Matched heating output
Heat Pump vs Electric Resistance Heating Cost
Compare the electricity needed to deliver the same amount of heat. The heat-pump side uses an adjustable coefficient of performance (COP); the resistance side uses direct electric heat as the reference.
Same delivered heat
Heat pump vs electric resistance
This comparison holds delivered heat constant. Real heat-pump COP changes with outdoor temperature and equipment operation, and backup resistance heat can increase consumption.
Why COP matters
Heat pumps move heat
ENERGY STAR defines COP as delivered heating rate divided by electrical input. A COP of 3 in this model means roughly one unit of electricity supports three units of delivered heat at the selected operating condition.
Important limitation
COP is not constant
Outdoor temperature, defrost operation, airflow, equipment sizing and resistance backup heat can all move real consumption away from the simple COP model. Change the COP to test warmer and colder operating cases.
Why compare the same delivered heat?
Comparing a 1,500 W portable heater directly with a whole-home heat pump can be misleading because the two systems may deliver very different amounts of heat. This calculator instead fixes the requested Btu/h output so the electricity comparison is on a like-for-like thermal basis.
The U.S. Department of Energy says modern heat pumps can substantially reduce electricity used for heating compared with electric resistance systems because they transfer heat rather than create it directly. The exact savings for a home depend on climate and system behavior.