Appliance Wattage & Running Cost
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How many watts does a heat pump use? (3,000 W)

A heat pump uses about 3,000 W
Typical range 1,500–5,000 watts, plus ~5 W on standby.

Running cost calculator

Per hour
Per day
Per month
Per year
Energy/mo

A heat pump moves heat instead of making it, so it delivers several times more heating or cooling per watt than resistance heat.

Heat pump power specs

Typical running power3,000 W
Typical range1,500–5,000 W
Startup surge5,000 W
Standby draw5 W
Energy use18.00 kWh/day · 540.0 kWh/mo

What affects the wattage

Running cost at $0.17/kWh

Electricity ratePer dayPer monthPer year
$0.10/kWh$1.80$54.00$657.00
$0.15/kWh$2.70$81.00$985.50
$0.20/kWh$3.60$108.00$1,314.00
$0.25/kWh$4.50$135.00$1,642.50
$0.30/kWh$5.40$162.00$1,971.00
$0.40/kWh$7.20$216.00$2,628.00

See the full breakdown of what it costs to run a heat pump, or what size power station runs a heat pump.

FAQ

How many watts does a heat pump use?

Typically 1500-5000 watts while running, with a surge at compressor startup.

Why is a heat pump efficient?

It transfers existing heat rather than generating it, so each watt does more work.