How Much Does It Cost to Run a Heat Pump (3 Ton)?
Short answer: about $2.60 a day and $77.85 a month, or $0.52 for each hour it runs at full power, at the 2025 US average electricity rate. That is for a 3,000 W heat pump (3 ton) running 10 hours a day with a 50% duty cycle. Change the state and hours below for your own number.
Updated Nov 8, 2026
Quick answer
Quick answer, US average (17.3 c/kWh)
About $77.85 a month
The same use costs $53.15 a month in North Dakota and $182.66 in Hawaii. This appliance runs on a 240 V circuit, so plug-in meters will not fit it; use a panel monitor or the utility's hourly data instead.
- Per hour
- $0.26
- with 50% cycling; $0.52 at full 3,000 W
- Per day
- $2.60
- 10 h, 15.00 kWh
- Per month
- $77.85
- 30 days
- Per year
- $947.18
- 365 days at the same use
Your state, your hours
Per hour
$0.26
Per day
$2.60
Per month
$77.85
Per year
$947.18
Heat Pump (3 Ton) at 3,000 W, 10 h a day, 30 days a month, 50% duty cycle: 450.0 kWh a month. Using the 2025 US average of 17.3 cents/kWh.
Want to change the watts or duty cycle too? Open the full calculator.
What decides the cost of running a heat pump (3 ton)
A heat pump in heating mode is an air conditioner running backward. It pulls heat out of the outdoor air, even cold air, and pumps it inside. Because it moves heat instead of making it, a 3 ton unit can deliver about 36,000 BTU an hour, around 10.5 kW of heat, while drawing about 3,000 W at mild outdoor temperatures. That ratio, about 3.5 units of heat for every unit of electricity, is the coefficient of performance (COP), and it is why a heat pump costs a third as much to run as baseboard heaters or space heaters for the same warmth.
The default here is 3,000 W for 10 hours at a 50 percent duty cycle, 15 kWh a day, about $2.60 at the national average rate. That fits a moderate winter day in a 1,500 to 2,000 square foot house. As the weather gets colder, two things happen. The heat pump's capacity falls and its COP drops toward 2 near 17 degrees, so it runs longer for the same heat. Then, below its balance point, the backup electric resistance strips kick in. Those are 5 to 15 kW heaters with a COP of 1, and an hour of a 10 kW strip costs about $1.73 by itself.
That is why a cold snap can double or triple a heat pump bill, and why cold-climate models with variable-speed compressors, which keep much of their capacity below 5 degrees, have changed the math in northern states. Defrost cycles, when the unit briefly reverses to melt frost off the outdoor coil, add a few percent.
Whether a heat pump beats a gas furnace comes down to your electric rate, your gas price and your climate. The heating cost by state pages work that out for each state. Against oil, propane or electric resistance heat, a heat pump wins in nearly every state.
Thermostat strategy is different with a heat pump. Large setbacks can trigger the expensive backup strips during recovery. Use small setbacks of 2 to 3 degrees, or a smart thermostat that recovers slowly and locks out the strips above a set outdoor temperature.
A heat pump is a 240 V hardwired load, so a plug-in meter cannot read it. A panel energy monitor or your utility's hourly data shows the real use, including the strips.
How to cut it
- Keep setbacks small, 2 to 3 degrees, so recovery does not bring on the backup heat strips.
- Set an aux heat lockout temperature on the thermostat if your model allows it.
- Change the filter every 1 to 3 months and keep snow and leaves clear of the outdoor unit.
- Seal and insulate ducts in unheated attics and crawl spaces.
Heat Pump (3 Ton) cost by state
Monthly cost for 3,000 W, 10 h a day, 50% duty cycle, 30 days, sorted cheapest to most expensive. Pick your state above to highlight it.
| Rank | State | Cents/kWh | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 11.81 | $53.15 |
| 2 | Idaho | 11.82 | $53.19 |
| 3 | Nebraska | 12.34 | $55.53 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 12.57 | $56.57 |
| 5 | Arkansas | 12.84 | $57.78 |
| 6 | Montana | 12.98 | $58.41 |
| 7 | Utah | 13.07 | $58.82 |
| 8 | Washington | 13.11 | $59.00 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 13.12 | $59.04 |
| 10 | Nevada | 13.15 | $59.18 |
| 11 | Tennessee | 13.18 | $59.31 |
| 12 | Kentucky | 13.24 | $59.58 |
| 13 | South Dakota | 13.38 | $60.21 |
| 14 | Wyoming | 13.38 | $60.21 |
| 15 | Missouri | 13.49 | $60.71 |
| 16 | Iowa | 13.72 | $61.74 |
| 17 | North Carolina | 14.02 | $63.09 |
| 18 | Mississippi | 14.03 | $63.13 |
| 19 | Kansas | 14.56 | $65.52 |
| 20 | Georgia | 14.73 | $66.29 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 14.96 | $67.32 |
| 22 | New Mexico | 15.08 | $67.86 |
| 23 | Florida | 15.24 | $68.58 |
| 24 | Virginia | 15.28 | $68.76 |
| 25 | Arizona | 15.32 | $68.94 |
| 26 | Oregon | 15.37 | $69.16 |
| 27 | West Virginia | 15.41 | $69.35 |
| 28 | Texas | 15.47 | $69.62 |
| 29 | Minnesota | 15.82 | $71.19 |
| 30 | Colorado | 15.85 | $71.33 |
| 31 | Alabama | 16.10 | $72.45 |
| 32 | Indiana | 16.23 | $73.04 |
| 33 | Ohio | 16.96 | $76.32 |
| 34 | Delaware | 17.13 | $77.09 |
| 35 | Illinois | 17.69 | $79.61 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | 18.16 | $81.72 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 19.30 | $86.85 |
| 38 | Maryland | 19.48 | $87.66 |
| 39 | Michigan | 20.01 | $90.05 |
| 40 | District of Columbia | 21.94 | $98.73 |
| 41 | New Jersey | 22.63 | $101.84 |
| 42 | Vermont | 22.92 | $103.14 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | 24.56 | $110.52 |
| 44 | Alaska | 26.09 | $117.41 |
| 45 | New York | 26.39 | $118.76 |
| 46 | Maine | 27.78 | $125.01 |
| 47 | Connecticut | 29.38 | $132.21 |
| 48 | Rhode Island | 29.46 | $132.57 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 30.48 | $137.16 |
| 50 | California | 32.54 | $146.43 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 40.59 | $182.66 |
Rates: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861, annual average residential price, 2025 (eia.gov). Full list on the electricity rates by state page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a heat pump per day?+
About $2.60 a day on the default of 10 hours at a 50 percent duty cycle: 3 kW x 10 x 0.5 = 15 kWh, and 15 x $0.173 is $2.60. On very cold days when backup heat runs it can be two to three times that.
How much does it cost to run a heat pump per month in winter?+
About $78 a month on the default: 15 kWh x 30 days = 450 kWh, and 450 x $0.173 is $77.85. In a cold climate with backup strip heat, $150 or more is common; in a 30 cent state the default alone is about $135.
How much does it cost to run a heat pump per hour?+
About 52 cents for each hour the compressor runs at 3,000 W, since 3 kWh x $0.173 = $0.52. Averaged over an hour at a 50 percent duty cycle it is about 26 cents. An hour of a 10 kW backup strip adds about $1.73.
How much does it cost to run a heat pump 24 hours a day?+
About $6.23 a day at a 50 percent duty cycle: 3 kW x 24 x 0.5 = 36 kWh, and 36 x $0.173 is $6.23. In a deep freeze where the compressor runs nonstop and the strips cycle, it can exceed $15 a day.
How many watts does a 3 ton heat pump use?+
About 2,500 to 3,500 W while heating, depending on efficiency and outdoor temperature, plus 5,000 to 15,000 W for backup resistance strips when they run. Start-up surge on a single-speed compressor can reach about 9,000 W.
Does a heat pump use a lot of electricity?+
Yes, in winter it is usually a home's largest electrical load. But for the heat it delivers it uses little, about a third of the electricity of resistance heat at mild temperatures. Over a 150 day heating season the default uses about 2,250 kWh, roughly $390.
Is a heat pump cheaper to run than a gas furnace?+
In many states, yes, but it depends on your electric rate, gas price and climate. A heat pump delivering 3 units of heat per unit of electricity often beats gas in mild climates and states with low electric rates. See the heating cost by state pages for each state's numbers.
Is a heat pump cheaper than space heaters?+
Yes, by about 2 to 3.5 times for the same heat. A 1,500 W space heater makes 1.5 kW of heat; a heat pump makes 3 to 5 kW of heat for the same 1.5 kW of electricity at mild temperatures.
Why is my heat pump bill so high in cold weather?+
Usually because the backup resistance strips are running. Below about 30 degrees many older heat pumps cannot keep up alone, and a 10 kW strip costs about $1.73 an hour. Large thermostat setbacks also trigger the strips during recovery.
Can a generator or home battery run a heat pump?+
Only a large one through a transfer switch. The compressor needs about 3,000 W running and up to 9,000 W to start without a soft starter, and the backup strips are usually beyond any portable source. A 13.5 kWh battery covers about 9 hours of the default use (13.5 divided by 1.5 kWh an hour).
Marcus Reed
Founder and Editor, CrunchYourDollars
Marcus Reed builds the sizing tools on CrunchYourDollars. He is a software engineer with a long-running PC hardware and power supply habit, which is where the watts, watt-hours and surge math on this site comes from. Product specs are pulled from manufacturer data sheets, electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and water chemistry rules from the Water Quality Association. He is not a licensed electrician or plumber: the tools show the math and the matching models so you can make the call, and anything involving your electrical panel should be checked by a licensed pro.
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