HVAC Savings Calculator
Explore the numbers before planning your next heating and cooling system.
Plan Your HVAC Upgrade · AC Installation & Replacement · Heat Pump InstallationSee how a heat pump could change your energy costs
Compare an older gas furnace and AC with a high-efficiency heat pump. Adjust the example to see how usage and energy prices affect the result.
Illustrative scenario—not a quote or guaranteed savings. 1,500 sq ft Sacramento home, built in 1993, with a 3-ton system. Size and age describe the example; they do not determine its energy use.
Adjust the example
Defaults illustrate SMUD electricity with PG&E gas. For PG&E, Pioneer, Roseville Electric, or another provider, enter your applicable prices. Use heating/cooling consumption, not whole-house bills.
Annual heating & cooling energy costs
$1,042 estimated annual savings
About $87/month averaged over a year · 57% lower HVAC energy cost
Heating: $1,120 → $438/year. Cooling: $720 → $360/year.
Monthly figure is an annual average, not a predicted monthly bill. Other appliances and utility charges remain separate. Electricity use can increase when gas heating is replaced.
Request a Personalized EstimateHave your equipment details and recent utility usage available when we follow up. No appointment is confirmed by this example.
Assumptions, calculation method, and rate sources
Old AC: assumed 10 SEER. New heat pump: assumed 20 SEER on the same rating basis. Cooling energy is estimated at half the old AC's usage for equal cooling demand. SEER and SEER2 are different test standards and should not be directly mixed. A specific equipment match needs its certified ratings.
Old furnace: assumed 80% AFUE. New heat pump: assumed seasonal COP of 3.0, including heating-system electricity. COP expresses delivered heat per unit of electricity and is independent of the cooling SEER rating. Weather, defrost, backup resistance heat, sizing, and installation affect seasonal performance.
Heating electricity (kWh) = heating therms × 100,000 × 0.80 ÷ 3,412.142 ÷ seasonal COP. Each energy quantity is multiplied by the selected price. No change in thermostat settings or duct losses is assumed. The model excludes separate old-furnace blower electricity, fixed charges, taxes, credits, other appliances, installation cost, maintenance, financing, and rebates. It does not calculate investment payback or predict future utility prices.
Default annual heating consumption of 400 therms and cooling consumption of 3,600 kWh are modeling assumptions, not a measured Sacramento average. A home's construction year does not establish its current equipment efficiency.
Rate references checked September 5, 2026: SMUD time-of-day electricity rates and PG&E residential gas rates. The default $0.14/kWh heating, $0.20/kWh cooling, and $2.80/therm gas prices are assumed blended prices, not official flat rates or a verified annual average. Rates vary by season, time, tier, and customer plan.
Rebates reduce qualifying upfront costs, not annual energy use. Explore current rebate resources separately.