Heat pump or new furnace and AC? For Central Hudson Gas & Electric customers

For Central Hudson Gas & Electric customers in New York, on the utility's average price, local weather.

Quick answer · updated

As of November 2026, for a typical 1,800 sq ft heating oil-heated home on Central Hudson Gas & Electric electricity rates in New York that needs a new furnace and AC: A high-efficiency cold-climate heat pump comes out ahead here even with a high quote: about $33,200 less than a new furnace and AC over 15 years at typical prices, and $2,330 a year less to run.

Cite or reuse this answer

MeterWise, "Heat pump vs. oil furnace and AC on Central Hudson Gas & Electric rates (NY)", updated 2026-11-10, https://meterwise.app/ny/central-hudson-gas-and-electric/heat-pump-vs-furnace/. Data licensed CC BY 4.0. Also as Markdown and JSON.

Electricity

25.1¢/kWh

-12% vs. New York average

Heating fuel

$6.35/gallon

Heating oil: 42% of homes here

Climate

6,718

heating degree days · Rhinebeck 4se

Rebates

Not checked

not yet researched in New York

Our estimate for this home

A high-efficiency cold-climate heat pump comes out ahead

A high-efficiency cold-climate heat pump comes out ahead here even with a high quote: about $33,200 less than a new furnace and AC over 15 years at typical prices, and $2,330 a year less to run.

New oil furnace + new AC

Installed
$15,000$10,200–$18,400
Energy per year
$3,610Baseline
15-year total
$69,200
Payback
Baseline

Heat pump (replaces both)

Installed
$12,800$8,900–$16,700
Energy per year
$1,740Saves $1,870/yr
15-year total
$38,900
Payback
Cheaper up front and to run

High-efficiency cold-climate heat pump

Lowest 15-year cost

Installed
$16,700$12,200–$22,200
Energy per year
$1,290Saves $2,330/yr
15-year total
$35,900
Payback
0.7 years

Total cost over 15 years

Installed cost plus energy, year by year. Hover or tap the chart to compare.

$0$20K$40K$60K$80KInstallYear 5Year 10Year 15 Pays back in year 1 New AC $69,200 Heat pump $38,900 High-efficiency HP $35,900
  • New oil furnace + new AC
  • Heat pump (replaces both)
  • High-efficiency cold-climate heat pump
Show as a table
OptionInstalled cost (typical, range, after rebates)Energy cost per year15-year totalPayback vs. like-for-like
New oil furnace + new AC $15,000
$10,200–$18,400
$3,610
$69,200 Baseline
Heat pump (replaces both) $12,800
$8,900–$16,700
$1,740
saves $1,870/yr
$38,900 Cheaper up front and to run
High-efficiency cold-climate heat pump Lowest 15-year cost $16,700
$12,200–$22,200
$1,290
saves $2,330/yr
$35,900 0.7 years

What this is based on

  • Electricity: Central Hudson Gas & Electric's average residential price in NY (EIA), $0.251/kWh; the winter price of extra kWh is estimated at $0.228/kWh. Enter your own rate for a closer answer.
  • Weather: Rhinebeck 4se (6,718 heating and 550 cooling degree days a year, 1991-2020).
  • Heating fuel prices (EIA): gas $1.65/therm (New York, average of the last five winter months); propane $3.74/gallon (New York average this heating season); heating oil $6.35/gallon (New York average this heating season).
  • Homes in Central Hudson Gas & Electric's New York area heat with heating oil 42%, gas 28%, electricity 16%, propane 9% (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023). The calculator starts with heating oil, the most common furnace fuel here; pick yours above.
  • New York HVAC installer wages are 22% above the U.S. median (BLS), so installed prices are scaled by 1.11.
  • Energy use for heating and cooling:
    • New oil furnace + new AC: 1,357 kWh and 518 gallons of heating oil a year for heating and cooling
    • Heat pump (replaces both): 7,462 kWh a year for heating and cooling
    • High-efficiency cold-climate heat pump: 5,496 kWh a year for heating and cooling

Rebates

  • We haven't checked heat pump rebates in New York yet, so these numbers leave them out. Utility and state programs can take thousands off a heat pump: ask Central Hudson Gas & Electric and your contractor what's available. Each dollar of rebate adds a dollar to the quote gap a heat pump can carry.

What to know about the New York numbers

How Central Hudson Gas & Electric's rates change the answer

Central Hudson Gas & Electric's electricity price for a typical home is 12% below the New York average ($0.251 vs. $0.285 per kWh). A heat pump moves your heating from gas, propane or oil to electricity, so the electricity price is the biggest single factor: calculators that use a state average can get the answer wrong for your utility. At these prices, a heat pump is cheaper to run than heating oil heat for a typical home here.

Common questions

Is a heat pump worth it for Central Hudson Gas & Electric customers?

A high-efficiency cold-climate heat pump comes out ahead here even with a high quote: about $33,200 less than a new furnace and AC over 15 years at typical prices, and $2,330 a year less to run. This is for a typical 1,800 sq ft home with average insulation that heats with heating oil and needs both a new furnace and AC; change the details in the calculator above for your home.

How much does a heat pump cost to run on Central Hudson Gas & Electric's rates?

About $1,290 a year for heating and cooling with a high-efficiency cold-climate heat pump (5,496 kWh), compared with about $3,610 a year for a new furnace and AC, for a typical 1,800 sq ft home with weather like Rhinebeck 4se's.

How much does a heat pump cost to install in New York?

Our typical installed price for a high-efficiency cold-climate heat pump in New York is about $16,650 (range $12,210 to $22,200), against about $14,985 for a new furnace and AC. Prices are published study ranges scaled for home size and New York installer wages; rebates in New York have not been checked yet, so they are not included. Always compare real quotes.

What electricity price does this use?

Electricity: Central Hudson Gas & Electric's average residential price in NY (EIA), $0.251/kWh; the winter price of extra kWh is estimated at $0.228/kWh. Enter your own rate for a closer answer.

How we calculate this

Heating and cooling need

Your home's yearly heating and cooling need comes from 1991-2020 NOAA climate normals for the nearest weather station, scaled by floor area and insulation level. If you know last winter's gas use, compare it with the therms in the energy-use list above.

Heating fuels

Choose the fuel your furnace burns: gas, propane, heating oil or electricity. Gas uses the state's average residential price over the last five winter months; propane and heating oil use the U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly residential prices for this heating season (state, regional or U.S. average, as available), converted by heat content (91,500 Btu per gallon of propane, 138,500 per gallon of oil). An electric furnace is priced through the same electricity rates as the heat pump. The starting fuel is the most common furnace fuel in the utility's area (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey).

Equipment efficiency

New gas or propane furnace 95% AFUE, new oil furnace 85%, electric furnace 100%; new AC SEER2 13.4; standard heat pump SEER2 15.2 / HSPF2 7.8; high-efficiency cold-climate heat pump SEER2 21.5 / HSPF2 10.6. Heat pump efficiency falls as it gets colder, and in cold months part of the heat comes from backup electric strips (or your old furnace, if you keep it). Existing equipment is assumed to be 15-20 years old: an 80% gas or propane furnace, a 78% oil furnace or a SEER2 9.5 AC.

Installed costs

Installed prices vary a lot, so we show a typical price and a range for a home of about 1,800 sq ft with existing ductwork, scaled for larger or smaller homes: furnace and AC together $9,000–$14,000; furnace alone $3,800–$7,000; AC alone $4,500–$9,000; standard heat pump $8,000–$15,000; high-efficiency cold-climate heat pump $11,000–$20,000; electrical panel upgrade, if needed, $1,500–$4,000. These are national figures drawn from published studies and program data (NESCAUM / Energy Solutions, Heat Pumps in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: Costs and Market Trends (October 2024); Rewiring America, Upfront cost of home electrification (March 2024); EIA, Updated Buildings Sector Appliance and Equipment Costs and Efficiencies (2023)). The most useful number here is how much more a heat pump can cost than a like-for-like quote and still come out ahead: get quotes for both and compare.

Labor and rebates

Half of each installed price is treated as labor and scaled by the state's median HVAC installer wage relative to the U.S. median (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Listed rebates are subtracted when the box is ticked; per-ton rebates assume about one ton of capacity per 600 sq ft. Rebates change often and have eligibility rules, so confirm with the program before you buy.

Not included

Financing, maintenance (similar for all options), local town rebates, and changes in energy prices over time.