Best 3-ton central heat pump
TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL
3 ton central · cold-climate certified
- SEER2
- 29.7
- HSPF2
- 12.2
- Per year
- $986
Lowest yearly running cost in the state's climate.
Full specs and running costMild winters
Best heat pumps for California
In California a gas furnace still heats for a little less, but a heat pump also replaces the air conditioner.
A typical heat pump costs about $928 a year to heat a house, against $562 for a 95% gas furnace, at 33.1¢/kWh and $2.12/therm.
Cheapest to run in California
Best 12,000 BTU mini-split
Fujitsu AOUH12KTAP1
12,000 BTU mini-split · AIRSTAGE H-Series · cold-climate certified
- SEER2
- 31.5
- HSPF2
- 13.7
- Per year
- $298
Lowest yearly running cost in the state's climate.
Full specs and running costCity guides
Each guide uses that city's own climate data. Typical yearly cost of a 3-ton heat pump, heating plus cooling:
- Los Angeles$1,045/yr
- San Diego · also El Cajon$1,220/yr
- San Jose · also Santa Clara$1,442/yr
- San Francisco · also Berkeley, Richmond, Daly City$1,528/yr
- Fresno · also Clovis$2,214/yr
- Sacramento$1,898/yr
- Long Beach · also Downey$1,158/yr
- Oakland$1,528/yr
- Bakersfield$2,253/yr
- Anaheim · also Corona, Pomona$1,606/yr
- Stockton · also Tracy$1,964/yr
- Riverside · also San Bernardino, Jurupa Valley$1,641/yr
- Irvine · also Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Orange, Costa Mesa$1,123/yr
- Chula Vista$1,212/yr
- Santa Clarita · also Simi Valley$1,575/yr
- Fremont · also Sunnyvale$1,403/yr
- Modesto$1,999/yr
- Fontana · also Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Victorville, Rialto, Hesperia$1,645/yr
- Moreno Valley · also Menifee$1,863/yr
- Oxnard · also Ventura$1,103/yr
- Glendale · also Burbank$1,466/yr
- Elk Grove$1,890/yr
- Santa Rosa$1,734/yr
- Garden Grove · also Fullerton, West Covina, El Monte$1,267/yr
- Oceanside$1,306/yr
- Lancaster$2,537/yr
- Roseville$2,023/yr
- Palmdale$2,405/yr
- Salinas$1,462/yr
- Hayward$1,434/yr
- Escondido$1,715/yr
- Visalia$2,171/yr
- Torrance$1,045/yr
- Pasadena$1,161/yr
- Thousand Oaks$1,111/yr
- Concord · also Antioch$1,653/yr
- Vallejo$1,731/yr
- Fairfield · also Vacaville$1,992/yr
- Carlsbad$1,111/yr
- Murrieta · also Temecula$1,430/yr
- Santa Maria$1,395/yr
- San Mateo$1,430/yr
- Chico$2,101/yr
- Inglewood$1,052/yr
More for California
Heat pump vs. gas, propane and oil
- Natural gas furnace, 95% AFUE$562/yr
- Natural gas furnace, 80% AFUE$668/yr
- Propane furnace, 95% AFUE$775/yr
- Heat pump (typical, 9.0 HSPF2)$928/yr
- Heating oil, 85% AFUE$1,279/yr
- Electric baseboard or furnace$2,447/yr
Top 8: 3-ton central heat pumps
- TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL12.2 HSPF2 · $986/yr
- LG KUSXA361A10.5 HSPF2 · $1,176/yr
- LG KUSXB361A10.3 HSPF2 · $1,217/yr
- Trane 5TWV0X36A110.5 HSPF2 · $1,221/yr
- Lennox SL22KLV-036-230A10.5 HSPF2 · $1,231/yr
- Lennox EL21KLV-036-230A10.4 HSPF2 · $1,250/yr
- GE NS21H36MA5-**A10.4 HSPF2 · $1,250/yr
- Daikin DH9VSA361CA10.0 HSPF2 · $1,261/yr
Top 8: 12,000 BTU mini-splits
- Fujitsu AOUH12KTAP113.7 HSPF2 · $298/yr
- MDV MOX430-12HFN1-MZ60W14.5 HSPF2 · $300/yr
- Goodman MSH123G26MCAA14.5 HSPF2 · $300/yr
- Fujitsu AOUH12KZAH112.7 HSPF2 · $317/yr
- Fujitsu AOUG12LZAS112.9 HSPF2 · $317/yr
- Carrier 37MPRAQ12AA312.7 HSPF2 · $320/yr
- Fujitsu AOUG12LZAH112.7 HSPF2 · $321/yr
- Mainline ML12HP230CALH-O12.7 HSPF2 · $321/yr
Climate in the state's cities
- Los Angeles0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 5 days ≥ 90°F
- San Diego0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 16 days ≥ 90°F
- San Jose0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 16 days ≥ 90°F
- San Francisco0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 3 days ≥ 90°F
- Fresno0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 113 days ≥ 90°F
- Sacramento0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 90 days ≥ 90°F
- Long Beach0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 23 days ≥ 90°F
- Oakland0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 6 days ≥ 90°F
- Bakersfield0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 112 days ≥ 90°F
- Anaheim0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 99 days ≥ 90°F
- Stockton0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 88 days ≥ 90°F
- Riverside0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 101 days ≥ 90°F
- Irvine0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 13 days ≥ 90°F
- Chula Vista0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 13 days ≥ 90°F
- Santa Clarita0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 77 days ≥ 90°F
- Fremont0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 9 days ≥ 90°F
- Modesto0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 90 days ≥ 90°F
- Fontana0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 93 days ≥ 90°F
- Moreno Valley0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 100 days ≥ 90°F
- Oxnard0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 2 days ≥ 90°F
- Glendale0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 54 days ≥ 90°F
- Elk Grove0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 76 days ≥ 90°F
- Santa Rosa0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 34 days ≥ 90°F
- Garden Grove0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 39 days ≥ 90°F
- Oceanside0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 5 days ≥ 90°F
- Lancaster0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 109 days ≥ 90°F
- Roseville0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 84 days ≥ 90°F
- Palmdale0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 113 days ≥ 90°F
- Salinas0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 6 days ≥ 90°F
- Hayward0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 9 days ≥ 90°F
- Escondido0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 62 days ≥ 90°F
- Visalia0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 112 days ≥ 90°F
- Torrance0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 6 days ≥ 90°F
- Pasadena0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 26 days ≥ 90°F
- Thousand Oaks0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 9 days ≥ 90°F
- Concord0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 51 days ≥ 90°F
- Vallejo0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 16 days ≥ 90°F
- Fairfield0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 88 days ≥ 90°F
- Carlsbad0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 3 days ≥ 90°F
- Murrieta0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 60 days ≥ 90°F
- Santa Maria0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 6 days ≥ 90°F
- San Mateo0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 4 days ≥ 90°F
- Chico0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 93 days ≥ 90°F
- Inglewood0.0 nights ≤ 0°F · 9 days ≥ 90°F
Questions
- Is a heat pump worth it in California?
- At California prices a typical heat pump heats a house for about $928 a year, against $562 for a 95% gas furnace; it wins clearly against propane, oil and electric resistance heat, and it also replaces the air conditioner.
- Do I need a cold-climate heat pump in California?
- Generally not. None of the California cities we track has winters cold enough to require a cold-climate model, although one still helps on the coldest nights.
Running cost calculator
Pre-filled with California prices. Pick your city and what you heat with today.