In a Maryland winter, both a heat pump and a gas furnace can keep a home warm. A modern heat pump, especially a cold-climate model, handles our winters comfortably and usually costs less to run, while a gas furnace still makes sense for some homes. Here is how to tell which one fits yours.
People hear heat pump and picture something that only works in mild weather. That is out of date. A heat pump does not burn fuel to make heat. It moves heat, pulling warmth out of the outside air and carrying it inside, and it runs that process in reverse to cool the house in summer. Even when it is freezing out, there is heat in the air to move, and a cold-climate model is built to keep doing it well into the single digits.
That is why one heat pump can cover a Maryland home all year. One system, heating and cooling, instead of a furnace and a separate air conditioner.
Because a heat pump moves heat instead of making it, it delivers more heat per dollar of energy than a furnace does for much of the season. Whether that comes out cheaper than gas for your home depends on your electric rate, your fuel rate, and how cold the winter runs. For homes on oil or propane, switching to a heat pump is very often the cheaper path. For a home on low-cost natural gas, the math is closer, and that is where a dual-fuel setup can give you the best of both. We would rather look at your real numbers than hand you a figure that may not fit your house.
This is the question everyone asks, and it is a fair one. A cold-climate heat pump keeps heating well below freezing. On the handful of truly frigid nights, it works harder, and that is exactly when a backup heat source earns its keep. That backup can be built-in electric heat, or, in a dual-fuel setup, your gas or propane furnace stepping in. Either way the house stays warm. You are never left choosing between comfort and a heat pump.
For a lot of Maryland homes, yes. A dual-fuel system runs the heat pump through the mild and moderate stretches, which is most of the winter, then hands off to the furnace when it gets truly cold. You capture the efficiency the heat pump gives you most of the year and still have the furnace for the deep freeze. We set the handoff point for your home so it uses the lower-cost heat as long as it makes sense. See our dual-fuel installation page for the details.
If you heat with oil, a heat pump is one of the biggest upgrades available to you. No more oil deliveries, no more watching the tank, and usually lower running costs. We handle the heat pump side of that conversion, and your oil provider continues to handle the oil furnace. Our oil to heat pump conversion page walks through what is involved and answers the fears people actually have about making the switch.
A short way to think about it:
Maryland also has incentive programs for high-efficiency heat pumps that change from year to year, so it is worth checking what is current when you decide.
Yes. Maryland winters are cold but well within the range a modern heat pump is built for, especially a cold-climate model. It pulls heat from the outside air even when it is freezing and moves it into the house, and it does the cooling in summer too, so one system covers the whole year.
Yes. Cold-climate heat pumps are rated to keep heating well below freezing, into the single digits and lower. On the coldest nights a backup heat source can help carry the load, which is exactly what a dual-fuel setup is for.
It depends on your electric and fuel rates and how cold the winter runs. A heat pump is very efficient because it moves heat instead of burning fuel to make it, so for many Maryland homes it costs less to run. We would rather walk through your actual situation than promise a number.
Often yes, and it is one of the clearest wins we see. Getting off oil usually means lower running costs and no more oil deliveries. Your oil provider still handles the oil furnace itself. See our oil to heat pump conversion page for how that works.
It is a heat pump paired with a gas or propane furnace. The heat pump handles most of the season efficiently, and on the coldest days the furnace takes over. You get the efficiency most of the year and the brute-force heat when it is truly frigid.
Tell us what your heating or cooling system is doing. Include the service address and any useful photos taken from a safe distance.
Clear answers. Clear scope.
Know what you are approving.
Verified Google reviews, 5.0 from 44
"I had a water leakage in my HVAC unit and Jay came out and did an amazing job on the repair. It took him longer than expected and he was working later into the night but made sure everything was done properly and efficiently. Super grateful for Jay's hard work and will definitely be reaching out for any future HVAC repairs I need!"
Google"Jay and Jacob were amazing getting my HVAC system operating correctly. Other companies probably would've said I need a new system but they took the time to diagnose the issues, addresses them, and went above and beyond getting the system in tip-top shape. They easily put 40 hours into the project to get it in order working well into the evenings and nights to ensure the home is comfortable. They will be my go-to for home services moving forward."
Google"Finally, someone reliable, professional, and who does outstanding work to rely on for all of our home repair needs. We have tried countless individuals and companies for the maintenance upkeep of our home for years, but never one that we would call back a second time. That was until Jay sent over his folks and now we have our trusted go to home services team for everything in the future. Thanks for the peace of mind Jay!!"
Google