Heat pump vs Furnace in Hawaii County, Hawaii
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want one system that handles both heating and cooling, a heat pump does both on electricity. It also costs about 15% less to run here than natural gas, so it wins on the bills too. That combination is why almost nobody in this county heats with gas.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace makes sense if your home already has a gas line in place and you don't need cooling from the same system. Only about 1% of homes here heat with gas, and at Hawaii's electricity and gas prices, a furnace costs more to run than a heat pump. Choose it only if something specific about your setup calls for gas heat.
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want one system that handles both heating and cooling, a heat pump does both on electricity. It also costs about 15% less to run here than natural gas, so it wins on the bills too. That combination is why almost nobody in this county heats with gas.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace makes sense if your home already has a gas line in place and you don't need cooling from the same system. Only about 1% of homes here heat with gas, and at Hawaii's electricity and gas prices, a furnace costs more to run than a heat pump. Choose it only if something specific about your setup calls for gas 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
Heat pump wins in Hawaii County.
A heat pump costs about 15% less to run than gas here, plus it handles cooling too.
If your home is already set up to run on natural gas and you have no need for cooling, a furnace still has a place.
Find a contractor| Compared on | Heat pump | Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to run here | About 15% less to run | Costs more to run |
| What it does | Heats and cools | Heats only |
| Homes in the Pacific states that heat with one | 4.8% | 56.9% |
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy
When a heat pump makes sense
If you want one system that handles both heating and cooling, a heat pump does both on electricity. It also costs about 15% less to run here than natural gas, so it wins on the bills too. That combination is why almost nobody in this county heats with gas.
When a furnace makes sense
A furnace makes sense if your home already has a gas line in place and you don't need cooling from the same system. Only about 1% of homes here heat with gas, and at Hawaii's electricity and gas prices, a furnace costs more to run than a heat pump. Choose it only if something specific about your setup calls for gas heat.
A Hawaii County contractor will price both against your own house, your ductwork and your panel.
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