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      Mild winters · Mild summers

      Best heat pumps for Oakland, CA

      Winters in Oakland are mild, so heating efficiency matters less than cooling.

      A typical heat pump costs about $1,458 a year to heat a house here and $70 to cool it. A 95% gas furnace would cost $884 for the same heat.

      Cheapest to run in Oakland

      Ranked by yearly electricity cost in this climate, so the balance of heating and cooling efficiency is the one that matters here.

      Running cost calculator for Oakland

      Pre-filled with Oakland's climate and California prices. Pick a model, tell it what you heat with today, and add your quote.

      Heat pump $1,012/yrCosts more by $232/yrSee details ↓
      1. Where you live
      Adjust heating and cooling hours

      Filled in from your city's climate. Change them if you run the system much more or less than usual.

      2. The heat pump pick a model or type its ratings
      3. What it replaces
      4. Price replace the example with your quote
      Heat pump, per year
      $1,012
      Current system, per year
      $779
      Costs more per year
      $232
      Payback
      No payback
      Net after 10 years
      -$11,325

      Cooling $40Heating $972Electricity used: 3,053 kWhSaved vs. a minimum-efficiency heat pump: $210

      Estimates use the unit's rated SEER2 and HSPF2, full-load hours derived from NOAA 1991-2020 degree days, average residential electricity prices from the U.S. EIA (12 months to July 2026) and fuel prices from EIA (2025 for natural gas, week of 2026-10-05 for propane and heating oil). Very cold days that need backup heat are not modelled. Federal minimum for comparison: 14.3 SEER2 / 7.5 HSPF2.

      More for Oakland

      Top 5 12,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $316/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      MDV MOX430-12HFN1-MZ60W27.514.5$316
      Goodman MSH123G26MCAA27.514.5$316
      Fujitsu AOUH12KTAP131.513.7$332
      Fujitsu AOUG12LZAS129.412.9$353
      Fujitsu AOUH12KZAH130.512.7$357

      All 12,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 24,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $632/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      SLIMAIR SHC24VH2AG27.514.5$632
      MDV MOD30-24HFN10-M1X22.313.5$684
      Arcoaire D5CSHAH24AAK21.213.5$685
      Comfort-Aire A-VHP24SA-121.013.5$686
      Mainline ML24HP230NEXH-O22.313.3$693

      All 24,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 3-ton central heat pumpsfrom $1,116/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL29.712.2$1,116
      LG KUSXA361A23.510.5$1,300
      Trane 5TWV0X36A121.010.5$1,306
      Lennox SL22KLV-036-230A20.510.5$1,308
      Lennox EL21KLV-036-230A20.010.4$1,321

      All 3-ton central heat pumps

      Heat pump vs. gas, propane and oilgas is cheaper to run

      Yearly cost to heat a typical house (36,000 BTU/h of heat, 1,100 full-load hours) at California prices.

      • Natural gas furnace, 95% AFUE$884/yr
      • Natural gas furnace, 80% AFUE$1,049/yr
      • Propane furnace, 95% AFUE$1,218/yr
      • Heat pump (typical, 9.0 HSPF2)$1,458/yr
      • Heating oil, 85% AFUE$2,010/yr
      • Electric baseboard or furnace$3,845/yr

      Electricity and natural gas: California residential averages from the U.S. EIA; propane and heating oil: latest EIA weekly prices.

      Month by monthpeak $254 in January

      Heating and cooling degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals) and what a typical 3-ton heat pump costs in each month at 33.1¢/kWh.

      MonthHeating DDCooling DDCost
      January4700$254
      February3510$190
      March3091$168
      April2344$128
      May17012$97
      June9224$59
      July5925$42
      August5039$43
      September5650$51
      October13320$80
      November3051$166
      December4620$250
      What size heat pump for a Oakland home?3.5 ton for 2,000 sq ft
      • 1,000 sq ft house2 ton · heating load 19,000 BTU/h
      • 1,500 sq ft house2.5 ton · heating load 28,500 BTU/h
      • 2,000 sq ft house3.5 ton · heating load 38,000 BTU/h
      • 2,500 sq ft house4 ton · heating load 47,500 BTU/h

      Average insulation, 8 ft ceilings. Size calculator for your own home

      Questions4
      Do heat pumps work in Oakland winters?
      Winters in Oakland are mild, so heating efficiency matters less than cooling. The average winter low is 43°F, and the heating season adds up to 2,690 heating degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).
      How much does it cost to run a heat pump in Oakland?
      A typical 3-ton central heat pump (17.0 SEER2, 9.0 HSPF2) uses about $1,458 of electricity a year for heating and $70 for cooling in Oakland, at the California average of 33.1¢/kWh. The most efficient models cost less - see the rankings above.
      Is a heat pump cheaper than a gas furnace in Oakland?
      Not on heating alone at today's prices: about $1,458 a year with a typical heat pump versus $884 with a 95% gas furnace (California averages: 33.1¢/kWh, $2.12/therm). A high-HSPF2 model narrows the gap, and a heat pump also replaces the air conditioner. Against propane, oil or electric heat it is usually far cheaper.
      What size heat pump do I need for a 2,000 sq ft house in Oakland?
      With average insulation, roughly a 3.5-ton system: the estimated cooling load is 27,600 BTU/h and the heating load 38,000 BTU/h. Use the size calculator for your own house, and ask installers for a Manual J calculation.

      Nearby cities

      Climate: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, station OAKLAND METRO INTL AP (6 km away).