Heat Pump vs Heating Oil Calculator – Connecticut

Connecticut oil prices stay elevated. Homeowners switching from oil to a heat pump often see 30–45% lower annual heating costs while gaining cooling.

🔥 Size Your Heat Pump & See Your Annual Fuel Savings

Find the heat pump tonnage your home needs (heating + cooling load from area, climate, and insulation) and estimate annual fuel savings compared to your current Natural Gas, Propane, Heating Oil, or Electric Resistance system. Built on ACCA Manual J residential heating-load figures and real-world COP (Coefficient of Performance) values.

1. Home & climate parameters

These determine your home's heating load and the recommended heat pump tonnage. Sized using ACCA Manual J factors for an 8-ft ceiling home.

sq ft

2. Your current heating fuel

Pick your current fuel and the rate your utility charges. The annual bill is optional: leave it blank to use the modeled estimate from your home size and climate above, or enter your real 12-month total to calibrate the estimate to your actual home. Defaults are US national averages.

Why fuel rate matters. The calculator uses your actual fuel rate to convert the dollar bill into the BTUs of heat your home actually receives — and then converts that to the kWh of electricity a heat pump would need. The default rates assume US averages (Natural Gas $1.20/therm, Propane $3.50/gal, Heating Oil $4.50/gal, Electric $0.15/kWh). Override to match your utility bill.

3. Heat pump efficiency & electricity rate

Cold-climate heat pumps maintain high COP down to -15°C / 5°F and qualify for higher rebates (IRA 25C, Canada GREA). Standard inverter heat pumps are cheaper upfront but lose efficiency below 0°C / 32°F.

Recommended system & savings

Recommended Heat Pump
Tons (— BTU/hr)
HP Annual Bill
/ year
Net Annual Savings
/ year saved
5-Year Cumulative
over 5 years
Side-by-side: current fuel vs heat pump bill
Current Fuel
Heat Pump

📊Compare every fuel (with your settings)

Same home, same climate, same heating load — but using the default rate for each fuel. Best row = lowest annual heat-pump bill after switching from that fuel.

Current fuelDefault rateAnnual HP billNet savings
Natural Gas Furnace$1.20 / therm
Propane (LPG)$3.50 / gallon
Heating Oil$4.50 / gallon
Electric Resistance$0.15 / kWh

📤Save & share

Estimate only. Sizing uses ACCA Manual J residential heating-load figures (per-sqft BTU by climate and insulation tier) rounded UP to the next market-standard heat pump size (18k / 24k / 30k / 36k / 42k / 48k / 60k BTU). Savings are model-driven: the home's annual heating energy is estimated from area, climate zone, and insulation (Manual J load × climate run-hours), then costed against both your current fuel and a heat pump using published COP values (3.0 for standard inverter, 3.8 for cold-climate). Entering your real annual bill calibrates that estimate to your specific home; leaving it blank uses the modeled figure. For code-compliant installations, multi-zone homes, or buildings with high heat loss, request a full ACCA Manual J calculation from a licensed HVAC engineer.
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ESTIMATED SAVINGS

Heat Pump vs Heating Oil in Connecticut: What You Could Save

At Connecticut’s typical heating oil price of about $4.70/gallon and an electricity rate near 27¢/kWh, here’s how the annual heating cost compares for a representative Connecticut home (~65 MMBTU/yr heating load, cold-climate heat pump at COP 3.8). Use the calculator above with your home size and real bill for an exact figure.

Heating systemEstimated annual cost
Heating Oil furnace (~587 gallons/yr @ $4.70)~$2,757/yr
Cold-climate heat pump (~5,013 kWh/yr @ 27¢)~$1,374/yr
Estimated annual saving~$1,384/yr

Figures are illustrative and depend on your home’s insulation, size, and actual usage — the interactive calculator personalizes all of this.

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Cold-Climate Heat Pump Performance in Connecticut

The old myth that “heat pumps don’t work in the cold” no longer holds. Modern cold-climate air-source heat pumps (ccASHPs) are rated to deliver their full heating output down to -13°F / -25°C and keep producing usable heat below that, thanks to variable-speed inverter compressors and enhanced-vapor-injection technology. In Connecticut’s climate (Hartford and colder inland areas), the standard approach is to size the heat pump to carry 80–90% of the heating season and keep your existing heating oil system as automatic backup for the few deepest-cold nights — capturing nearly all the savings while keeping a safety margin.

Rebates & Incentives for Connecticut Homeowners

Energize CT (through Eversource and UI) offers heat pump rebates, combined with the 30% federal 25C tax credit (up to $2,000).

Because heat pumps also provide efficient air conditioning in summer, many Connecticut homeowners effectively get whole-home cooling as a free bonus when they switch for heating savings.

Frequently Asked Questions — Connecticut

Heat pump vs oil furnace cost comparison for CT homes Connecticut’s oil prices (often near $4.70/gal) make heat pumps a strong money-saver — typical savings run $900–$1,500/yr versus an oil furnace.

Best heat pump size for a 2,000 sq ft Connecticut house Cold-climate heat pumps rated to -13°F cover Connecticut winters comfortably; many homes run the heat pump as primary and keep oil as backup for the coldest days.

Available CT or Energize CT rebates Energize CT rebates from Eversource and United Illuminating, plus the federal tax credit, are the primary incentives available to Connecticut homeowners.

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For the mechanism behind it, read the refrigeration cycle explained.

Before you decide — three quick things
Get real quotes
Estimates vary by contractor. Compare free quotes from licensed local pros before you commit. Request a quote →
Check rebates & credits
High-efficiency systems may qualify for utility rebates and federal or state incentives. Find current programs at ENERGY STAR & DSIRE.
Reviewed for accuracy
Figures are reviewed by the Refcon HVAC engineering team using U.S. DOE, ENERGY STAR & ACCA Manual J data. Estimates only — confirm with a licensed pro.
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