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      Severe winters

      Best heat pumps for Midwest

      Choose an ENERGY STAR cold-climate model. The coldest winters of the lower 48 in the north, hot summers everywhere and relatively cheap natural gas.

      A typical heat pump heats for less than a 95% gas furnace in 0 of 12 states here, and for far less than heating oil or propane everywhere.

      Cheapest to run in Midwest

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      Heat pump vs. gas and oil, by state0 of 12 favor the heat pump
      • Illinoisheat pump $1,784 · gas $962 · oil $4,293
      • Indianaheat pump $1,468 · gas $904 · oil $3,786
      • Iowaheat pump $1,436 · gas $986 · oil $4,429
      • Kansasheat pump $1,118 · gas $1,003 · oil $3,380
      • Michiganheat pump $2,100 · gas $995 · oil $4,269
      • Minnesotaheat pump $1,948 · gas $1,205 · oil $5,263
      • Missouriheat pump $1,028 · gas $1,010 · oil $3,380
      • Nebraskaheat pump $1,213 · gas $980 · oil $3,832
      • North Dakotaheat pump $1,779 · gas $1,238 · oil $6,485
      • Ohioheat pump $1,537 · gas $1,066 · oil $3,798
      • South Dakotaheat pump $1,684 · gas $1,062 · oil $5,389
      • Wisconsinheat pump $2,026 · gas $1,064 · oil $4,606

      Yearly cost to heat a typical house (36,000 BTU/h) at each state's prices and climate.

      Top 6: 3-ton central heat pumpsfrom $1,356/yr
      Top 6: 12,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $393/yr
      Questions3
      What is the best heat pump for the Midwest?
      Winters here are cold enough that an ENERGY STAR cold-climate model is the safe choice. Ranked by yearly running cost in the regional climate, the leading 3-ton central heat pump is the TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL and the leading 12,000 BTU mini-split is the MDV MOX430-12HFN1-MZ60W. City guides below adjust this for local weather and prices.
      Do heat pumps work in the Midwest winters?
      Across the region's large cities there are on average 7.1 nights a year at or below 0°F and 48 at or below 20°F (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Modern cold-climate heat pumps keep producing heat well below 0°F, but check the output at 5°F against your heating load.
      Is a heat pump cheaper than gas in the Midwest?
      At current prices a typical heat pump heats for less than a 95% gas furnace in 0 of 12 states in the region. Against heating oil or propane it is cheaper everywhere here.

      City guides in Midwest

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