Heat Pump vs Furnace Operating Cost Calculator
Compare the energy cost of delivering the same useful heat with an electric heat pump or natural-gas furnace. No annual heating load needed.
Cost to deliver 100,000 BTU of useful heat
- Heat-pump electricity required
- kWh
- Furnace gas required
- therms
- Heat-pump cost minus furnace cost
- Difference relative to furnace cost
- %
- Break-even heat-pump COP
A negative difference means the heat pump costs less. Percentage differences use the furnace cost as the baseline. Essentially equal means costs differ by no more than 0.0001% of the higher cost. Rounded displays may match even when unrounded costs differ.
Estimated seasonal operating costs
- Seasonal heat-pump energy cost
- Seasonal furnace energy cost
- Heat-pump seasonal cost minus furnace cost
Assumes your entered COP and energy prices remain representative across the heating season. This is not a weather-based forecast.
How it works
We compare the energy each system needs to deliver 100,000 BTU of useful heat. A heat pump with a higher COP supplies more heat from each kWh; a furnace with higher efficiency supplies more heat from each therm of gas. We apply your prices to that energy use.
Break-even COP is the heat-pump performance needed to match the furnace’s energy cost. If you enter a seasonal useful heating need, we scale both costs to that same amount of heat.
Understanding the comparison
COP is heat delivered divided by electricity used in the same energy units. Heat-pump COP varies with outdoor temperature, equipment, system sizing and operating conditions. Colder weather can lower COP and change which system costs less. One COP does not describe every hour of a winter; do not enter HSPF or HSPF2 directly as COP.
Use marginal energy prices for additional heating. Electric bills can include fixed charges, delivery charges and tiered rates; gas bills can include fixed charges and taxes. Fixed charges do not scale with heat and are excluded here. Include applicable variable charges in the rate you enter.
This compares heat-pump electricity with furnace fuel. Furnace fan electricity, supplemental resistance heat and distribution losses are not separately modeled. Use a representative system COP and furnace efficiency where possible. The same useful-heat target is assumed for both systems.
This does not include installation costs, maintenance, lifespan, rebates, tax credits or financing. It does not size equipment or recommend changing a thermostat’s changeover setting. Neither technology is universally cheaper.
Background: U.S. Department of Energy heat-pump guidance.
Estimate only. Compare your actual energy rates and equipment performance before making heating decisions.