HVAC Rated

Mild winters · Warm summers

Best heat pumps for Hampton, VA

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

A typical heat pump costs about $927 a year to heat a house here and $386 to cool it. A 95% gas furnace would cost $859 for the same heat.

Cheapest to run in Hampton

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 Hampton

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

Heat pump $836/yrYou save $281/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
$836
Current system, per year
$1,117
You save per year
$281
Payback
Over 30 years
Net after 10 years
-$6,190

Cooling $218Heating $618Electricity used: 5,053 kWhSaved vs. a minimum-efficiency heat pump: $211

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 Hampton

Top 5 12,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $271/yr
Top 5 24,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $542/yr
Top 5 3-ton central heat pumpsfrom $904/yr
ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL29.712.2$904
LG KUSXA361A23.510.5$1,073
Trane 5TWV0X36A121.010.5$1,106
LG KUSXB361A22.010.3$1,108
Lennox SL22KLV-036-230A20.510.5$1,114

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, 1,400 full-load hours) at Virginia prices.

  • Natural gas furnace, 95% AFUE$859/yr
  • Heat pump (typical, 9.0 HSPF2)$927/yr
  • Natural gas furnace, 80% AFUE$1,021/yr
  • Propane furnace, 95% AFUE$2,134/yr
  • Electric baseboard or furnace$2,445/yr
  • Heating oil, 85% AFUE$2,546/yr

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

Month by monthpeak $203 in January

Heating and cooling degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals) and what a typical 3-ton heat pump costs in each month at 16.6¢/kWh.

MonthHeating DDCooling DDCost
January7580$203
February6260$168
March5025$136
April24841$76
May66120$47
June5305$75
July0442$107
August0397$96
September13229$59
October16348$55
November4235$115
December6561$176
What size heat pump for a Hampton 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 Hampton winters?
Winters in Hampton are mild, so heating efficiency matters less than cooling. The average winter low is 34°F, and the heating season adds up to 3,461 heating degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).
How much does it cost to run a heat pump in Hampton?
A typical 3-ton central heat pump (17.0 SEER2, 9.0 HSPF2) uses about $927 of electricity a year for heating and $386 for cooling in Hampton, at the Virginia average of 16.6¢/kWh. The most efficient models cost less - see the rankings above.
Is a heat pump cheaper than a gas furnace in Hampton?
Not on heating alone at today's prices: about $927 a year with a typical heat pump versus $859 with a 95% gas furnace (Virginia averages: 16.6¢/kWh, $1.62/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 Hampton?
With average insulation, roughly a 3.5-ton system: the estimated cooling load is 30,600 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 LANGLEY AFB (6 km away).