Heat Pump Savings Calculator
Use this calculator to compare estimated annual heating operating cost for a heat pump against your current heating fuel.
The calculator supports:
- natural gas
- propane
- heating oil
- electric resistance
It uses your own annual fuel consumption, fuel price, equipment efficiency, electricity rate, and an assumed seasonal heat-pump COP.
Enter only annual fuel or electricity used for space heating. Exclude water heating, cooking, cooling, and other household uses; a total utility bill is not automatically a heating total. If you cannot separate those uses, treat the result as a rough scenario rather than an estimate based on measured heating consumption.
Source: U.S. EIA - Energy Use in Homes
It does not claim to predict your exact future utility bill.
Heat pump savings calculator
Compare the energy cost of space heating with your current fuel and an assumed heat pump. Use heating-only usage; exclude water heating, cooking, and other household energy. Cooling savings are excluded.
Energy conversion constants: U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Why This Calculator Uses Your Actual Fuel Usage
A national "heat pumps save $X per year" number is weak because heating load and energy prices vary widely.
Using your annual space-heating fuel consumption gives the calculator a rough measure of the useful heat your current heating system supplied. Whole-house fuel totals that also include water heating, cooking, or other uses can overstate the heating load.
The model then estimates how much electricity a heat pump would need to supply an equivalent quantity of useful heat at the selected seasonal COP.
Fuel Conversion Data
The calculator uses U.S. Energy Information Administration conversion factors:
- 1 therm natural gas = 100,000 Btu
- 1 gallon propane = 91,452 Btu
- 1 gallon heating oil = 138,500 Btu
- 1 kWh electricity = 3,412 Btu
Source: U.S. EIA - British Thermal Units
What Is Seasonal COP?
COP is useful heat delivered divided by electrical energy consumed.
A seasonal COP input is an approximation of average heating performance across the user's heating season.
For a whole-system comparison, the assumption should reflect defrost and any electric backup heat used during that season.
Actual COP changes with:
- outdoor temperature
- system model
- compressor speed
- defrost
- building load
- controls
Do not treat one COP value as guaranteed performance.
What Does the Calculator Show?
Results include:
- estimated current annual useful heat
- current annual heating-fuel cost
- estimated heat-pump annual kWh
- estimated heat-pump annual heating cost
- annual operating-cost difference
- optional net-installation simple-payback estimate
- assumptions
A negative savings result is valid.
Does It Include Cooling Savings?
No.
This calculator compares space-heating operating cost only so the model stays transparent.
Does It Include Rebates?
The result can optionally subtract a user-entered verified rebate from installed cost for simple-payback math.
Any rebate entered must be verified.
Confirm program rules and the incentive amount with the official administrator before relying on a payback estimate.
Should You Use HSPF2 Instead of COP?
HSPF2 is a standardized seasonal rating and is useful for comparing equipment.
For a homeowner cost estimator, actual local seasonal performance can differ from the rating environment.
The calculator uses an explicit seasonal COP assumption and explains it.
What Should You Do With the Result?
Use the output to:
- compare fuel-price scenarios
- understand why propane/oil economics differ from gas
- stress-test electricity prices
- estimate simple operating savings
- prepare questions for contractors
Do not use it as a guaranteed savings quote.
Compare Real Heat Pump Installation Quotes
Once the operating-cost model looks attractive, compare properly sized local systems and net installation cost.
Prepare for installer conversations
Check the design process and compare written scopes, equipment matches, and installed costs.