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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Heat Pump? $0.59/Hour, $105/Month

Running a heat pump at 3,500 watts for 5.87 hours a day costs about $3.49 a day and $104.78 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $524 a year.

3,500 W (1,200–8,000 W)Typical power draw
5.87 h/day, 30 days/monthAssumed use
20.55 kWhEnergy per day

· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23

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a heat pump: energy cost only (3,500 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × rate); fixed fees and taxes extra.
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Slider nudges the rate for a heat pump; the URL keeps it.

## How much does it cost to run a heat pump?

The same a heat pump at 5.87 hours a day costs $73.96 a month at 12¢ and $277.36 at 45¢ — usage held constant, only the rate moving:

Table 1: How Much Does It Cost to Run a Heat Pump? $0.59/Hour, $105/Month
Electricity rate Per hour Per day Per month in season Per year
12¢/kWh $0.420 $2.47 $73.96 $370
15¢/kWh $0.525 $3.08 $92.45 $462
17¢/kWh (US avg) $0.595 $3.49 $104.78 $524
20¢/kWh $0.700 $4.11 $123.27 $616
25¢/kWh $0.875 $5.14 $154.09 $770
30¢/kWh $1.050 $6.16 $184.91 $925
35¢/kWh $1.225 $7.19 $215.72 $1,079
45¢/kWh $1.575 $9.25 $277.36 $1,387
Typical power draw
3,500 W (1,200–8,000 W)
Assumed use
5.87 h/day, 30 days/month
Energy per day
20.55 kWh
Cost per day
$3.49
Cost per month
$104.78
Cost per year
$524

Why this number

Running a heat pump at 3,500 watts for 5.87 hours a day costs about $3.49 a day and $104.78 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $524 a year. The formula for a heat pump: 3,500 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × your rate per kWh. For a heat pump your own rate changes the answer: at 12¢/kWh that month costs $73.96, at 45¢/kWh it costs $277.36.

A heat pump rated at 3,500 watts, run 5.87 hours a day, costs about $3.49 a day — about $104.78 a month, or $524 a year — at the US average electricity rate of 17¢/kWh. That makes it one of the most expensive things in a typical home to run — 3rd out of the 40 appliances tracked here. If you are trying to cut a bill, this is where the money is.

What actually drives this number

A heat pump does not make heat, it moves it, so it delivers two to four units of warmth per unit of electricity — which is why it runs for roughly a third less than the electric furnace it usually replaces. EIA’s 2020 survey puts households heated by a central heat pump at about 3,100 kWh of space-heating electricity a year, against 3,500 kWh for households on an electric furnace. The thing that erases that advantage is the backup: nearly every ducted heat pump carries electric resistance strips that fire below its balance point, and a unit stuck in emergency heat for a cold week is just a 15 kW furnace with extra steps. Check that your thermostat is not calling for auxiliary heat when it does not need to — it is the single most expensive misconfiguration in an American home. Costed over a five-month heating season at effective compressor hours, not clock hours.

Unlike resistance loads, efficiency here is genuinely shoppable — the SEER2 rating on the nameplate sets the input watts directly, and it is a large part of why real units span 1,200–8,000 W. The same refrigeration cycle also runs in reverse: the ductless mini-split , at about $95.88 an in-season month, is what that trick looks like applied to heating.

Where this number comes from

Putting Heat pump in proportion

At 17¢/kWh, a heat pump next to the rest of the bill:

For a heat pump: cooling equipment moves heat rather than making it, so it delivers several units of cooling per unit of electricity. That efficiency is why it beats resistance heating for the same effect, and long run-hours are why it still lands high on the bill. On this site’s own numbers, a heat pump lands at #3 of 40 on the monthly-cost ranking, at about $104.78 for a typical month.

The formula, in full

The 3,500 W arithmetic for a heat pump, step by step:

  1. Watts to kilowatts. 3,500 W ÷ 1,000 = 3.50 kW.
  2. Energy per day. 3.50 kW × 5.87 hours = 20.55 kWh.
  3. Cost per day. 20.55 kWh × $0.17 = $3.49.
  4. Cost per month. $3.49 × 30 days = $104.78.

For a heat pump the two levers are run-hours (5.87 h/day here) and your rate; at 5.87 hours a day, 3,500 W adds up — which is why cooling equipment dominate the rankings.

Heat pump running cost by state

Hours and rate both change with geography: the state pages scale the 5.87 h/day baseline by each state’s degree-days and price it at the state’s own EIA rate and its largest utilities’ prices. Cold states so far: Alaska , Colorado , Connecticut , Idaho , Illinois , Iowa , Maine , Massachusetts , Michigan , Minnesota , Montana , Nebraska , New Hampshire , New York , North Dakota , South Dakota , Utah , Vermont , Wisconsin , Wyoming .

Other cooling loads: Ductless mini-split ($479/yr), Central air conditioner ($339/yr), Portable air conditioner ($233/yr). Closest on annual cost: Hot tub ($512/yr), Electric water heater ($475/yr). Across all other cooling loads here, the cheapest is Ceiling fan at $1.84/mo.

The a heat pump table above runs a fixed rate ladder (12–45¢); the state quick-fill uses July 2026 averages from EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A .

Put a heat pump ($104.78 a month) against everything else in the electricity cost calculator , check your state’s rate , or browse all 40 appliances ; year-round high bills: solar savings calculator .

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a heat pump per hour?

About $0.595 an hour for a heat pump at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢), for a 3,500 W unit. The calculation is 3,500 ÷ 1,000 × 1 hour × $0.17 per kWh. At 30¢/kWh the same hour costs $1.050.

How much does a heat pump add to my monthly bill?

Roughly $104.78 a month for a heat pump at 5.87 hours a day, 30 days a month, 17¢/kWh. That is about $524 a year across a 5-month season. For a heat pump, change the 5.87-hour default to your own use — run-time moves the total as much as the 3,500 W does.

How many watts does a heat pump use?

Typically around 3,500 W, with real units ranging from about 1,200 to 8,000 W depending on size, model and setting. The nameplate on your own unit is the figure to trust — these are typical values for planning, not a measurement of your appliance.

Why is my actual bill higher than the a heat pump figure?

$104.78 a month is the energy cost of a heat pump alone; your bill adds fixed connection charges, delivery fees, taxes and every other load. Add the other appliances in the index to a heat pump for the controllable part of the bill.

How we calculated this

Worked for a heat pump: 3,500 W ÷ 1,000 × 5.87 h × $0.17 = $3.49 a day; × 30 days = $104.78 a month; × 5 months in use = $524 a year. 3,500 W and 5.87 h are the typical figures cited for a heat pump; 17¢ is EIA’s 2025 annual US average.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.

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