Home Space Heating Cost Estimator
Compare monthly operating expenses of natural gas furnaces, electric resistance space heaters, and high-efficiency electric heat pumps.
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Heated Home Size (Sq. Ft.)1,500 Sq. Ft.
Monthly Operating Cost Summary
Electric Space Heaters$246.19
Gas Furnace (80% AFUE)$72.19
Electric Heat Pump (COP 3.2)$76.93
Thermodynamic Heating Comparison Formulas
To compare operational heating efficiency between electric resistance, natural gas, and refrigerant heat pumps, we measure system outputs using British Thermal Units (BTUs):
• Electric Resistance Heat: Converts 100% of electrical energy to heat. 1 kWh of electricity yields exactly 3,412 BTUs of heat.
• Natural Gas Furnace: Converts gas volume (Ccf) to Therms. One Therm represents 100,000 BTUs. High efficiency furnaces deliver 80% to 95% of this value to the home ducts.
• Electric Heat Pump: Moves heat from outdoors instead of creating it. A Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 3.2 delivers 320% efficiency, meaning 1 kWh of electrical draw yields 10,918 BTUs of indoor heat (3,412 × 3.2).
• Natural Gas Furnace: Converts gas volume (Ccf) to Therms. One Therm represents 100,000 BTUs. High efficiency furnaces deliver 80% to 95% of this value to the home ducts.
• Electric Heat Pump: Moves heat from outdoors instead of creating it. A Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 3.2 delivers 320% efficiency, meaning 1 kWh of electrical draw yields 10,918 BTUs of indoor heat (3,412 × 3.2).
While heat pumps are three times more efficient than electric space heaters, their efficiency drops in sub-zero winter weather. High-efficiency natural gas furnaces remain the most popular, high-output solutions in extreme northern climate zones.