Furnace and heat pump prices in Ottawa
In Ottawa a single-stage gas furnace typically costs $4,100 to $6,700 installed and a ducted cold-climate heat pump $9,250 to $18,550, before HST. Both sit about 3% above the provincial range, because the coldest winters on our city list call for more heating capacity.
Most Ottawa homeowners replacing a furnace now weigh three options: another gas furnace, a cold-climate heat pump that heats and cools, or dual fuel, a heat pump paired with a gas furnace for deep cold. Priced for Ottawa, each sits about 3% above its provincial range on Ontario Furnace Prices.
| Option and best fit | Typical Ottawa price | At -25°C | Running cost vs a 96% furnace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas furnace, single-stageLowest upfront cost | $4,100 to $6,700 | Full output | The baseline |
| Ducted cold-climate heat pumpHomes off gas, or replacing AC anyway | $9,250 to $18,550 | Reduced output, needs backup | Higher than gas; far lower than baseboards, oil or propane |
| Dual fuelGas homes that want a heat pump | $11,350 to $20,600 | Furnace takes over | Close to even |
| Ductless mini-splits, multi-zoneHomes without ducts | $9,250 to $18,550 | Reduced output, needs backup | Far lower than baseboards |
Before 13% HST. Ottawa prices are the provincial ranges plus about 3%, rounded to $50.
Eastern Ontario
Ottawa price snapshot
- Winter design temperature
- about -25°C, the coldest on our city list
- Heating degree days
- roughly 4,500 a year (approximate)
- Typical homes
- early 1900s in the Glebe, Westboro and Old Ottawa South; post-war bungalows; suburbs from the 1970s on
- Gas utility
- Enbridge Gas
- Electricity
- Hydro Ottawa in most of the city
- Permits
- City of Ottawa; your installer usually arranges any permit
Typical installed prices in Ottawa, before HST
- Single-stage furnace$4,100 to $6,700
- Two-stage furnace$5,650 to $8,250
- Central AC$3,900 to $7,200
- Ducted heat pump$9,250 to $18,550
- Dual fuel$11,350 to $20,600
Ottawa figures sit about 3% above the provincial range. Sizing to a -25°C design temperature calls for more heating capacity, and a heat pump meant to carry an Ottawa winter needs a larger outdoor unit than the same house would need in the southwest.
On this page
What -25°C means for a heat pump
Ottawa's design temperature, the cold a heating system is planned around, is about -25°C, with roughly 4,500 heating degree days in a typical year. An air-source heat pump keeps working in that cold, with less output and lower efficiency than at 0°C; many cold-climate models keep producing heat well below -20°C. Where their output falls short of the house's heat loss, backup heat covers the gap: electric strips in the air handler, or a gas furnace in a dual fuel system.
Questions to ask an Ottawa heat pump installer
- What is my home's heat loss at -25°C, from a CSA F280 room-by-room calculation?
- What does this heat pump put out at -25°C, per the manufacturer's data?
- What backup heat is included, and when does it take over?
- Where will the outdoor unit sit, and how high above the snow?
- Is this exact model eligible for any rebate I am counting on, and who handles pre-approval?
Running costs in an Ottawa winter
At our default all-in rates, about $0.50 per cubic metre of gas from Enbridge Gas and $0.15 per kWh from Hydro Ottawa, the same amount of heat costs this much from each source:
- 96% gas furnaceabout 100 m³ of gas$50
- Heat pump, COP 3mild weather$50
- Heat pump, COP 2roughly an Ottawa seasonal average$75
- Heat pump, COP 1.5deep cold, for many units$100
- Electric baseboardsor an electric furnace$150
Energy cost only, before HST and fixed monthly charges. COP is units of heat delivered per unit of electricity used. Change the rates in the heating cost calculator.
On natural gas, a heat pump only beats a 96% furnace while its COP stays above about 3, which happens in milder weather, so going all-electric in Ottawa rarely lowers the heating bill at these rates. In a home heated by baseboards, oil or propane the picture flips: even at a COP of 2, a heat pump costs half as much to run as electric resistance heat. Test your own bills in the heating cost calculator.
Dual fuel and the switchover point
Dual fuel runs the heat pump above a set switchover temperature and the furnace below it. Break-even at our default rates comes where the heat pump's COP falls to about 3; many owners set the switchover colder to burn less gas. At $11,350 to $20,600 in Ottawa, it suits a house whose furnace and air conditioner are both near the end. Its heat pump can qualify for rebates a furnace alone cannot, with approval before installation, and programs change; see Ontario heat pump rebates.
Ottawa housing and the installs it creates
The Glebe, Westboro and Old Ottawa South have older brick and frame houses, many from the early 1900s, some still on hot water radiators. Expect a chimney liner for a water heater left behind when the furnace moves to side-wall venting ($300 to $1,500), tight basements and side yards, and electrical work before a heat pump ($500 to $2,500, or $2,000 to $4,500 for a new panel). Radiator houses usually keep a boiler and add ductless mini-splits for cooling.
Post-war bungalows in areas such as Alta Vista and Elmvale Acres have open basements but ducts sized for heat, so a heat pump or larger air conditioner can mean return air upgrades ($500 to $3,000 or more).
Kanata, Orléans, Barrhaven and Stittsville grew mostly from the 1970s on, much of it since 2000. Easy venting, adequate ducts and original furnaces now due make these homes good candidates for a ducted heat pump or dual fuel.
Snow and the outdoor unit
Ask for the outdoor unit on a stand or wall bracket above your usual snow depth, out from under roof drip lines, with a meltwater drain path that will not freeze across a walkway.
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Permits and nearby price pages
The City of Ottawa's building department sets permit requirements, which depend on the scope of work. Your installer usually arranges any permit; ask whether the quote includes it ($75 to $300 where one applies). Gas work in Ontario must be done by a TSSA-registered contractor; ask for the registration number.
For another snow-belt city, see furnace prices in Barrie, or furnace prices in Toronto for the GTA. Provincial ranges are on furnace prices in Ontario and heat pump prices; all cities are on the city price pages.
Questions people ask
Will a cold-climate heat pump keep an Ottawa house warm at -30°C?
Not always on its own. Ottawa designs for about -25°C, and colder nights happen. Many cold-climate units keep running at those temperatures with reduced output, so the system needs backup heat: electric strips in the air handler or a gas furnace in a dual fuel setup. Ask for the rated output at -25°C next to your home's calculated heat loss.
Why are Ottawa prices about 3% above the provincial range?
Mostly capacity. A house sized for -25°C needs more heating output than the same house in Toronto, and a heat pump meant to carry an Ottawa winter needs a larger outdoor unit. Our 3% is an editorial estimate applied across systems; the house itself still moves a quote far more than the city does.
Is dual fuel worth it in Ottawa?
It is a common middle path for gas-heated homes. Dual fuel typically costs $11,350 to $20,600 installed, against $8,250 to $15,450 for a new furnace and central AC. At current rates the running-cost saving is small; the gains are lower gas use, a heat pump in place of an AC and two heat sources.
Can I keep my newer furnace and add a heat pump later?
Often, yes, provided the furnace blower can move enough air and the controls are compatible. The cheapest moment is when your air conditioner fails: replacing it with a heat pump instead of another AC turns the existing furnace into the backup of a dual fuel system.
My Glebe house has radiators. What are my options?
Keep the hot water system and replace the boiler when it is due: a heating boiler typically costs $6,200 to $11,350 in Ottawa, a combi boiler $7,200 to $13,400. For cooling, ductless mini-splits avoid cutting ducts through plaster walls. See boiler prices.