During the coldest month of the year, one U.K. homeowner tracked exactly what it cost to heat his home with a heat pump — and he came up with some stunning stats.

In a YouTube video, homeowner Jonathan Tracey (@JonathanTracey) shared the cost of heating his home in January 2025. During that month, the average temperature in his area was a mere 5 degrees Celsius — or 41 degrees Fahrenheit. 

"When it's cold, these things use more power because it's harder to heat the house," Tracey said in the video, referring to his heat pump. "Therefore, they need to work harder and use more electricity to keep the house at a nice, stable temperature."

With that in mind, Tracey said he used about 607 kWh of power in January to support his heat pump. Accounting for hot water and home heating, the pump was running at 332% efficiency, according to the homeowner.

That high efficiency is possible because heat pumps don't generate heat like traditional boiler systems. Instead, they move heat from one place — like the ground or the air outside — into your home. This process requires much less energy than creating heat from scratch, which is why they can achieve efficiencies greater than 100%. 

When a heat pump runs at 332% efficiency, it's using a small amount of electricity to move a much larger amount of heat. As Tracey explained, "For every one kilowatt of power we were using, we were producing an average of 3.32 kilowatts of heat."

That's why heat pumps are far more energy-efficient than conventional heating systems — and less expensive. 

Cutting to the chase, Tracey asked the question most viewers were likely wondering: "Now, what did it cost me?" 

The homeowner first detailed what his energy use would cost using other heating methods — including the cost of running the system with a 75% efficient boiler (£168.25) and a 90% efficiency boiler (£140.43). That's about $223 and $186, respectively.

Tracey, however, uses a smart battery system to support his home's electric needs. He explained that he charges the batteries at night when power is least expensive — just 7 pence per kilowatt hour — and stores it in the battery system for use during the day. With his home off that stored power, he paid only £42.55 — or about $56.

Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to buy a heat pump? Lower energy bills 💰 Better temperature control 🌡️ Helping the planet 🌎 I'd never buy a heat pump 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

But that isn't the whole story. Tracey explained that he also used his home solar panels to generate 200.67 kWh worth of power in January, even though it was a cloudy and dreary month. That is roughly 13% of the power the heat pump required. When applied to the total, the true cost of running the heat pump was £36.92 — or about $49.

"The difference in cost of running this heat pump with solar and batteries compared to my old gas boiler is a saving of 78%," Tracey said. "So for all of you that said heat pumps are too expensive, heat pumps will bankrupt you, heat pumps don't work — I'm here to tell you none of that is true."

Heating your home accounts for a significant portion of your energy bills, often making up about 45% of total home energy costs. Using traditional gas-powered heating methods to heat your home contributes to dirty fuel pollution and locks you into rising energy prices. Heat pumps, however, offer a more sustainable, energy-efficient alternative, making upgrading to a cleaner system one of the most effective ways to reduce your energy expenses and help the planet.

Upgrading to a heat pump can help you save an average of nearly $400 per year on energy costs. Those savings can rise even more if you swap to solar, potentially lowering or completely eliminating your electric bill.

While finding the right HVAC installer and getting expert advice can be complicated, there are helpful tools available to guide you toward an efficient system at a good price. Mitsubishi offers an online tool that helps homeowners connect with vetted installers in their area. This can ensure you're getting the right system at the best price from someone who is certified by the manufacturer to know how to install it properly. 

To save even more with your heat pump, you may consider installing home solar. To help you along the way, EnergySage offers a free service that makes it easy to compare quotes from vetted local installers and save up to $10,000 on solar installations using governmental rebates and tax credits. 

There are active government incentives that cover 30% of a heat pump purchase and installation — up to $2,000 — for eligible homeowners. 

But these incentives won't be around forever. Most clean energy tax incentives are going away by Dec. 31, 2025. One incentive going away by then is the 30% tax credit up to $2,000 for a heat pump that any American can redeem as long as they pay that much or more in taxes. With that in mind, taking advantage of these incentives now through a good company like Mitsubishi could save you thousands of dollars.

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