Heat Pump to Furnace Changeover Temperature — What to Set
Published: July 22, 2026 — BC Wide Home Services Ltd, doing business as BC Wide Heating & Air Conditioning — Greater Vancouver, BC
Balance Point Explained
The balance point is the outdoor temperature at which the heat pump operating cost equals the gas furnace operating cost. Below this temperature, it is cheaper to run the furnace. For current BC energy rates (2026), the balance point for a cold-climate heat pump vs 95% AFUE furnace is approximately -2°C to 2°C.
Ideal Changeover Setting
Set the changeover to 0°C to 5°C for standard heat pumps (below this, the furnace takes over). For cold-climate heat pumps, set to -5°C to -2°C because the heat pump maintains good efficiency at lower temperatures. Adjust based on your actual electricity and gas rates.
Thermostat Configuration
On Ecobee: configure the heat pump as the primary heat source and set the auxiliary heat stage to lockout above the changeover temperature. On Nest: use Heat Pump Balance settings to optimize the changeover. On communicating thermostats (Carrier, Lennox), the installer configures this during setup.