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Mild winters · Mild summers

Best heat pumps for Oxnard, CA

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

A typical heat pump costs about $928 a year to heat a house here and $175 to cool it. A 95% gas furnace would cost $562 for the same heat.

This guide also covers Ventura, which share Oxnard's weather station and climate data.

Cheapest to run in Oxnard

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 Oxnard

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

Heat pump $718/yrCosts more by $74/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
$718
Current system, per year
$644
Costs more per year
$74
Payback
No payback
Net after 10 years
-$9,738

Cooling $99Heating $618Electricity used: 2,167 kWhSaved vs. a minimum-efficiency heat pump: $163

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 Oxnard

Top 5 12,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $228/yr
Top 5 24,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $456/yr
Top 5 3-ton central heat pumpsfrom $785/yr
Heat pump vs. gas, propane and oilgas is cheaper to run

Yearly cost to heat a typical house (36,000 BTU/h of heat, 700 full-load hours) at California prices.

  • 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

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

Month by monthpeak $160 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
January2856$160
February2436$137
March2395$134
April1984$111
May1234$70
June5112$35
July1469$45
August1275$47
September2068$48
October6851$65
November16718$101
December2714$151
What size heat pump for a Oxnard home?2.5 ton for 2,000 sq ft
  • 1,000 sq ft house1.5 ton · heating load 15,000 BTU/h
  • 1,500 sq ft house2 ton · heating load 22,500 BTU/h
  • 2,000 sq ft house2.5 ton · heating load 30,000 BTU/h
  • 2,500 sq ft house2.5 ton · heating load 37,500 BTU/h

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

Questions4
Do heat pumps work in Oxnard winters?
Winters in Oxnard are mild, so heating efficiency matters less than cooling. The average winter low is 47°F, and the heating season adds up to 1,692 heating degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).
How much does it cost to run a heat pump in Oxnard?
A typical 3-ton central heat pump (17.0 SEER2, 9.0 HSPF2) uses about $928 of electricity a year for heating and $175 for cooling in Oxnard, 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 Oxnard?
Not on heating alone at today's prices: about $928 a year with a typical heat pump versus $562 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 Oxnard?
With average insulation, roughly a 2.5-ton system: the estimated cooling load is 27,600 BTU/h and the heating load 30,000 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 OXNARD VENTURA CO AP (0 km away).