Heat pump vs Furnace in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning and heat from one system and you're willing to pay more to run it through a Milwaukee County winter. Once nights settle into the teens from December through February, a standard heat pump loses heating power right when you need it most. Look for a cold-climate model built to keep working at those temperatures. If natural gas isn't an option at your house, this is still your best way to heat and cool.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace fits most homes in this county. Gas already heats 77% of homes here, and running it costs at least 45% less than a heat pump at Wisconsin's electricity prices. It has no trouble keeping up when nights drop to 18°F, since a furnace doesn't lose heating power in the cold the way a heat pump can. If you don't need air conditioning from the same system, this is the cheaper machine to run for the eight months a year your home needs heat.
When a heat pump makes sense
A heat pump makes sense if you want air conditioning and heat from one system and you're willing to pay more to run it through a Milwaukee County winter. Once nights settle into the teens from December through February, a standard heat pump loses heating power right when you need it most. Look for a cold-climate model built to keep working at those temperatures. If natural gas isn't an option at your house, this is still your best way to heat and cool.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace fits most homes in this county. Gas already heats 77% of homes here, and running it costs at least 45% less than a heat pump at Wisconsin's electricity prices. It has no trouble keeping up when nights drop to 18°F, since a furnace doesn't lose heating power in the cold the way a heat pump can. If you don't need air conditioning from the same system, this is the cheaper machine to run for the eight months a year your home needs heat.
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 Milwaukee County.
Winter nights here average 18°F, and gas heat costs at least 45% less than a heat pump at Wisconsin prices, so the furnace wins.
If your home has no gas line to work with, a cold-climate heat pump will still heat it through those 18°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 45% less to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in the Great Lakes states that heat with one | 3.4% | 78.8% |
| Handles a 18°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 and heat from one system and you're willing to pay more to run it through a Milwaukee County winter. Once nights settle into the teens from December through February, a standard heat pump loses heating power right when you need it most. Look for a cold-climate model built to keep working at those temperatures. If natural gas isn't an option at your house, this is still your best way to heat and cool.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace fits most homes in this county. Gas already heats 77% of homes here, and running it costs at least 45% less than a heat pump at Wisconsin's electricity prices. It has no trouble keeping up when nights drop to 18°F, since a furnace doesn't lose heating power in the cold the way a heat pump can. If you don't need air conditioning from the same system, this is the cheaper machine to run for the eight months a year your home needs heat.
A Milwaukee County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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