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      Cold winters · Mild summers

      Best heat pumps for Sterling Heights, MI

      Sterling Heights sees about 52 nights a year at or below 20°F. A cold-climate certified model keeps the house warm without leaning on backup heat.

      A typical heat pump costs about $2,184 a year to heat a house here and $200 to cool it. A 95% gas furnace would cost $1,035 for the same heat.

      Cheapest to run in Sterling Heights

      Ranked by yearly electricity cost in this climate, so the balance of heating and cooling efficiency is the one that matters here. Cold-climate certified models only.

      Running cost calculator for Sterling Heights

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

      Heat pump $1,569/yrCosts more by $524/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
      $1,569
      Current system, per year
      $1,046
      Costs more per year
      $524
      Payback
      No payback
      Net after 10 years
      -$14,236

      Cooling $113Heating $1,456Electricity used: 7,473 kWhSaved vs. a minimum-efficiency heat pump: $336

      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 Sterling Heights

      Top 5 12,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $493/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      MDV MOX430-12HFN1-MZ60W27.514.5$493
      Goodman MSH123G26MCAA27.514.5$493
      Fujitsu AOUH12KTAP131.513.7$514
      Fujitsu AOUG12LZAS129.412.9$546
      Fujitsu AOUH12KZAH130.512.7$553

      All 12,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 24,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $986/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      SLIMAIR SHC24VH2AG27.514.5$986
      MDV MOD30-24HFN10-M1X22.313.5$1,072
      Arcoaire D5CSHAH24AAK21.213.5$1,078
      Comfort-Aire A-VHP24SA-121.013.5$1,079
      Mainline ML24HP230NEXH-O22.313.3$1,087

      All 24,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 3-ton central heat pumpsfrom $1,726/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL29.712.2$1,726
      LG KUSXA361A23.510.5$2,017
      Trane 5TWV0X36A121.010.5$2,034
      Lennox SL22KLV-036-230A20.510.5$2,038
      Lennox EL21KLV-036-230A20.010.4$2,060

      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, 2,600 full-load hours) at Michigan prices.

      • Natural gas furnace, 95% AFUE$1,035/yr
      • Natural gas furnace, 80% AFUE$1,229/yr
      • Heat pump (typical, 9.0 HSPF2)$2,184/yr
      • Propane furnace, 95% AFUE$2,519/yr
      • Heating oil, 85% AFUE$4,440/yr
      • Electric baseboard or furnace$5,761/yr

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

      Month by monthpeak $416 in January

      Heating and cooling degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals) and what a typical 3-ton heat pump costs in each month at 21.0¢/kWh.

      MonthHeating DDCooling DDCost
      January1,2480$416
      February1,0820$361
      March9390$313
      April5692$190
      May26227$96
      June53130$59
      July8226$74
      August14178$61
      September12264$61
      October4256$144
      November7520$251
      December1,0760$359
      What size heat pump for a Sterling Heights home?5 ton for 2,000 sq ft
      • 1,000 sq ft house2.5 ton · heating load 27,000 BTU/h
      • 1,500 sq ft house3.5 ton · heating load 40,500 BTU/h
      • 2,000 sq ft house5 ton · heating load 54,000 BTU/h
      • 2,500 sq ft house5+ ton · heating load 67,500 BTU/h

      Average insulation, 8 ft ceilings. Size calculator for your own home

      Questions4
      Do heat pumps work in Sterling Heights winters?
      Sterling Heights sees about 52 nights a year at or below 20°F. A cold-climate certified model keeps the house warm without leaning on backup heat. The average winter low is 20°F, and the heating season adds up to 6,550 heating degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).
      How much does it cost to run a heat pump in Sterling Heights?
      A typical 3-ton central heat pump (17.0 SEER2, 9.0 HSPF2) uses about $2,184 of electricity a year for heating and $200 for cooling in Sterling Heights, at the Michigan average of 21.0¢/kWh. The most efficient models cost less - see the rankings above.
      Is a heat pump cheaper than a gas furnace in Sterling Heights?
      Not on heating alone at today's prices: about $2,184 a year with a typical heat pump versus $1,035 with a 95% gas furnace (Michigan averages: 21.0¢/kWh, $1.05/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 Sterling Heights?
      With average insulation, roughly a 5-ton system: the estimated cooling load is 27,600 BTU/h and the heating load 54,000 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 MT CLEMENS ANG BASE (18 km away).