pays for gas.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call for most homes here. It runs on natural gas, which costs at least 10% less than electric heat pump heat at Wyoming prices, and it has the output to hold its own on a 13°F night without losing power the way a standard heat pump would. Over half the homes in Sheridan County already heat this way, and with winters lasting most of the year, the lower running cost adds up.
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 Sheridan County.
Nights here average 13°F all winter, cold enough that most homes stick with gas furnaces, and yours will run cheaper alongside them.
If your home has no gas line to it, a cold-climate heat pump still heats and cools from one system without one.
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 13°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
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning as well as heat and you are set on a cold-climate model built to keep its heating power at 13°F and below. A standard heat pump loses capacity right when a Sheridan County night needs it most, so that distinction matters here more than most places. Expect to run it nearly ten months of the year, and to pay more for that electricity than a neighbor pays for gas.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace is the right call for most homes here. It runs on natural gas, which costs at least 10% less than electric heat pump heat at Wyoming prices, and it has the output to hold its own on a 13°F night without losing power the way a standard heat pump would. Over half the homes in Sheridan County already heat this way, and with winters lasting most of the year, the lower running cost adds up.
A Sheridan County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.