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      Barely any heating season · Very hot summers

      Best heat pumps for Hilo, HI

      Hilo barely needs heating; choose on cooling efficiency (SEER2 and EER2).

      A typical heat pump costs about $0 a year to heat a house here and $2,128 to cool it. A 95% gas furnace would cost $0 for the same heat.

      Cheapest to run in Hilo

      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 Hilo

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

      Heat pump $1,206/yrYou save $1,206/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
      $1,206
      Current system, per year
      $2,412
      You save per year
      $1,206
      Payback
      7.5 years
      Net after 10 years
      $3,061

      Cooling $1,206Heating $0Electricity used: 2,760 kWhSaved vs. a minimum-efficiency heat pump: $481

      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 Hilo

      Top 5 12,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $383/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      Fujitsu AOUH12KTAP131.513.7$383
      Fujitsu AOUH12KZAH130.512.7$395
      Hisense AO-12U3T25P30.011.8$402
      Mitsubishi Electric MUZ-FX12NLHZ29.912.4$403
      Carrier 37MPRAQ12AA329.512.7$409

      All 12,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 24,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $877/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      SLIMAIR SHC24VH2AG27.514.5$877
      TOSOT TW24HAY32A1DO27.010.0$893
      TCL TMH27HEI2NAS0U2526.510.5$910
      Samsung AM024HCMDCG26.010.7$928
      GREE GWH24AGEXF-D6DNA4J/O26.010.0$928

      All 24,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 3-ton central heat pumpsfrom $1,218/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL29.712.2$1,218
      LG KUSXA361A23.510.5$1,540
      Heil H5H3V36*K*AAA22.59.5$1,608
      LG KUSXB361A22.010.3$1,645
      Trane/American Standard 5HCL9036A1000A21.29.2$1,707

      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, 0 full-load hours) at Hawaii prices.

      • Heat pump (typical, 9.0 HSPF2)$0/yr
      • Natural gas furnace, 95% AFUE$0/yr
      • Natural gas furnace, 80% AFUE$0/yr
      • Propane furnace, 95% AFUE$0/yr
      • Heating oil, 85% AFUE$0/yr
      • Electric baseboard or furnace$0/yr

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

      Month by monthpeak $234 in August

      Heating and cooling degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals) and what a typical 3-ton heat pump costs in each month at 43.7¢/kWh.

      MonthHeating DDCooling DDCost
      January0198$129
      February0175$114
      March0212$138
      April0227$147
      May0279$181
      June0308$199
      July0352$228
      August0361$234
      September0347$225
      October0332$215
      November0269$174
      December0225$146
      What size heat pump for a Hilo home?3 ton for 2,000 sq ft
      • 1,000 sq ft house2 ton · heating load 10,000 BTU/h
      • 1,500 sq ft house2.5 ton · heating load 15,000 BTU/h
      • 2,000 sq ft house3 ton · heating load 20,000 BTU/h
      • 2,500 sq ft house3.5 ton · heating load 25,000 BTU/h

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

      Questions4
      Do heat pumps work in Hilo winters?
      Hilo barely needs heating; choose on cooling efficiency (SEER2 and EER2). The average winter low is 65°F, and the heating season adds up to 0 heating degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).
      How much does it cost to run a heat pump in Hilo?
      A typical 3-ton central heat pump (17.0 SEER2, 9.0 HSPF2) uses about $0 of electricity a year for heating and $2,128 for cooling in Hilo, at the Hawaii average of 43.7¢/kWh. The most efficient models cost less - see the rankings above.
      Is a heat pump cheaper than a gas furnace in Hilo?
      Not on heating alone at today's prices: about $0 a year with a typical heat pump versus $0 with a 95% gas furnace (Hawaii averages: 43.7¢/kWh, $5.05/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 Hilo?
      With average insulation, roughly a 3-ton system: the estimated cooling load is 35,100 BTU/h and the heating load 20,000 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 HILO INTL AP (4 km away).