Costs

What HVAC really costs

There are two HVAC costs, and the industry only talks about the first: the sticker (what you pay the installer) and the operating cost (what you pay the utility every month for the next 15 years). We compute the second one.

Best heat pump

$10.76/MMBtu delivered heat

Typical heat pump

$19.82/MMBtu

Electric resistance

$55.19/MMBtu

Efficient-HP savings

~81% vs. resistance

$/MMBtu = the cost to deliver one million BTU of heat. Figures use EIA U.S. average energy prices (EIA US avg 2026); your local prices change the answer — run your own in the calculator.

Coming soon

Installed-cost guides + install lead-gen

"How much does a heat pump cost to install?" by system type and region, plus the operating-cost context on every page. Until then, the live tool does the operating-cost math for your ZIP's energy prices:

Run the operating-cost calculator →

Operating costs computed from published SEER2 / HSPF2 / AFUE ratings × EIA energy prices; installed-price ranges compiled from market data. Full formulas in methodology.