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      Mild winters · Mild summers

      Best heat pumps for Santa Rosa, CA

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

      A typical heat pump costs about $1,524 a year to heat a house here and $210 to cool it. A 95% gas furnace would cost $924 for the same heat.

      Cheapest to run in Santa Rosa

      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 Santa Rosa

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

      Heat pump $1,135/yrCosts more by $165/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
      $1,135
      Current system, per year
      $970
      Costs more per year
      $165
      Payback
      No payback
      Net after 10 years
      -$10,653

      Cooling $119Heating $1,016Electricity used: 3,427 kWhSaved vs. a minimum-efficiency heat pump: $251

      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 Santa Rosa

      Top 5 12,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $359/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      MDV MOX430-12HFN1-MZ60W27.514.5$359
      Goodman MSH123G26MCAA27.514.5$359
      Fujitsu AOUH12KTAP131.513.7$372
      Fujitsu AOUG12LZAS129.412.9$395
      Fujitsu AOUH12KZAH130.512.7$399

      All 12,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 24,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $717/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      SLIMAIR SHC24VH2AG27.514.5$717
      MDV MOD30-24HFN10-M1X22.313.5$784
      Arcoaire D5CSHAH24AAK21.213.5$790
      Comfort-Aire A-VHP24SA-121.013.5$791
      Mainline ML24HP230NEXH-O22.313.3$794

      All 24,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 3-ton central heat pumpsfrom $1,245/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL29.712.2$1,245
      LG KUSXA361A23.510.5$1,459
      Trane 5TWV0X36A121.010.5$1,477
      Lennox SL22KLV-036-230A20.510.5$1,481
      LG KUSXB361A22.010.3$1,494

      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, 1,150 full-load hours) at California prices.

      • Natural gas furnace, 95% AFUE$924/yr
      • Natural gas furnace, 80% AFUE$1,097/yr
      • Propane furnace, 95% AFUE$1,273/yr
      • Heat pump (typical, 9.0 HSPF2)$1,524/yr
      • Heating oil, 85% AFUE$2,101/yr
      • Electric baseboard or furnace$4,020/yr

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

      Month by monthpeak $290 in December

      Heating and cooling degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals) and what a typical 3-ton heat pump costs in each month at 33.1¢/kWh.

      MonthHeating DDCooling DDCost
      January5360$281
      February4050$213
      March3651$192
      April2714$145
      May15621$93
      June4574$62
      July1697$58
      August12105$60
      September3782$61
      October14126$88
      November3681$194
      December5520$290
      What size heat pump for a Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa winters?
      Winters in Santa Rosa are mild, so heating efficiency matters less than cooling. The average winter low is 38°F, and the heating season adds up to 2,904 heating degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).
      How much does it cost to run a heat pump in Santa Rosa?
      A typical 3-ton central heat pump (17.0 SEER2, 9.0 HSPF2) uses about $1,524 of electricity a year for heating and $210 for cooling in Santa Rosa, at the California average of 33.1¢/kWh. The most efficient models cost less - see the rankings above.
      Is a heat pump cheaper than a gas furnace in Santa Rosa?
      Not on heating alone at today's prices: about $1,524 a year with a typical heat pump versus $924 with a 95% gas furnace (California averages: 33.1¢/kWh, $2.12/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 Santa Rosa?
      With average insulation, roughly a 3.5-ton system: the estimated cooling load is 27,600 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 SANTA ROSA SONOMA CO AP (11 km away).