Compare the delivered heating cost of a heat pump and a propane furnace using your own electricity rate, propane price, furnace efficiency, and heat-pump COP. The calculator also shows the break-even COP—the point where the two heating sources cost about the same to deliver heat.
Heat Pump vs. Propane Heating Cost Calculator
Use the prices on your own utility bill and propane invoice. No local fuel price is assumed.
Your Heat Pump vs. Propane Cost Check
| Heat-pump condition | COP | Cost per 100,000 BTU delivered | Compared with propane |
|---|
How the Heat Pump vs. Propane Math Works
The calculator converts both energy sources to the same output: cost per 100,000 BTU of useful heat delivered to the home. It uses 3,412 BTU per kWh of electricity and 91,452 BTU per gallon of propane, based on U.S. Energy Information Administration conversion factors. The propane side is adjusted by the furnace efficiency you enter, while the heat-pump side is adjusted by COP.
Conversion source: U.S. Energy Information Administration — Energy units and calculators.
A COP of 2.5 means the heat pump is delivering about 2.5 units of heat for each unit of electrical energy consumed at that operating condition. Because COP changes with equipment and outdoor conditions, this calculator lets you compare multiple temperatures instead of assuming one efficiency number applies all winter.
What Is the Break-Even COP?
The break-even COP is the heat-pump efficiency at which your entered electricity and propane costs produce approximately the same delivered heating cost. If the heat pump is operating above that COP, its energy cost is lower in this comparison. If it is operating below that COP, propane is lower.
This is especially useful for dual-fuel heat-pump systems, where homeowners may want to understand the economic crossover separately from the equipment’s capacity balance point.
Economic Crossover Is Not the Same as Capacity Balance Point
The cheapest fuel at a given temperature and the heat pump’s ability to meet the home’s full heating load are two different questions. A heat pump can still be economical while needing backup capacity, or it can have enough capacity while propane is temporarily cheaper based on current fuel prices.
Use the heat pump size and cold-weather capacity calculator for the capacity side of the decision.
Where to Find the Numbers
- Electricity rate: use the effective $/kWh from your utility bill if possible.
- Propane price: use your delivered $/gallon price.
- Furnace efficiency: use the furnace AFUE as a rough seasonal input when no better measured efficiency is available.
- Heat-pump COP: use manufacturer performance data for the exact indoor/outdoor equipment combination and relevant outdoor temperatures.
Heat Pump vs. Propane Calculator FAQs
Is a heat pump always cheaper to run than propane?
No. The answer depends on electricity price, propane price, furnace efficiency, and the heat pump’s COP under the operating conditions being compared.
Does colder weather make propane cheaper than a heat pump?
It can. Heat-pump COP generally changes with outdoor temperature and operating conditions. Whether propane becomes cheaper depends on where the actual COP falls relative to your calculated break-even COP.
Should dual-fuel controls switch at the economic crossover temperature?
Not automatically. Control strategy also depends on equipment capacity, comfort, manufacturer requirements, backup system configuration, utility rate structure, and installer design. The economic crossover is one input, not the whole control strategy.
Does this calculator include equipment purchase cost?
No. It compares operating energy cost. Use the heat pump cost calculator for installation-budget planning.
Heat Pump vs. Propane in Kachina Village
For the local system-selection discussion, see heat pump vs. propane in Kachina Village. If the property is in Kachina Village, Flagstaff, or a nearby covered area, you can also request a heat-pump quote.