When winter arrives here in Mokena, IL, you’ll need to turn up the heat to stay cozy. As you do, you’ll be triggering the annual spike in energy bills you’re no doubt accustomed to. If those bills climb high enough, you may want to explore a more efficient heating option for your home. Right now, your two top options are gas furnaces and heat pumps. Here’s what you need to know about each so you can choose between them.
All About Gas Furnace Efficiency
Gas furnaces are the most popular heating option in the U.S. There are excellent reasons for that. One is that they’re quite efficient. The lowest-efficiency furnace you can buy today is 81% efficient. That may not sound that high until you consider the low cost of natural gas. It’s vastly cheaper than electricity or home heating oil, its two main competitors. As a result, the operating costs of even an average gas furnace aren’t very high. Gas furnaces are also inexpensive to install, with the average single-stage furnace costing between $700 and $3,000.
There are also much more efficient gas furnaces on the market. They often feature multi-speed or variable-speed fans and secondary heat exchangers. That lets the furnace extract more heat from combustion and spread it efficiently through your home. Those kinds of furnaces can sport efficiencies of up to 98.7%. Although you’ll pay a premium for that efficiency, your reward will be years of low energy bills.
All About Heat Pump Efficiency
If there’s any heating technology that could displace gas furnaces as the most popular heating option, it’s heat pumps. The primary reason is that they offer efficiency that no other system can match. In ideal temperature conditions, heat pumps can operate at between 300% and 400% efficiency. That means, even accounting for the relatively high cost of electricity, heat pumps are incredibly cheap to operate.
You may have noticed that the foregoing statement specified that heat pumps work efficiently in ideal temperature conditions. That’s the big asterisk that’s kept heat pumps from becoming more popular than furnaces in Mokena so far. The reason is that heat pump efficiency drops as the outside temperature does. That means a standard heat pump is no more efficient than the average furnace when it’s 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside. So, a heat pump won’t necessarily be your most efficient option on cold nights when you need the most heat.
Are Heat Pumps a Viable Option in Mokena?
It’s important to note that there are heat pumps specifically designed to operate in cold-weather environments. Those don’t experience the same efficiency declines in cold weather as standard models. On the contrary, a cold-climate heat pump will always be more efficient than even the finest gas furnace you can buy. Many achieve up to 200% efficiency at temperatures as low as -15 degrees Fahrenheit. That means you’d still realize significant savings with a cold-weather heat pump versus a gas furnace in Mokena.
Choosing Between a Furnace and a Heat Pump
For most homeowners, the choice between a furnace and a heat pump comes down to cost. A furnace will be much cheaper than a heat pump, especially if you own a gas furnace. That reduces the complexity of the installation and keeps your overall costs low. However, that doesn’t mean that a heat pump can’t be an affordable option.
Currently, heat pumps qualify for federal tax credits worth up to 30% of their cost, up to $2,000. That can help bring their upfront price down to a more reasonable sum. And there’s a second program that will soon help even more. It’s a point-of-sale rebate program that will give homeowners a discount of up to $8,000, dependent on income. Between the two, it may soon be cheaper for some homeowners to choose a heat pump over a gas furnace.
Trusted Mokena Heating Experts
Since opening in 1999, Allegiance Heating & Cooling has offered affordable HVAC services to residents in Mokena. We provide installation, repair, and maintenance of furnaces, heat pumps, and AC systems of all kinds. We also offer indoor air quality solutions and water filtration systems. Plus, we guarantee our work for as long as you own your home. If you want a furnace or a heat pump for your Mokena home, call Allegiance Heating & Cooling today!
