Heat pump match · Union, Essex, Morris
For a house that heats with a gas furnace, a boiler, oil, or electric baseboard and is weighing a heat pump before the coldest weeks. Manufacturer cost ranges with the date read, the State Climatologist's January lows for Union, Essex, and Morris, the three ways a heat pump goes into a New Jersey house, and a match request reviewed for those three counties. LA Trusted Partners does not sell, install, or dispatch.
The short answer
Carrier puts a new heat pump at $6,000 to $25,000 installed in 2026. Bryant gives $6,000 to $15,000 for a 2,000-square-foot house and $2,000 to $7,000 per zone for ductless. These are national manufacturer ranges. No New Jersey agency publishes an installed price, so the itemized quote is the number that counts.
The normal January low is 25.5°F at Newark Liberty, 22.9°F at Caldwell, 21.9°F at Canoe Brook, and 20.6°F at Boonton (State Climatologist, 1991–2020). Carrier says older heat pumps often need backup heat below 5°F. Its cold-climate models hold full capacity to 0°F and run to -23°F.
New Jersey's minor-work rule, N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.17A(c)3, lists like-capacity replacements of furnaces, low-pressure boilers, and air conditioning units. Heat pumps are not named. Ask the contractor which permit they will file, and let the construction office make the call.
The heat pump rebate follows your electric bill: PSE&G across most of Union and Essex, JCP&L across most of Morris. The amounts are in our NJ HVAC rebates guide. The federal 25C credit is gone for anything placed in service after December 31, 2025, per the IRS.
Every figure on this page comes from a manufacturer, a utility, the State of New Jersey, or a federal agency, read on October 2, 2026. None of them is an LA Trusted Partners price, and no matched contractor is bound by any of them.
Start from what heats the house now
The right job depends less on the heat pump than on what is in the basement today. Find the card that matches your house. Its question is the first one to put to any installer.
Gas furnace with central air
The heat pump takes the place of the outdoor air conditioning unit and heats through the ducts you already have. The furnace takes over on the coldest days. Carrier calls this dual fuel. Its Infinity variable-speed heat pump runs down to -15°F before it hands off to the furnace.
Cost reference: Bryant's ducted range, $6,000 to $25,000, covers replacing the furnace, the air conditioner, or both. A dual-fuel job keeps the furnace in place.
Ask: At what outdoor temperature does the system switch to gas, and who sets it?
Boiler with radiators or baseboard
A house heated by hot water has no ducts to blow warm air through. The usual answer is ductless mini-split heads in the rooms that need them. The boiler can stay on the radiators as the main heat or the backup.
Cost reference: Bryant puts ductless at $2,000 to $7,000 per zone. The number of zones drives the price.
Ask: How many zones, where each indoor head goes, and how the refrigerant lines run outside.
Oil heat or electric baseboard
Here the heat pump becomes the only heat, so it has to be sized to the whole house on a Manual J load calculation. It also has to be a model that holds its output in the cold. Carrier's cold-climate models keep full capacity down to 0°F. Coming off electric baseboard, Carrier puts a heat pump at two to three times as efficient as resistance heat.
Cost reference: Carrier's 2026 range, $6,000 to $25,000 installed, is where whole-house replacements land. Removing the old boiler or furnace, and what happens to an oil tank, are separate lines to find on the quote.
Ask: Is removal of the old system, and the oil tank if there is one, in this price or quoted separately?
Cost
Swipe sideways to see every column.
| What is being installed | Published range | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| A new heat pump, any size, installed | $6,000 to $25,000 | Carrier, 2026 cost guide, read October 2, 2026 |
| Ducted heat pump replacing a furnace or air conditioner | $6,000 to $25,000 | Bryant, Heat Pump Cost (2026), read October 2, 2026 |
| 2,000-square-foot home | $6,000 to $15,000 | Bryant, Heat Pump Cost (2026), read October 2, 2026 |
| Most three-bedroom homes | $7,000 to $18,000 | Bryant, Heat Pump Cost (2026), read October 2, 2026 |
| Ductless mini-split | $2,000 to $7,000 per zone | Bryant, Heat Pump Cost (2026), read October 2, 2026 |
Carrier’s 2026 guide says replacing an existing heat pump can cost slightly less than a first installation when the ducts and wiring are in good shape. Its installation guide puts a standard job at 4 to 8 hours. Bryant’s cost page carries the type and house-size rows. These are national manufacturer figures. No New Jersey agency or utility publishes an installed price, so hold any quote against the lines below rather than against a single number.
Cold weather
Swipe sideways to see every column.
| Weather station (county) | January normal low | Heating degree days a year |
|---|---|---|
| Newark Liberty Intl Airport (Essex/Union line) | 25.5°F | 4,701 |
| Caldwell Essex County Airport (Essex) | 22.9°F | 5,272 |
| Canoe Brook (Essex/Union line) | 21.9°F | 5,262 |
| Boonton (Morris) | 20.6°F | 5,631 |
The four stations closest to the counties this page covers, from the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist at Rutgers (1991–2020 normals). A normal low is an average of nights, not a floor. The colder the station, the more hours a heat pump spends near the bottom of its range, and the higher the heating degree days, the more heat the house needs over a year.
Carrier says traditional heat pumps often need an auxiliary heat source below 5°F. It says today’s cold-climate models deliver full heating capacity down to 0°F, and its 27VNA1 keeps running to -23°F. PSE&G’s FAQ says today’s heat pumps are designed to perform well in cold climates. A January average in the low 20s sits well inside those ranges. The nights that drop below the average are why the model and the backup plan matter.
Carrier says older heat pumps often need an auxiliary heat source below 5°F. ENERGY STAR's Cold Climate designation is tested at that same 5°F point. JCP&L's rebate for a cold-climate heat pump requires a coefficient of performance of 1.75 at 5°F.
SEER2 is the cooling rating and HSPF2 the heating one. Carrier's guide calls 8.5 HSPF2 a good target and 9.5 to 10.5 or more high efficiency. Its 27VNA1 cold-climate model reaches 12.5 HSPF2.
Carrier's maintenance list starts with keeping the outdoor unit clear of deep snow drifts and ice buildup. Ask whether the unit goes on a pad, a raised stand, or a wall bracket, and where its defrost water drains in a freeze.
Running cost
A heat pump moves heat rather than making it. Carrier puts it at two to three times as efficient as electric resistance heating. PSE&G says it can deliver up to three times more heat energy than the electricity it consumes. Backup heat strips are electric resistance heat. Every hour the strips carry the house gives most of that advantage back, and that shows up on the PSE&G or JCP&L bill.
The strips run more when the unit is too small for the house, when a standard model meets a cold snap below its range, or when the backup is set to start early. All three are settled when the system is chosen and set up, not after the first bill.
Before you sign
Sources for the lines above: Carrier’s installation guide for sizing, ratings, and warranty registration; Bryant for the items often quoted separately; the EPA fact sheet on the May 21, 2026 final rule for refrigerant inventory.
New Jersey rule
N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.17A(c)3 defines minor work to include “the replacement of existing low-pressure boilers, warm air furnaces, air conditioning units, and air conditioning condensing units with new appliances of like capacity.” Section (c)4 adds “new electrical work incidental to the installation of air conditioning, equipment” in one- and two-family dwellings.
Heat pumps are not named. A heat pump that replaces a condensing unit of the same size may be read as like-for-like. A switch from oil, or a new ductless system, is harder to call like capacity. That decision belongs to your municipal construction office, not to this page and not to the contractor alone.
If it is not treated as minor work, the regular permit process applies before the work starts. Either way, ask who files the application and whose name is on it.
Your electric company
Heat pump rebates and on-bill programs come from the company that sends the electric bill, not the gas bill. Requests from these towns enter review. Listing a town is not a promise that a contractor is available there on a given day; that is confirmed before any details are shared. Outside these counties the request is still read, and you are told if there is no coverage.
PSE&G's electric list for Union County names 16 municipalities, Elizabeth, Linden, Rahway, Cranford, Union, Westfield, and Plainfield among them. JCP&L's zip code list includes Summit. Your electric bill decides which company's heat pump program applies.
Elizabeth · Union · Linden · Rahway · Roselle Park · Hillside · Cranford · Westfield · Clark · Kenilworth · Scotch Plains · Fanwood · Plainfield · Mountainside · Summit
PSE&G's electric list names 21 Essex County municipalities, Newark, Montclair, West Orange, Livingston, and Maplewood among them. Millburn is on JCP&L's zip code list instead.
Newark · East Orange · Orange · West Orange · South Orange · Maplewood · Montclair · Bloomfield · Belleville · Nutley · Livingston · Verona · Cedar Grove · Caldwell · Glen Ridge · Millburn
PSE&G's electric list for Morris County names only Lincoln Park. JCP&L's zip code list includes Morristown, Madison, Parsippany, Randolph, Denville, Dover, and Boonton, so most Morris homes look to JCP&L for heat pump rebates.
Morristown · Madison · Parsippany · Randolph · Denville · Dover · Boonton · Lincoln Park · Chatham · Florham Park · Montville · Roxbury
Town lists read October 2, 2026 from PSE&G’s service territory page and JCP&L’s zip code list. What each company pays back on a heat pump, PSE&G’s larger incentive for switching a whole house, and both companies’ financing are side by side in the NJ HVAC rebates guide. Ask the contractor to confirm in writing that they participate in your company’s program before you count the rebate.
Before you hire
HVACR work in New Jersey is licensed by the State Board of Examiners of Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors. Search the contractor's name on the State's license verification site before you sign. A business name that does not come up is a question to ask before any deposit.
Ask for the Manual J result: the heat loss of your house at design conditions and the capacity of the unit being quoted at that temperature. A quote that sizes by square footage alone is guessing in a house with old windows or a finished attic.
PSE&G says its building decarbonization rebates go through a participating HVAC Instant Rebates Program or Whole Home Energy Solutions contractor authorized for that work. Get the contractor's status in writing before you count the rebate in the price.
Keep the model and serial numbers, the permit number, and the inspection sign-off. Make sure the warranty is registered in your name. With Carrier equipment, missing the 90-day registration cuts the parts warranty from 10 years to 5.
Match request
Prefer to talk it through? Call (908) 249-0016. What the network does and does not promise is written out in the disclosure and the vetting standards.
Questions people ask
Bryant's 2026 cost page puts a heat pump for a 2,000-square-foot home at $6,000 to $15,000 installed, and most three-bedroom homes at $7,000 to $18,000. Carrier's 2026 range for a new heat pump of any size is $6,000 to $25,000 installed. Both are national manufacturer ranges read October 2, 2026. A New Jersey quote rises with a panel upgrade, new ductwork, or a cold-climate model.
The coldest normal January nights in Union, Essex, and Morris counties average 20.6°F to 25.5°F, per the Rutgers-based Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist (1991–2020 normals). Carrier says older heat pumps often need backup heat below 5°F. Its cold-climate models keep full heating capacity down to 0°F, and its 27VNA1 runs to -23°F. PSE&G's own FAQ says today's heat pumps are designed to perform well in cold climates. Single nights do go below the averages, so buy a cold-climate model or keep the furnace as backup.
The upfront cost: $6,000 to $25,000 installed per Carrier. The electrical work: Carrier notes the house may need a panel upgrade or a dedicated circuit, and Bryant says panel upgrades are often quoted separately. The cold: a standard model can lean on backup heat below about 5°F. The lifespan: Carrier gives 10 to 15 years and Bryant 12 to 15. The outdoor unit also has to be kept clear of deep snow drifts and ice, which Carrier lists as basic maintenance.
Usually because the backup heat is doing the work. Carrier puts a heat pump at two to three times as efficient as electric resistance heat. PSE&G says a heat pump can deliver up to three times more heat than the electricity it uses. Backup heat strips are electric resistance heat, so every hour they run gives up most of that advantage. An undersized unit or a standard model in a cold snap pushes more hours onto them. Ask the installer at what outdoor temperature the backup starts.
Carrier says a standard installation typically takes 4 to 8 hours. Ductwork changes, electrical upgrades, or a hard-to-reach site take longer, and a ductless job runs longer with every indoor head. New Jersey's inspection comes after the work. Under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.17A(d), the construction office inspects minor work within three business days of the request.
For a variable-speed model, long run times are how it is meant to work. Carrier describes inverter-driven heat pumps adjusting their speed to match the heating demand, so steady running at low speed is normal. A unit that runs flat out all night and still loses ground, or keeps calling for backup heat, is a sizing or equipment question to raise with the installer.
Plan on one. New Jersey's minor-work list, N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.17A(c)3, covers like-capacity replacements of low-pressure boilers, warm air furnaces, air conditioning units, and condensing units. Section (c)4 adds electrical work incidental to air conditioning equipment in one- and two-family homes. Heat pumps are not named, so the municipal construction office decides whether your job is minor work, started on notice with the application due within five business days, or needs the permit issued first. Ask the contractor which they will file, and in whose name.
No. The IRS says the Section 25C energy efficient home improvement credit will not be allowed for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025. A heat pump installed in 2026 does not earn it, even where older contractor pages still mention it. New Jersey utility rebates are separate and still run. Our NJ HVAC rebates guide lists them by company.
Yes. Carrier calls it dual fuel: a heat pump paired with a gas furnace, with the system switching between them by outdoor temperature. Its Infinity variable-speed heat pump runs down to -15°F before handing off to the furnace. In a New Jersey house that already has central air, the heat pump usually takes the place of the outdoor air conditioning unit and uses the existing ducts.
No. LA Trusted Partners is a New Jersey matching network, not an HVAC contractor and not a dispatcher. A request on this page is reviewed. Only when approved coverage is confirmed for your town are your details shared with one independent HVACR contractor, who contacts you directly. LA Trusted Partners does not set, quote, or guarantee any contractor's pricing, arrival time, equipment, rebate eligibility, or outcome.
Published October 2, 2026. Cost figures are Carrier’s and Bryant’s 2026 national ranges as their pages stood on October 2, 2026. Temperatures and heating degree days are the 1991–2020 normals published by the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist. Utility town lists, program terms, and the cold-climate test point were read from PSE&G’s and JCP&L’s own pages on October 2, 2026 and can change without notice. The permit rule is quoted from N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.17A; your municipal construction office has the final word for your address. LA Trusted Partners is not affiliated with PSE&G, JCP&L, Carrier, or Bryant.
Send what heats the house now, whether it has ducts, and which company sends the electric bill. If coverage is confirmed for your town, an independent HVACR contractor contacts you, and their written quote is yours to hold against the numbers on this page.
