Heat pump vs Furnace in Livingston Parish, Louisiana
When a heat pump makes sense
If you're already heating with electricity, a heat pump is the straightforward choice. Winter nights here average 42°F, and that's mild enough for a standard heat pump to keep up without losing much power. It runs about 20% cheaper than a gas furnace at Louisiana prices, and the same unit cools your home the rest of the year.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has a gas line and you'd rather keep gas heat, a furnace still gets the job done here. Homes in this area only need heat about 5 months a year, so you won't be running it long. Just remember a furnace only heats, so you'll still need a separate air conditioner.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you're already heating with electricity, a heat pump is the straightforward choice. Winter nights here average 42°F, and that's mild enough for a standard heat pump to keep up without losing much power. It runs about 20% cheaper than a gas furnace at Louisiana prices, and the same unit cools your home the rest of the year.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has a gas line and you'd rather keep gas heat, a furnace still gets the job done here. Homes in this area only need heat about 5 months a year, so you won't be running it long. Just remember a furnace only heats, so you'll still need a separate air conditioner.
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
Heat pump wins in Livingston Parish.
Winter nights here only drop to about 42°F, so a heat pump keeps up easily and runs about 20% cheaper than gas.
If your home already has a gas line and you'd rather not add a cooling bill to the mix, a furnace paired with separate AC is still worth considering.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | About 20% less to run | Costs more to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in the south-central states that heat with one | 18.5% | 61.1% |
| Handles a 42°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're already heating with electricity, a heat pump is the straightforward choice. Winter nights here average 42°F, and that's mild enough for a standard heat pump to keep up without losing much power. It runs about 20% cheaper than a gas furnace at Louisiana prices, and the same unit cools your home the rest of the year.
When a furnace makes sense
If your home already has a gas line and you'd rather keep gas heat, a furnace still gets the job done here. Homes in this area only need heat about 5 months a year, so you won't be running it long. Just remember a furnace only heats, so you'll still need a separate air conditioner.
A Livingston Parish contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.