InstaBidsFor homeowners
Heat pump vs AC cost: which one fits your home?
It depends on how the home is heated: Heat pump suits heating and cooling in one system. The right choice depends on whether winter heat should come from the same system, how new the furnace is, and how often winters dip below freezing.
| Factor | Heat pump | Central AC |
|---|---|---|
| Heating and cooling in one system | ENERGY STAR (2023): heat pumps offer heating and cooling "in one integrated system" | ENERGY STAR (2023) says that, for some, it may help to think of a ducted heat pump as "a central air conditioner that also works in reverse to provide whole-house space heating in winter" |
| Where winter heat comes from | ENERGY STAR (2023), on replacing a central AC with a heat pump: "This could allow you to eliminate or down-size your furnace." | DOE (2016): in a split system the indoor unit "is often connected to a furnace or heat pump" |
| Cooling in summer | ENERGY STAR (2023): in summer "a central ASHP automatically becomes a central air conditioner" (ASHP: air-source heat pump) | DOE (2016): its cooling coils "remove heat and humidity from the air using refrigerant" |
| Using the home's existing ductwork | ENERGY STAR: a central heat pump "can use pre-existing ductwork in your home to deliver heating and cooling" | DOE (2016): a central air conditioner circulates cool air "using a system of ducts and registers" |
| Up-front cost, in ENERGY STAR's words (no price figure) | ENERGY STAR (2023): "In most cases, a central air conditioner can be replaced with a heat pump for a modest additional cost." | no official figure |
| A relatively new furnace with an older central AC | ENERGY STAR: adding a heat pump to that furnace "creates a dual-fuel system for a modest extra cost over an AC system" | no official figure |
| Winters that regularly dip below freezing | ENERGY STAR: in that climate, "talk to your contractor to choose an ENERGY STAR unit" suited to the home | no official figure |
| Federal minimum efficiency for split systems (10 CFR 430.32) | 10 CFR 430.32(c)(5), for units manufactured on or after January 1, 2023: "(ii) Split systems—heat pumps 14.3 7.5" (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2, then Heating Seasonal Performance Factor 2) | 10 CFR 430.32(c)(5), for units manufactured on or after January 1, 2023: "(i)(A) Split systems—air conditioners with a certified cooling capacity less than 45,000 Btu/hr 13.4" (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2; no heating figure) |
| Extra federal minimum in the southeast and southwest (10 CFR 430.32(c)(6)) | 10 CFR 430.32(c)(6)(i) adds regional minimums for "split systems—air conditioners and single-package units—air conditioners" only; it lists no split heat pump class | 10 CFR 430.32(c)(6), for units installed on or after January 1, 2023, in the southeast or southwest as the rule defines them: "(i)(A) Split-systems—air conditioners with a certified cooling capacity less than 45,000 Btu/hr 14.3 14.3" (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2, southeast then southwest) |
| HUD Estimated Useful Life table (undated), outdoor condenser | HUD Estimated Useful Life table (undated), electric heat pump condenser: 15 family / 15 elderly, a HUD planning estimate for multifamily housing | HUD Estimated Useful Life table (undated), electric AC condenser: 15 family / 15 elderly, a HUD planning estimate for multifamily housing |
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| Priority | Choose |
|---|---|
| heating and cooling from one system | Heat pump |
What does central AC replacement cost?
For central AC replacement prices, see How much does AC replacement cost?
Something already failing? See Heat pump repair or replace: which fits your system?
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Sources for the facts on this page
- ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA / DOE), Air Source Heat Pumps factsheet (2023), government, read 22 October 2026.
- ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA / DOE), Air-Source Heat Pumps, government, read 22 October 2026.
- eCFR, 10 CFR 430.32(c) Energy conservation standards (U.S. DOE), government, read 22 October 2026.
- U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver 101: Home Cooling infographic (2016), government, read 22 October 2026.
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), CNA e-Tool Estimated Useful Life Table, government, read 22 October 2026.