With Ontario rebates reaching up to $10,600 and natural gas prices rising, many London homeowners are weighing heat pumps against traditional furnaces. Here is an honest comparison from the technicians who install both.
The question we hear most often from London homeowners right now is whether to replace an aging furnace with another gas furnace or make the switch to a heat pump. The honest answer is that it depends on your home, your budget, and your priorities. This article walks through the real-world pros and cons of each option as they apply specifically to London, Ontario's climate and energy costs.
Modern cold-climate heat pumps can extract useful heat from outdoor air down to temperatures of minus 25 to minus 30 degrees Celsius. London's average January low is around minus 10 degrees, which means a properly sized cold-climate heat pump can handle the vast majority of the heating season without any backup. The efficiency advantage is significant: for every unit of electricity consumed, a heat pump delivers 2 to 4 units of heat, compared to a gas furnace which converts roughly 80 to 98 percent of the gas it burns into heat.
Rebate programs change frequently. Contact Corner Gas HVAC before purchasing to confirm which programs are currently active and which equipment qualifies. We handle the paperwork for all rebate applications we are familiar with.
A heat pump is not the right answer for every London home. If your home has very poor insulation or significant air leakage, the heat pump will run almost continuously in cold weather and your electricity bill will be higher than expected. In these cases, addressing the building envelope first delivers better value than upgrading the heating system. A gas furnace also remains the more practical choice if your electrical panel cannot support a heat pump without a costly upgrade, or if you are planning to sell the home within a few years and the payback period does not work in your favour.
Many London homeowners opt for a dual-fuel system: a heat pump handles the majority of the heating season efficiently, and the existing gas furnace takes over on the coldest days when the heat pump's efficiency advantage narrows. This approach maximises comfort, captures most of the available rebates, and avoids the need for a full electrical panel upgrade in many cases. It is the configuration we recommend most often for London homes with an existing gas furnace in good condition.
Corner Gas HVAC serves London, Ontario and Middlesex County. Same-day service available.
