Running cost comes down to wattage, hours and your rate. In Massachusetts the rate is 28.82 cents per kWh, which is 56.3 percent above the national average. Here is what that means for a air-source heat pump.
A air-source heat pump drawing 3,000 W costs $0.86 per hour in Massachusetts. Run 8 hours a day that is $6.92 daily, $208 a month and $2,525 a year, which is $909 more than the same appliance at the US average rate.
Cost by hours used per day in Massachusetts
| Hours/day | Energy | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | 3.00 kWh | $0.86 | $25.94 |
| 2 h | 6.00 kWh | $1.73 | $51.88 |
| 4 h | 12.00 kWh | $3.46 | $104 |
| 6 h | 18.00 kWh | $5.19 | $156 |
| 8 h | 24.00 kWh | $6.92 | $208 |
| 12 h | 36.00 kWh | $10.38 | $311 |
| 24 h | 72.00 kWh | $20.75 | $623 |
Cost by wattage at 28.82 cents
| Rated power | Per hour | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,200 W | $0.35 | $2.77 | $83.00 |
| 2,000 W | $0.58 | $4.61 | $138 |
| 3,000 W | $0.86 | $6.92 | $208 |
| 4,500 W | $1.30 | $10.38 | $311 |
| 6,000 W | $1.73 | $13.83 | $415 |
Find the row matching the nameplate on your own unit. Within a single appliance category the spread is often wider than the difference between categories, so the label is worth reading.
Heating season in Massachusetts
Massachusetts carries a real but moderate heating season, commonly four to five months. That is long enough for equipment efficiency to matter and short enough that payback on an upgrade takes longer than it would further north.
Why Massachusetts pays what it does
Massachusetts has a competitive retail electricity market, so the rate used here blends households on the utility default with households on shopped supply plans. If you have never switched supplier you are probably on the default, which is usually the more expensive side of that blend. Only the generation portion of your bill changes when you switch; delivery and outage response do not.
At 28.82 cents, Massachusetts ranks 47 of 51 from cheapest to most expensive. The Northeast regional average is 25.91 cents. Roughly half of any residential bill is transmission and distribution rather than generation, which is why rates keep climbing even when fuel prices fall.
How this compares across the country
The same air-source heat pump on the same schedule, in the cheapest and dearest states:
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 12.35¢ | $88.92 | $1,082 |
| Utah | 12.96¢ | $93.31 | $1,135 |
| Massachusetts | 28.82¢ | $208 | $2,525 |
| California | 33.25¢ | $239 | $2,913 |
| Hawaii | 52.00¢ | $374 | $4,555 |
Lowering the number in Massachusetts
- Leave the thermostat alone. Heat pumps work best holding a steady temperature; deep setbacks trigger expensive resistance backup on recovery.
- Avoid emergency heat unless the pump has failed. That setting is pure resistance heating and costs several times as much.
- Keep the outdoor unit clear. Snow, leaves and shrubs against the coil cut capacity.
- Change filters regularly. Airflow restriction hurts a heat pump more than a furnace.
- Size for design temperature. Capacity falls as it gets colder, which is exactly when you need it.
Offsetting it with solar in Massachusetts
This load uses about 24.00 kWh a day. Covering that would take roughly 17 standard 400 W panels at typical sun hours, an array of about 6.80 kW. Because it offsets electricity worth 28.82 cents rather than the national 18.44 cents, the same array is worth more here than the national payback figures suggest.
A heat pump delivers three or more units of heat per unit of electricity, which is what makes solar heating arithmetically possible at all. Full sizing, including battery and inverter requirements, is on the solar sizing page for this appliance.
Questions people actually ask
[hed_faq]How much does it cost to run a air-source heat pump in Massachusetts?About $0.86 per hour and $208 a month at 8 hours a day, using the Massachusetts average rate of 28.82 cents per kWh.
How many watts does a air-source heat pump use?Around 3,000 W while running, with a range of roughly 1,200 to 6,000 W depending on model and setting.
Is that expensive for Massachusetts?Massachusetts electricity runs 56.3 percent above the national average, so this appliance costs $909 more per year here than it would at the US average rate.
Can I lower this without replacing the appliance?Usually yes. Run time is the variable you control, and the hours table above shows exactly what each hour costs. In Massachusetts you can also shop for a cheaper supply rate, which lowers every figure on this page proportionally.[/hed_faq]