Did you just rip out your gas furnace for a modern electric heat pump? Use our free heat pump calculator to estimate your massive winter electricity bills. Heat pumps are a miracle of thermodynamic physics—capable of hitting 300% efficiency by stealing heat from the outside air. However, when the temperature drops, that efficiency plummets. This tool calculates exactly what your heat pump will cost to run based on your local climate and power rates.
As it gets colder outside, the pump has to work much harder to steal heat.
Estimated Monthly Electricity Bill
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Daily Heating Cost
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Actual Power Draw
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How to Use This Heat Pump Estimator
Predicting the operating cost of a heat pump requires tracking temperature fluctuations. First, select the physical size of your unit (measured in Tons or BTUs). A 3-ton unit is standard for a modern American home. Next, you must select the COP (Coefficient of Performance) based on the weather outside.
Finally, estimate how many hours the machine actively runs per day, and enter your local electricity rate. Because the calculator uses the COP multiplier, it mathematically reduces the electrical draw of the compressor to reveal exactly how much money the machine is saving you compared to standard electric heating.
The 300% Efficiency Miracle Explained
According to the laws of physics, a standard electric baseboard heater is 100% efficient. It takes 1 unit of electricity and generates exactly 1 unit of heat. Heat pumps break this rule. Heat pumps do not create heat—they just move it.
By using expanding refrigerant gas, a heat pump can pull thermal energy out of the freezing winter air outside, compress it to make it scorching hot, and blow it into your living room. Because moving heat is radically easier than creating it, a heat pump can achieve a COP of 3.0. That means for every 1 unit of electricity it consumes, it pumps 3 units of heat into your house (300% efficiency).
Heat Pump Calculator Example
Let's look at a 3-Ton (36,000 BTU) heat pump operating in mild 50-degree weather. At this temperature, the COP is an excellent 3.5. We know that 36,000 BTUs is equal to roughly 10.5 Kilowatts of raw heat. However, because the machine is operating at a 3.5 COP multiplier, the electric motor is only drawing roughly 3.0 Kilowatts of actual electricity from the wall.
If they run the unit for 10 hours a day at an electricity rate of $0.16 per kWh, our heat pump calculator reveals the total monthly cost is roughly $144.00. If they tried to generate that exact same amount of heat using standard space heaters (1.0 COP), their monthly bill would be over $500.00.
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Tips for Surviving Winter with a Heat Pump
Do Not Touch the Thermostat: With a gas furnace, it is smart to turn the temperature down 10 degrees while you are at work. With a heat pump, it is a disaster. Heat pumps work best maintaining a steady temperature. If you drop the house to 60 degrees, and then ask the pump to rapidly heat it to 70 when you get home, it will panic and activate the "Auxiliary Heat" strips, causing a massive spike in your bill.
Fear the Auxiliary Heat: If it drops below zero degrees outside, there is no heat left in the air to steal. The heat pump will automatically shut down the compressor and turn on a massive electrical resistance coil (Aux Heat). Your 300% efficiency instantly drops to 100%. If your thermostat says "Aux Heat ON" for three days straight, prepare for a massive electric bill.
Keep the Outside Fan Clear: The massive metal box outside your house needs massive airflow to steal heat. If it gets buried in a snowdrift, the system will suffocate. Go outside and shovel a massive perimeter around the unit after every snowstorm.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a heat pump work?
Instead of burning fuel or electricity to create heat, a heat pump uses refrigerant to absorb latent heat from the outside air and actively move it inside your home. In the summer, it reverses the process to act exactly like an air conditioner.
What does COP mean on a heat pump?
COP stands for Coefficient of Performance. A COP of 3.0 means that for every 1 Watt of electricity the pump consumes, it moves 3 Watts of heat into your house (300% efficiency).
Do heat pumps work in freezing weather?
Modern cold-climate heat pumps can extract heat from the air even when it is -15°F outside. However, their efficiency (COP) drops massively as the temperature drops, meaning they will draw significantly more electricity.
What is auxiliary heating?
When the outside air is too cold for the heat pump to keep up, it turns on a backup 'Auxiliary' electric resistance heater. This backup heater is a massive energy hog and will skyrocket your electric bill.
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Stop risking your winter budget on Aux Heat. Scroll back up and calculate exactly what your heat pump is doing.