Propane vs Heat Pump
Propane often flips the comparison: even in cold weather, many households see the heat pump cheaper per delivered MMBTU.
Try a representative share-link
/?elec=0.22&fuel=propane&price=3.10&afue=0.92&profile=cold&tmin=5&tmax=45
This link pre-fills the calculator (electricity, propane price, AFUE, COP profile, temperature band).
Citeable anchors
Across modeled U.S. scenarios, the economic switchover most often falls between 25–35°F.
For homes heated with propane, heat pumps are cheaper across almost all winter temperatures.
The result remains stable unless electricity prices change by ±X% (computed per scenario).
Why propane behaves differently
- Propane has lower BTU per retail unit than a gas therm (modeled as 91,500 BTU/gallon).
- When you adjust for AFUE, delivered $/MMBTU can remain high even with “okay” AFUE.
- The heat pump cost is driven by electricity and COP(T); if COP stays above ~2, electricity can be competitive.
Exact numbers depend on your tariff and equipment profile; use the share-link above to reproduce the scenario.