At the U.S. average price of 18.16¢ per kWh. Your state's price changes these numbers; use the calculator.
Work out your cost
Change any number. The price per kWh is on your electric bill.
Starts at the U.S. average residential price, 18.16¢/kWh (August 2026, EIA, checked Oct 24, 2026). Month is 30 days; year is 12 such months.
The formula
cost = watts × hours ÷ 1,000 × price per kWh
Worked example: 2,900 W × 8 h ÷ 1,000 = 23.2 kWh a day. 23.2 kWh × $0.1816 = $4.21 a day, or about $126 over 30 days.
How many watts does a heat pump use?
Most are rated 1,100 to 4,500 W. The exact figure is on the label on the back or bottom.
- A heat pump's draw depends on its size and the outdoor temperature. Goodman's expanded heating data for the 3-ton GSZB403610 with a matched air handler lists 2.9 kW of total system power at 47°F (34,400 BTU/h of heat, COP 3.50) and 2.4 kW at 17°F (21,600 BTU/h, COP 2.60). The 5-ton GSZB406010 lists 4.5 kW at 47°F and the 1.5-ton GSZB401810 lists 1.4 kW.
- Ductless mini-splits are smaller. Mitsubishi rates the 12,000 BTU/h MSZ-GL12NA system at 1,100 W at 47°F (14,400 BTU/h of heat, COP 3.84), with a maximum of 1,620 W, and 870 W at 17°F.
- COP (coefficient of performance) is heat out divided by electricity in. A space heater or baseboard heater has a COP of about 1. DOE says heat pumps can provide up to three times more heat than the energy they use and cut electricity use for heating by about 50% compared with electric furnaces or baseboard heaters.
- These figures leave out backup heat. Most ducted systems have electric resistance strips in the air handler for very cold weather and defrost, and DOE warns that this backup heat costs more to run. A heat pump also cycles or slows down once the house is warm, so hours of actual running are fewer than hours the system is switched on.
Cost at different electricity prices
| Use | Nevada (lowest state)12.72¢/kWh | U.S. average18.16¢/kWh | New York28.65¢/kWh | California29.75¢/kWh | Hawaii (highest state)47.18¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,000 BTU/h mini-split at its 1,100 W rating, 8 h/day264 kWh a month | $33.58$403/yr | $47.94$575/yr | $75.64$908/yr | $78.54$942/yr | $125$1,495/yr |
| Same mini-split at its 1,620 W maximum, 12 h/day583 kWh a month | $74.18$890/yr | $106$1,271/yr | $167$2,005/yr | $174$2,082/yr | $275$3,302/yr |
| 3-ton central heat pump at 47°F (2,900 W), 8 h/day696 kWh a month | $88.53$1,062/yr | $126$1,517/yr | $199$2,393/yr | $207$2,485/yr | $328$3,940/yr |
| 3-ton central heat pump at 47°F (2,900 W), 12 h/day1,044 kWh a month | $133$1,594/yr | $190$2,275/yr | $299$3,589/yr | $311$3,727/yr | $493$5,911/yr |
| 3-ton central heat pump at 17°F (2,400 W), 16 h/day1,152 kWh a month | $147$1,758/yr | $209$2,510/yr | $330$3,961/yr | $343$4,113/yr | $544$6,522/yr |
Per month (30 days) and per year (12 such months). Real use is usually seasonal. Average residential prices for August 2026 from the same EIA table. Your utility's rate, including delivery charges, may differ. Check the price per kWh on your bill.
Ways to pay less
- Pick a temperature and leave it ENERGY STAR says heat pumps, unlike furnaces, do not save energy when you turn them down while you're out or asleep. DOE adds that a manual setback can bring on the backup resistance heat, which costs more to run. If you want a schedule, use a smart or programmable thermostat made for heat pumps.
- Keep the backup strips for real cold Resistance heat turns one kWh into one kWh of heat. In Goodman's data, the 3-ton heat pump still delivers 2.6 kWh of heat per kWh at 17°F, so each hour the strips stay off at that temperature saves money.
- Set the mode to heat, not auto ENERGY STAR recommends choosing heat or cool rather than auto so the system doesn't switch modes on an unusually warm or cold day, and using the auto fan setting or the lowest fan speed that spreads the heat.
- Clean or change the filters DOE suggests cleaning or changing filters once a month or as needed in heating season. A clogged filter cuts airflow and makes the system run longer for the same heat.
- In a cold climate, check the 5°F rating ENERGY STAR certifies cold climate heat pumps with third-party testing down to 5°F. Mitsubishi's MSZ-GL12NA, for example, still produces up to 9,790 BTU/h at 5°F on 1,020 W.
Questions
How much does a heat pump cost to run per hour?
Multiply the kW it draws by your price per kWh. At 18.16¢/kWh (EIA, August 2026), a 3-ton central unit drawing 2.9 kW costs about $0.53 an hour, a 5-ton unit at 4.5 kW about $0.82, and a 12,000 BTU/h mini-split at 1,100 W about $0.20.
How much does it cost to run a heat pump in winter per month?
It depends on how many hours the compressor runs. A 3-ton unit at 2.9 kW costs about $63.20 a month at 4 hours a day, $126 at 8 hours and $190 at 12 hours, at the U.S. average price. At Nevada's 12.72¢/kWh the 8-hour figure is about $88.53, and at Hawaii's 47.18¢/kWh about $328.
Is a heat pump cheaper to run than a space heater or baseboard heat?
Yes, for the same amount of heat. The 34,400 BTU/h that a 3-ton heat pump makes from 2.9 kW at 47°F would take about 10.1 kW of resistance heat, about $1.83 an hour against $0.53. Put another way, a kWh of heat costs about 5.19¢ from a heat pump at COP 3.5 and 18.16¢ from a space heater or baseboard.
Does a heat pump cost more to run when it's very cold?
Each unit of heat costs more, because efficiency falls as the outdoor air gets colder. Goodman's 3-ton unit drops from COP 3.50 at 47°F to 2.60 at 17°F, which raises the cost of a kWh of heat from about 5.19¢ to 6.98¢. The unit also has to run longer, and below its balance point the backup resistance heat comes on, which costs as much as a space heater.
Should I turn my heat pump down at night?
Usually not. ENERGY STAR advises picking a comfortable temperature and leaving it, and DOE says not to set a heat pump back by hand if that brings on the backup electric heat. A thermostat designed for heat pumps can handle small, gradual setbacks.
Is a bitcoin heater cheaper than a heat pump?
Not at current mining income. A heater miner turns electricity into heat one to one, like a space heater, so to match a heat pump at COP 3.5 its mining income would have to cover about 71% of its power bill. At the October 25, 2026 hashprice, an 800 W Avalon Mini 3 earns back about 39% of its electricity at 18.16¢/kWh, so its heat costs the equivalent of about 11.09¢ per kWh. Our bitcoin heater page updates that comparison with each day's hashprice.
Sources
- U.S. EIA: Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average price of electricity by state, August 2026 (released Oct 23, 2026). Used for: U.S. average residential rate (18.16¢/kWh) and state rates
- Goodman: GSZB4 split system heat pump specification sheet (SS-GSZB4, 10/22). Used for: Expanded heating data: total system kW, heat output and COP by outdoor temperature for 1.5- to 5-ton units (3-ton: 2.9 kW and 34,400 BTU/h at 47°F, 2.4 kW and 21,600 BTU/h at 17°F)
- Mitsubishi Electric: Submittal data, MSZ-GL12NA and MUZ-GL12NA wall-mounted heat pump system. Used for: Rated heating input 1,100 W (maximum 1,620 W) at 47°F, 870 W at 17°F, 9,790 BTU/h on 1,020 W at 5°F, COP 3.84
- U.S. DOE: Energy Saver Guide (2022). Used for: Heat pumps provide up to three times more heat than the energy they use and cut heating electricity by about 50% vs electric furnaces and baseboards; don't set back if it triggers backup heat; thermostat and filter tips
- ENERGY STAR: Air-source heat pumps. Used for: Steady temperature, heat not auto mode, fan settings, filters; cold climate testing down to 5°F
- WattCost: hashprice (mempool.space and CoinGecko), October 25, 2026, and Canaan Avalon Mini 3 specifications. Used for: Avalon Mini 3: 37.5 TH/s at 800 W; mining income at $36.19 per PH/s a day