Last reviewed: September 22, 2026 (UTC)
Heat pump electricity cost is easy to calculate once you separate two inputs: how many kilowatt-hours the air-source HVAC system uses and what each delivered kilowatt-hour costs. The same equipment can produce very different bills across climates, homes, backup-heat settings, and rate plans. Use the method and tables below to estimate an hourly run, an average month, and a full year without treating a national average as your utility rate.
This guide covers air-source heat pumps used for home space heating and cooling. It is informational, not a utility bill, contractor quote, or tax instruction.
Quick answer
| Question | Practical answer |
|---|---|
| What is the fastest estimate? | Multiply the heat pump's electricity use in kWh by the delivered electricity price per kWh. |
| What is a reasonable planning example? | The illustrative cases here run from $640 to $2,000 per year because both usage and the rate change. They are not national promises. |
| What does that equal per average month? | Divide annual cost by 12. The examples run from about $53 to $167 per average month. |
| What does one operating hour cost? | Multiply the system's average electrical input in kW by the price per kWh. |
| Why can a winter bill be higher? | Heating demand is concentrated in colder months, and resistance backup heat, air leaks, sizing, maintenance, and the rate plan can add to usage or price. |
| Which systems are covered? | Air-source HVAC for space heating and cooling, including ducted and ductless systems when their HVAC electricity use is known. |
The headline number is therefore a calculation, not a universal monthly bill. A heat pump's electricity cost also excludes other household loads unless the estimate explicitly uses whole-home electricity consumption.
What these estimates cover
The examples focus on an electric air-source heat pump that heats and cools living space. That includes:
- ducted central air-source heat pumps
- ductless air-source heat pumps, including mini-splits, when the estimate uses their actual HVAC electricity use
- the indoor blower, controls, and electric resistance backup only when those loads are included in the kWh input
The examples do not estimate heat-pump water heaters, geothermal systems, portable units, or a gas furnace's fuel cost. A single-room mini-split's nameplate draw is not a whole-home baseline. Use the system's measured or modeled HVAC kWh instead.
How to calculate heat pump electricity cost
At the annual level, the formula is:
annual heat pump electricity cost = annual HVAC electricity use (kWh) x delivered electricity price ($/kWh)
At the monthly level:
average monthly cost = annual heat pump electricity cost / 12
At the hourly level:
hourly cost while running = average electrical input (kW) x delivered electricity price ($/kWh)
The method needs three clear inputs:
| Input | What to use | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC electricity use | Metered, submetered, or modeled kWh for the heat pump and included accessories | Heating, cooling, fan, defrost, and resistance backup can land in different estimates. |
| Delivered price | The applicable per-kWh supply, delivery, and volumetric charges | A flat national number can hide your utility's actual rate design. |
| Billing boundary | Heat pump only, or the whole home with the heat pump included | Fixed customer charges and unrelated appliances should not be assigned to the equipment by accident. |
If you start with delivered heat rather than electricity use, a second method is available:
estimated HVAC electricity use = annual delivered heat (kWh of heat) / seasonal COP
COP means coefficient of performance. Use a seasonal COP or a performance estimate across the local weather, rather than the best test point from a product sheet. ENERGY STAR says an air-source heat pump can deliver up to three times more heat energy than the electrical energy it consumes, while actual results still depend on equipment, weather, and the home. Its air-source heat pump guidance also distinguishes ducted and ductless systems and explains why sizing matters.
Choosing a rate input
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's Electric Power Monthly Table 5.3 reports a residential average of 18.16 cents per kWh for 2026 year to date and 17.90 cents per kWh for the rolling 12 months ending in June 2026. The 2025 and 2026 values are preliminary.
That is a dated U.S. benchmark, not a quote for an individual household. EIA explains in its electricity pricing FAQ that its average retail price includes generation, transmission, distribution, taxes, and fees, but is not the utility rate applied to a particular service. For a household estimate, use the applicable tariff or the per-kWh charges shown on the bill. Keep fixed monthly charges separate when the goal is the heat pump's incremental energy cost.
The tables below use $0.1816 per kWh as the EIA-benchmark example. The $0.16 and $0.25 inputs are illustrative planning assumptions, not invented utility tariffs.
Annual heat pump electricity cost scenarios
These cases show how the two inputs work together. “Lower-use” and “higher-use” describe the math in each example, not a predicted home type or national range.
| Scenario | Annual HVAC electricity use | Rate used | Annual energy cost | Average monthly equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illustrative lower-use case | 4,000 kWh | $0.16/kWh | $640 | $53 |
| EIA-benchmark example | 5,500 kWh | $0.1816/kWh | $998.80, about $999 | $83 |
| Illustrative higher-use case | 8,000 kWh | $0.25/kWh | $2,000 | $167 |
For a rate-only comparison, hold usage at 5,500 kWh and change only the price:
| Delivered price used | Annual cost at 5,500 kWh | Average monthly equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| $0.16/kWh | $880 | $73 |
| $0.1816/kWh | $998.80, about $999 | $83 |
| $0.25/kWh | $1,375 | $115 |
The monthly equivalent smooths a seasonal load across 12 months. It does not say that January, July, and April will have the same HVAC usage.
Monthly and hourly scenarios
A particular month can be modeled directly by multiplying that month's heat pump kWh by the applicable price. The table uses monthly HVAC electricity only and excludes fixed customer charges and the rest of the home's electricity use.
| Heat pump electricity in one month | At $0.16/kWh | At $0.1816/kWh | At $0.25/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $80 | $90.80, about $91 | $125 |
| 1,000 kWh | $160 | $181.60, about $182 | $250 |
| 1,500 kWh | $240 | $272.40, about $272 | $375 |
For an hourly estimate, use average input while the system is running. The draw below is an illustrative input, not a claim about every heat pump's operating wattage.
| Average electrical input while running | At $0.16/kWh | At $0.1816/kWh | At $0.25/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 kW | $0.08/hour | $0.09/hour | $0.13/hour |
| 1.0 kW | $0.16/hour | $0.18/hour | $0.25/hour |
| 2.0 kW | $0.32/hour | $0.36/hour | $0.50/hour |
A heat pump cycles or modulates, so an hourly result is the cost during an hour at the stated average draw. It is not a forecast that the system will pull that input for every hour of the day. A measured circuit value, equipment performance estimate, or HVAC energy model gives a better input than a maximum nameplate value.
Why winter heat pump bills can spike
A heat pump can be efficient and still create a large winter bill because heating demand rises when outdoor temperatures fall. The annual average spreads that load across months that may need little heating or cooling.
Four factors commonly widen the gap between an annual average and a cold-month bill:
- Cold weather changes both runtime and performance. ENERGY STAR says many certified air-source systems are designed for cold climates, yet the selected equipment, outdoor temperature, home heat loss, and backup plan still shape the winter result. A cold-climate label describes tested low-temperature performance. It does not assign one annual kWh value to every house.
- Resistance backup adds a separate electric load. If strip heat or another auxiliary source runs, its kWh belongs in the winter estimate when it is part of the system's operation. A model that excludes backup heat can understate a cold-weather bill.
- The home envelope changes the heating load. The Department of Energy says older homes replacing gas heat with a heat pump should be weatherized for better cost savings and comfort. NYS Clean Heat likewise says air sealing and insulation can make smaller equipment practical and reduce monthly energy bills. See the DOE heat pump overview and NYS Clean Heat guidance.
- Sizing and maintenance affect runtime. ENERGY STAR says equipment that is too large or too small can struggle to meet comfort needs. Its maintenance checklist says dirty filters can increase energy costs and that airflow problems can reduce efficiency by up to 15 percent.
The practical implication is simple: use seasonal or monthly kWh when you have it. Annual kWh divided by 12 is a useful budget average, while a winter bill calls for a winter usage input.
Rate plans can change the answer
A heat pump's kWh and the price applied to those kWh are separate inputs. A special heat-pump rate or time-of-use plan can change the second input without changing the equipment's physical consumption.
EIA says it does not publish individual utility tariffs or peak and off-peak prices in its utility-rate FAQ. A rate-plan estimate therefore needs the exact supply, delivery, seasonal, and time-of-use rules for the service. It also needs any customer charge, tier, demand charge, solar-export rule, or other fee that changes the household's total bill.
A local example shows why the label alone is not enough. Cape Light Compact describes a seasonal heat-pump rate that lowers distribution and transmission charges from November through April while retaining a flat monthly customer charge. That is a specific program example, not a national rate assumption. Its heat-pump rate explanation also describes why natural-gas comparisons depend on local fuel and electric prices.
For a time-of-use plan, use a weighted heat-pump rate:
weighted heat-pump rate = sum of each time period's HVAC kWh x that period's price / total HVAC kWh
A winter-heavy system may use more electricity during the same expensive hours when the rest of the home is also using heat, cooking, and hot water. A generic off-peak price can therefore make the estimate look better than the actual tariff. Watt Wallet's time-of-use electricity plans guide explains how to separate the rate schedule from the household load shape.
Heat pump cost compared with gas or electric resistance
Compared with electric resistance heating, air-source heat pumps usually need less electricity for the same heating service. DOE says modern air-source heat pumps can reduce electricity use for heating by up to 75 percent compared with electric resistance systems. The percentage does not convert directly into a household bill because the heat pump may also replace gas, provide cooling, or operate in a home with a different heating load.
Gas requires a separate delivered-heat calculation:
gas operating cost = gas therms x gas price per therm + applicable fixed gas charges
A fair comparison also accounts for furnace efficiency, the heat pump's seasonal performance, and whether removing the last gas appliance eliminates a standing charge. Natural gas can be cheaper to operate in some markets, while a local heat-pump rate or a different electric price can change the result. A national heat-pump electricity average cannot settle that comparison.
Ways to lower the electricity cost estimate
The most useful cost reductions come from inputs and system conditions that can be documented:
- Weatherize before sizing. Air sealing and insulation reduce the home's heating and cooling load, which can reduce the required equipment size and future kWh.
- Use a load-based design. Proper sizing and duct evaluation keep the estimate tied to the home's actual heat loss instead of a square-foot shortcut.
- Keep backup heat visible. A forecast that hides auxiliary resistance use can make winter cost look artificially low.
- Maintain airflow. Filters, coils, blower components, and refrigerant checks affect how long the system runs and how much electricity it uses.
- Apply the actual rate structure. Seasonal or time-of-use prices belong in the months and hours when the heat pump uses electricity.
These steps improve the estimate as well as the equipment's operation. They also keep a lower projected bill from being mistaken for a guaranteed saving.
FAQ
How much does a heat pump cost per month in electricity?
In the illustrative cases above, the annual-average equivalent ranges from about $53 to $167 per month. That is heat pump energy cost only. A winter month can be higher when the system uses more kWh, the price changes by season, or resistance backup runs. A whole-home bill also includes other appliances and fixed charges.
How much does a heat pump cost per hour to run?
Multiply average electrical input in kW by the applicable price per kWh. At the illustrative EIA-benchmark price of $0.1816/kWh, a 1.0 kW average draw costs about $0.18 per hour and a 2.0 kW draw costs about $0.36 per hour while running. Actual hourly cost changes with modulation, cycling, outdoor temperature, and included backup heat.
Why is my electric bill high with a heat pump?
The bill may include the whole home's electricity rather than the HVAC system alone. Higher winter load, auxiliary resistance heat, air leakage, poor sizing, restricted airflow, maintenance problems, high per-kWh prices, and fixed customer charges can each raise the total. The first distinction is the billing boundary: heat pump kWh versus whole-home kWh.
Do heat pumps use a lot of electricity?
They can use substantial electricity when heating demand is high, especially in a cold or leaky home. They generally use less electricity for heating than electric resistance systems, and DOE's up-to-75-percent comparison describes that difference. The heat pump's total bill still depends on the home's load, the system's seasonal performance, and the electric price.
Is a heat pump cheaper to run than gas?
There is no universal answer. Compare the heat pump's seasonal electricity cost with the gas system's therm cost, efficiency, fixed charges, and any special utility rate. The result can change by market and by the home's existing equipment.
Bottom line
Heat pump electricity cost is a kWh x rate problem. Use air-source HVAC electricity consumption, apply the delivered price for the hours and seasons when the system runs, and keep winter usage, backup heat, fixed charges, and unrelated household loads visible. The illustrative tables are a starting point; your own HVAC kWh and tariff produce the useful answer.
Once the operating-cost case is clear, use Watt Wallet's heat pump installation cost guide to compare the upfront project scope with the utility savings you are modeling.