Heat pump vs. gas furnace — the operating-cost break-even

A gas furnace’s yearly cost barely moves with the electric rate; a heat pump’s rises with it. They cross near 16¢/kWh (gas ~$1.48/therm, COP 3.0): cheaper electricity favors the heat pump, expensive electricity favors gas. Propane and oil sit far above both.

A line chart of annual heating cost versus electricity price for a ~1,800 sq ft home. A gas furnace is a nearly flat line at about $780 a year. A heat pump at seasonal COP 3.0 is a rising line — about $585 at 12¢/kWh and $830 at 17¢/kWh — that crosses the furnace line at the break-even, roughly 16¢/kWh. Left of the crossover, shaded green, the heat pump is cheaper; right of it, shaded amber, the gas furnace is cheaper. A dashed reference line shows propane or oil furnaces at about $1,500 a year, far above both, which is why heat pumps save the most for those homes. — Source: EIA fuel prices; DOE (heat-pump COP). ~50 MMBtu seasonal load

Use this diagram free on your site — grab the embed codeGet the code

What this diagram shows

A line chart of annual heating cost versus electricity price for a ~1,800 sq ft home. A gas furnace is a nearly flat line at about $780 a year. A heat pump at seasonal COP 3.0 is a rising line — about $585 at 12¢/kWh and $830 at 17¢/kWh — that crosses the furnace line at the break-even, roughly 16¢/kWh. Left of the crossover, shaded green, the heat pump is cheaper; right of it, shaded amber, the gas furnace is cheaper. A dashed reference line shows propane or oil furnaces at about $1,500 a year, far above both, which is why heat pumps save the most for those homes.

Use this diagram — free

You're welcome to use this diagram on your own site, blog, handout, or lesson at no cost. The only condition is a visible credit link back to the source page. Copy the snippet below and paste it into your page — the credit is already included.

Embed code (HTML)

<figure style="margin:0;max-width:800px">
  <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com/construction-diagrams/hp-vs-furnace-operating-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
    <img src="https://remodelcalculators.com/api/figure-embed/hp-vs-furnace-operating-cost" alt="A line chart of annual heating cost versus electricity price for a ~1,800 sq ft home. A gas furnace is a nearly flat line at about $780 a year. A heat pump at seasonal COP 3.0 is a rising line — about $585 at 12¢/kWh and $830 at 17¢/kWh — that crosses the furnace line at the break-even, roughly 16¢/kWh. Left of the crossover, shaded green, the heat pump is cheaper; right of it, shaded amber, the gas furnace is cheaper. A dashed reference line shows propane or oil furnaces at about $1,500 a year, far above both, which is why heat pumps save the most for those homes." width="800" height="490" style="width:100%;height:auto;border:0" loading="lazy">
  </a>
  <figcaption style="font:14px/1.4 -apple-system,sans-serif;margin-top:6px;color:#555">
    Diagram: <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com/construction-diagrams/hp-vs-furnace-operating-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heat pump vs. gas furnace — the operating-cost break-even</a> — courtesy of <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RemodelCalculators.com</a>
  </figcaption>
</figure>

Please keep the credit link intact and don't alter the diagram itself. Redistribution as part of a competing diagram library or template pack isn't permitted. Questions? Reach us via the site.

Was this diagram helpful?