My gas furnace hooked up to my central heating system has gone bad and needs replacing. I was interested in alternate methods of heating other than the traditional gas furnace and was wondering what my options are. I could replace it with another gas powered furnace--the previous one was 80K BTUs. I heard about "heat pumps" and was wondering if this was a viable heating solution.

I welcome all comments and suggestions. Please feel free to add you 2 cents (or a dollar if you feel so). Thanks in advance.

Yes heat pumps work well to save $$$
Get a 90+ style gas furnace also.
Make sure the company that sells the equipment and does the install knows what they are doing.
Call the BBB to check for complaints.

Get 2 or more estimates from different companys.

Thank you for the quick response. At first, I thought that a heat pump would be a viable alternative to my gas furnace. Unless I am mistaken, I believe that you are implying that the heat pump should be used in conjunction with a gas furnace. When you say I should get a "90+" gas furnace, do you mean 90K BTUs? Thanks again.

No 90+ is the best efficiency furnace manufactured. Many name brands and models but the 90+ is top of the line for efficiency.
Yes get both a new high efficiency furnace and a heat pump. It is called a dual fuel setup and works quite well.

Before adding a heat pump you must be sure that your electrical service can handle the additional load. A heat pump uses resistance heat when the demand dictates, and when the unit itself goes into defrost cycle. Evaluate your service before making the change. Also, where you live will also be a factor as to how efficient a heat pump will be for your situation. Northern states don't do that well with heat pumps.