Heat Pumps

Converting gas and electric rates to one comparable unit, cold-temperature COP, the cost of backup heat, and the order electrification pays off in.

Heat Pumps September 14, 2026 Cold Climate Heat Pump COP: What Backup Heat Costs The 5 degree test point moved behind a paywall, the label HSPF2 was rated for a milder climate, and one thermostat setting multiplied backup kWh by six. 17 min read
Heat Pumps August 28, 2026 Heat Pump Operating Cost: Therms to kWh Worksheet A gas bill's therms are not all heating. Split them, convert at 29.31 kWh a therm, price them at your own block rate, and the answer arrives in dollars a year. 12 min read
Heat Pumps August 19, 2026 Heat Pump vs Gas Furnace Cost: Find Your Breakeven COP Your gas rate and your electric rate decide the COP a heat pump must beat. The formula, worked on EIA state figures: yes in Washington, no in Minnesota. 10 min read

About this section

Priya Raghunathan writes Kilowatt Ledger because three quotes for the same roof can produce three different payback figures, and the difference is always in assumptions nobody writes down. She does not work in the energy industry and has never sold, financed, or installed a system. Every number here is traced to a utility tariff sheet, a regulator's decision, or a published standard, and the arithmetic is written out so you can redo it on your own bill.

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Every guide cites the agency, statute, or document it was checked against, and carries the date it was checked. Rules change — if something here is out of date, tell us and it gets corrected.