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      Mild winters · Hot summers

      Best heat pumps for El Paso, TX

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

      A typical heat pump costs about $576 a year to heat a house here and $627 to cool it. A 95% gas furnace would cost $638 for the same heat, so the heat pump is cheaper to run.

      Cheapest to run in El Paso

      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 El Paso

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

      Heat pump $739/yrYou save $476/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
      $739
      Current system, per year
      $1,215
      You save per year
      $476
      Payback
      18.9 years
      Net after 10 years
      -$4,239

      Cooling $355Heating $384Electricity used: 4,620 kWhSaved vs. a minimum-efficiency heat pump: $218

      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 El Paso

      Top 5 12,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $239/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      Fujitsu AOUH12KTAP131.513.7$239
      MDV MOX430-12HFN1-MZ60W27.514.5$248
      Goodman MSH123G26MCAA27.514.5$248
      Fujitsu AOUH12KZAH130.512.7$253
      Fujitsu AOUG12LZAS129.412.9$255

      All 12,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 24,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $497/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      SLIMAIR SHC24VH2AG27.514.5$497
      Quilt QO1-M3Z27-NC-NA25.312.0$569
      MDV MOD30-24HFN10-M1X22.313.5$575
      Mainline ML24HP230NEXH-O22.313.3$578
      ComfortStar CHF3-24CD(O)22.313.3$578

      All 24,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 3-ton central heat pumpsfrom $784/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL29.712.2$784
      LG KUSXA361A23.510.5$947
      LG KUSXB361A22.010.3$988
      Trane 5TWV0X36A121.010.5$1,001
      Lennox SL22KLV-036-230A20.510.5$1,014

      All 3-ton central heat pumps

      Heat pump vs. gas, propane and oilheat pump is cheaper than gas

      Yearly cost to heat a typical house (36,000 BTU/h of heat, 900 full-load hours) at Texas prices.

      • Heat pump (typical, 9.0 HSPF2)$576/yr
      • Natural gas furnace, 95% AFUE$638/yr
      • Natural gas furnace, 80% AFUE$757/yr
      • Propane furnace, 95% AFUE$1,156/yr
      • Electric baseboard or furnace$1,519/yr
      • Heating oil, 85% AFUE$1,644/yr

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

      Month by monthpeak $153 in December

      Heating and cooling degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals) and what a typical 3-ton heat pump costs in each month at 16.0¢/kWh.

      MonthHeating DDCooling DDCost
      January5720$149
      February3791$99
      March21520$61
      April62112$43
      May6329$79
      June0565$133
      July0601$142
      August0555$131
      September3358$85
      October62114$43
      November3216$85
      December5860$153
      What size heat pump for a El Paso home?3 ton for 2,000 sq ft
      • 1,000 sq ft house2 ton · heating load 15,000 BTU/h
      • 1,500 sq ft house2.5 ton · heating load 22,500 BTU/h
      • 2,000 sq ft house3 ton · heating load 30,000 BTU/h
      • 2,500 sq ft house3 ton · heating load 37,500 BTU/h

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

      Questions4
      Do heat pumps work in El Paso winters?
      Winters in El Paso are mild, so heating efficiency matters less than cooling. The average winter low is 36°F, and the heating season adds up to 2,206 heating degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).
      How much does it cost to run a heat pump in El Paso?
      A typical 3-ton central heat pump (17.0 SEER2, 9.0 HSPF2) uses about $576 of electricity a year for heating and $627 for cooling in El Paso, at the Texas average of 16.0¢/kWh. The most efficient models cost less - see the rankings above.
      Is a heat pump cheaper than a gas furnace in El Paso?
      Yes, for heating at today's prices: about $576 a year with a typical heat pump versus $638 with a 95% gas furnace, using Texas averages of 16.0¢/kWh and $1.87/therm.
      What size heat pump do I need for a 2,000 sq ft house in El Paso?
      With average insulation, roughly a 3-ton system: the estimated cooling load is 32,100 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 EL PASO INTL AP (6 km away).