HVAC Rated
    Menu

      Mild winters · Warm summers

      Best heat pumps for Virginia Beach, VA

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

      A typical heat pump costs about $894 a year to heat a house here and $386 to cool it. A 95% gas furnace would cost $829 for the same heat.

      Cheapest to run in Virginia Beach

      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 Virginia Beach

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

      Heat pump $814/yrYou save $279/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
      $814
      Current system, per year
      $1,093
      You save per year
      $279
      Payback
      Over 30 years
      Net after 10 years
      -$6,212

      Cooling $218Heating $596Electricity used: 4,920 kWhSaved vs. a minimum-efficiency heat pump: $206

      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 Virginia Beach

      Top 5 12,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $264/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      MDV MOX430-12HFN1-MZ60W27.514.5$264
      Goodman MSH123G26MCAA27.514.5$264
      Fujitsu AOUH12KTAP131.513.7$265
      Fujitsu AOUG12LZAS129.412.9$282
      Fujitsu AOUH12KZAH130.512.7$283

      All 12,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 24,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $529/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      SLIMAIR SHC24VH2AG27.514.5$529
      MDV MOD30-24HFN10-M1X22.313.5$593
      Mainline ML24HP230NEXH-O22.313.3$599
      ComfortStar CHF3-24CD(O)22.313.3$599
      Arcoaire D5CSHAH24AAK21.213.5$603

      All 24,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 3-ton central heat pumpsfrom $880/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL29.712.2$880
      LG KUSXA361A23.510.5$1,045
      Trane 5TWV0X36A121.010.5$1,078
      LG KUSXB361A22.010.3$1,079
      Lennox SL22KLV-036-230A20.510.5$1,086

      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, 1,350 full-load hours) at Virginia prices.

      • Natural gas furnace, 95% AFUE$829/yr
      • Heat pump (typical, 9.0 HSPF2)$894/yr
      • Natural gas furnace, 80% AFUE$984/yr
      • Propane furnace, 95% AFUE$2,057/yr
      • Electric baseboard or furnace$2,357/yr
      • Heating oil, 85% AFUE$2,455/yr

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

      Month by monthpeak $195 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
      January7460$195
      February6201$162
      March5107$135
      April24539$74
      May85113$50
      June9291$75
      July0429$107
      August0380$95
      September11219$58
      October15257$54
      November4158$110
      December6312$165
      What size heat pump for a Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach winters?
      Winters in Virginia Beach are mild, so heating efficiency matters less than cooling. The average winter low is 33°F, and the heating season adds up to 3,424 heating degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).
      How much does it cost to run a heat pump in Virginia Beach?
      A typical 3-ton central heat pump (17.0 SEER2, 9.0 HSPF2) uses about $894 of electricity a year for heating and $386 for cooling in Virginia Beach, 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 Virginia Beach?
      Not on heating alone at today's prices: about $894 a year with a typical heat pump versus $829 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 Virginia Beach?
      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 OCEANA NAS (4 km away).