Heating & Cooling · West
Cost to run a heat pump in California
At California’s average residential rate of 33.25¢ per kWh, a heat pump drawing 2400W for 10 hours a day costs about $146 a month. Change the numbers below to match how you actually use yours.
By national standards California has a mild heating season, so a heat pump here typically runs far fewer hours per year than the same unit would in the interior. If you are using the default hours below, they are likely too high for this climate.
Quick answer
Based on 2400W at a 60% duty cycle (this equipment cycles on and off rather than drawing full power continuously) and 33.25¢/kWh, the California average for May 2026.
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— per year
Why the cost differs in California
California has the 50th cheapest residential electricity of the 51 US states and territories we track, at 33.25¢ per kWh against a national average of 18.44¢. That is +80.3% compared with the national figure. California is the country's second-most expensive state, and the reasons are mostly on the delivery side rather than the generation side: wildfire hardening, transmission undergrounding and renewable procurement mandates all recover through rates. Critically, time-of-use pricing is near-universal here, so when you run an appliance matters as much as how long. Coastal cooling demand is mild; inland valleys are not.
For this appliance specifically, the difference works out to an extra $778 a year over what the same heat pump would cost at the national average rate. Run the identical appliance in Hawaii and it would cost $2,733 a year; in Idaho it would cost $649. That spread of $2,084 is entirely down to location.
At California's rate this single heat pump accounts for roughly 50% of a typical household's entire annual electricity bill. It is not a rounding error on your statement - it is one of the largest single line items in it.
Because California is among the most expensive states for electricity, efficiency upgrades pay back faster here than almost anywhere. A more efficient heat pump that saves a given number of kilowatt-hours saves noticeably more money in California than the same upgrade would in a cheap-power state.
Time-of-use pricing is near-universal in California, so when you run this appliance can matter as much as how long. Peak-period rates can be several times the off-peak price, and the state average sits somewhere in between.
| Location | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| California this page | 33.25¢ | $146 | $1,748 |
| US average | 18.44¢ | $80.83 | $969 |
| Idaho cheapest state | 12.35¢ | $54.13 | $649 |
| Hawaii most expensive | 52.00¢ | $228 | $2,733 |
California electricity rate trend
Rates in California have moved from 33.59¢ to 33.25¢ per kWh over the last twelve months of published data. Nationally, residential rates rose about 6.2% year over year.
2025-06 to 2026-05 · cents per kWh
About running a heat pump
A heat pump moves heat rather than generating it, delivering two to four units of heat per unit of electricity. In cold snaps below its balance point it falls back on resistance backup strips, which draw far more - this is why heat pump bills spike in extreme cold rather than scaling smoothly.
What actually changes the cost
- Nameplate wattage is not running cost. This heat pump draws about 2400W when active, but cycles roughly 60% of the time it is switched on, so effective consumption is near 1440W.
- At typical use this is a major load - around 5,256 kWh a year. Efficiency upgrades here pay back faster than on any small appliance.
- Models vary widely, from about 1500W to 4000W. Check the nameplate on your own unit rather than assuming an average, because the spread is more than 2x.
- Insulation and air sealing reduce runtime, which lowers cost more reliably than adjusting the thermostat by a degree.
- If your utility offers time-of-use pricing, shifting this load off-peak can cut its cost substantially without using any less energy.
How we worked this out
The arithmetic is simple and we would rather show it than hide it. Divide watts by 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by hours of use and by the duty cycle to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your rate:
2400W ÷ 1000 × 10h × 60% = 14.400 kWh/day × 33.25¢ = $4.788 per day
One honest caveat: California’s figure is a state average published by the EIA. Your own utility’s tariff, any time-of-use pricing, fixed monthly service charges and local taxes all shift the real number. Put your actual per-kWh rate into the calculator above for a figure that reflects your bill.
Questions about heat pump running costs
How many watts does a heat pump use?
A typical heat pump draws about 2400 watts while running, with most models falling between 1500W and 4000W. Check the nameplate label or manual for your specific unit - the range is wide enough that averages can mislead.
How much electricity does a heat pump use per day?
At around 10 hours of use a day and a 60% duty cycle, that works out to roughly 14.4 kWh per day, or about 432 kWh a month. Your actual figure depends on your usage and model.
Why does the cost differ so much between states?
Residential electricity rates across the US range from about 12.35 cents per kWh in North Dakota to 46.62 cents in Hawaii - nearly a fourfold difference. The same heat pump, used identically, therefore costs almost four times as much to run in the most expensive state as in the cheapest.
Is it cheaper to run a heat pump at night?
Only if you are on a time-of-use or variable tariff. On a flat rate, the time of day makes no difference to cost. If you are on time-of-use pricing, off-peak hours are typically materially cheaper, and shifting this load can reduce its cost without reducing usage.