Heat pumps work in Canada
Field data from Quebec shows cold-climate heat pumps keep COP above 2.0 even at −20 °C, thanks to vapor injection compressors and smart defrost cycles.
Arctic COP
Electricity vs. Gas Heating — Efficiency, Cost & CO₂
Heat Demand & Factors
System Efficiencies
Prices & Emission Factors
Advanced (optional)
Use the methane % to include a CO₂e uplift for gas supply (awareness-level). All factors are editable.
Friendly estimate only. Real homes vary with climate, setpoints, insulation, hot water draws, and equipment performance.
Results
How This Heating Comparison Works
This electricity vs gas heating calculator helps you compare the cost and emissions of common heating options in plain terms. If you are deciding between a heat pump, electric resistance heat, or a gas furnace or boiler, the tool translates your energy use into monthly costs and CO₂ estimates. It is designed for homeowners, renters, and anyone planning an upgrade who wants a quick, realistic comparison based on local prices.
The concept is simple: your home needs a certain amount of heat, and each heating system uses energy differently to deliver it. Electric resistance heat turns electricity into heat at about 100% efficiency. Heat pumps move heat rather than create it, so they can deliver two to four units of heat for each unit of electricity, expressed as a coefficient of performance (COP). Gas boilers and furnaces burn fuel and convert it to heat, but some energy is lost through exhaust and system inefficiencies. The calculator converts your heat demand into the energy each system would need, then multiplies by your electricity and gas prices to estimate operating cost. It also applies emissions factors to estimate carbon impact from the grid and from natural gas.
To use the calculator, follow these steps:
- Enter your heat demand, such as seasonal heating in kWh or an estimate from your energy bills.
- Set your electricity price and gas price using your latest utility rates.
- Choose an average COP for a heat pump and efficiency for electric resistance and gas heating.
- Add grid and gas emissions factors if you want a CO₂ comparison.
- Click Calculate to see the side-by-side costs and emissions.
Real-world examples help make the numbers practical. In mild climates with clean electricity, a heat pump often delivers the lowest heating cost and emissions. In colder regions, a high-efficiency cold-climate heat pump can still beat gas, especially if electricity is affordable or time-of-use rates reward off-peak heating. Electric resistance heat is usually the most expensive to run, but it can be a useful baseline or backup.
Use this tool to test scenarios like a gas-to-heat-pump conversion, adding a mini-split to reduce furnace runtime, or comparing a new gas boiler to electric baseboards. It provides a practical starting point for energy planning, budgeting, and evaluating home heating options without needing to be an HVAC expert.
Tip: Try COP 3.0 as a season average; colder days are lower, mild days higher.
5 Fun Facts about Heating
Gas boilers rarely hit the label
Condensing boilers only reach their advertised 95% when return water is below 55 °C. Many radiators run hotter, dropping real-world efficiency toward 85%.
Return temp matters
Resistance heat = giant toaster
A 10 kW electric furnace draws as much power as 100 space heaters on high. It’s simple but uses 3× the electricity of a COP 3 heat pump for the same warmth.
Energy guzzler
Grid greening flips the script
When grid intensity falls below 250 g CO₂/kWh, even a modest COP 2 heat pump beats a 90% gas boiler on emissions. Some Nordic grids are already under 50 g.
Clean electrons
Hot water recycles heat
Drain-water heat recovery units can reclaim 50–60% of shower heat, effectively boosting your domestic hot water COP without touching the heater.
Waste-heat win
FAQs
What should I enter for heat demand?
Use your best estimate. For daily space heat, try 20–60 kWh/day in winter for a typical home; for annual totals, use your past bills or an energy audit.
Why does the heat pump often win?
Heat pumps move heat instead of making it—so their COP can be 3+, meaning 1 kWh in ≈ 3 kWh of heat out.
Is gas factor exact?
No—0.184 kg/kWh is a common HHV-based tailpipe CO₂ figure. Regions differ; edit to match your source. You can add an upstream % if you want CO₂e awareness.