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      Mild winters · Hot summers

      Best heat pumps for Athens, GA

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

      A typical heat pump costs about $633 a year to heat a house here and $431 to cool it. A 95% gas furnace would cost $784 for the same heat, so the heat pump is cheaper to run.

      Cheapest to run in Athens

      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 Athens

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

      Heat pump $666/yrYou save $443/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
      $666
      Current system, per year
      $1,109
      You save per year
      $443
      Payback
      20.3 years
      Net after 10 years
      -$4,573

      Cooling $244Heating $422Electricity used: 4,420 kWhSaved vs. a minimum-efficiency heat pump: $182

      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 Athens

      Top 5 12,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $216/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      Fujitsu AOUH12KTAP131.513.7$216
      MDV MOX430-12HFN1-MZ60W27.514.5$220
      Goodman MSH123G26MCAA27.514.5$220
      Fujitsu AOUH12KZAH130.512.7$230
      Fujitsu AOUG12LZAS129.412.9$230

      All 12,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 24,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $439/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      SLIMAIR SHC24VH2AG27.514.5$439
      MDV MOD30-24HFN10-M1X22.313.5$500
      Mainline ML24HP230NEXH-O22.313.3$504
      ComfortStar CHF3-24CD(O)22.313.3$504
      Quilt QO1-M3Z27-NC-NA25.312.0$509

      All 24,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 3-ton central heat pumpsfrom $714/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL29.712.2$714
      LG KUSXA361A23.510.5$854
      LG KUSXB361A22.010.3$886
      Trane 5TWV0X36A121.010.5$891
      Lennox SL22KLV-036-230A20.510.5$900

      All 3-ton central heat pumps

      Heat pump vs. gas, propane and oilheat pump is cheaper than gas

      Yearly cost to heat a typical house (36,000 BTU/h of heat, 1,050 full-load hours) at Georgia prices.

      • Heat pump (typical, 9.0 HSPF2)$633/yr
      • Natural gas furnace, 95% AFUE$784/yr
      • Natural gas furnace, 80% AFUE$931/yr
      • Propane furnace, 95% AFUE$1,340/yr
      • Electric baseboard or furnace$1,670/yr
      • Heating oil, 85% AFUE$1,918/yr

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

      Month by monthpeak $153 in January

      Heating and cooling degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals) and what a typical 3-ton heat pump costs in each month at 15.1¢/kWh.

      MonthHeating DDCooling DDCost
      January6441$153
      February4812$114
      March32813$81
      April13453$43
      May26195$49
      June1382$84
      July0496$109
      August0459$101
      September7275$62
      October11669$43
      November3619$87
      December5732$136
      What size heat pump for a Athens 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 Athens winters?
      Winters in Athens are mild, so heating efficiency matters less than cooling. The average winter low is 36°F, and the heating season adds up to 2,670 heating degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).
      How much does it cost to run a heat pump in Athens?
      A typical 3-ton central heat pump (17.0 SEER2, 9.0 HSPF2) uses about $633 of electricity a year for heating and $431 for cooling in Athens, at the Georgia average of 15.1¢/kWh. The most efficient models cost less - see the rankings above.
      Is a heat pump cheaper than a gas furnace in Athens?
      Yes, for heating at today's prices: about $633 a year with a typical heat pump versus $784 with a 95% gas furnace, using Georgia averages of 15.1¢/kWh and $1.97/therm.
      What size heat pump do I need for a 2,000 sq ft house in Athens?
      With average insulation, roughly a 3.5-ton system: the estimated cooling load is 32,100 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 ATHENS BEN EPPS AP (4 km away).