Heat pump vs furnace calculator
Most calculators ask you to type in your energy prices. This one looks them up from your ZIP code, using the latest figures the US Energy Information Administration publishes for your state.
How this is worked out
Your heating need is estimated from floor area and your state's heating degree days, then converted to running cost at your local prices — gas through your furnace's AFUE rating, electricity through the heat pump's HSPF2. Payback compares the roughly $3,200 extra a heat pump costs to install over an equivalent furnace, not its full price, because someone replacing a dying furnace is choosing between two purchases rather than one.
It is an estimate. Insulation, air sealing, ductwork and how you actually use your thermostat all move the answer, and no calculator can see those. Treat it as a way to sanity-check a contractor's quote, not as a substitute for one.
Just want the running costs?
If you are not choosing equipment yet, the cost to heat a home by state compares both without asking you anything.
Common questions
Is a heat pump cheaper to run than a gas furnace?
It depends on the gap between electricity and gas prices where you live, not on the equipment. In states with cheap natural gas a heat pump can raise your running costs, and this calculator says so when that is the case.
How is heat pump payback calculated?
Against the roughly $3,200 extra a heat pump costs to install over an equivalent furnace, not its full price. Someone replacing a dying furnace is choosing between two purchases rather than one, so comparing against the full price would overstate payback.
Do heat pumps work in cold weather?
Modern heat pumps work below freezing, though backup heat runs on the coldest nights. The calculator uses your state’s number of freezing nights to say whether a standard or cold-climate model suits your location.