A Mid-Atlantic homeowner with two heat pumps turned to social media after seeing steep electric costs and suspecting the system's resistance backup heat was coming on too often.
Here's what to know
The homeowner took to Reddit's r/HVACAdvice forum to get the community's input.
This original poster presented the issue as a billing problem, saying that "last year, my electric bill was really high and my assumption is that the backup heat kicks in way too often… Is there a setting in my thermostat that would reduce the amount of time my backup heat is used?"
OP also noted they were already aware of insulation and temperature differences and mentioned a defrost setting they believed should be set at 60 minutes.
Replies quickly focused on the system's controls, with several people suggesting the thermostat may be set in a way that triggers expensive electric strips earlier than necessary.
As one commenter put it, "Thermostat has a setting where it will switch heat pump to electric back up at a certain temperature. It may be set too high."
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A second commenter pointed to a more specific setting, writing, "You almost certainly have it set to what is often called 'luxury mode.' What you want to do is set your lockout or crossover point down to the point you need it. In my house in the Mid-Atlantic, that's 35."
If that threshold is set too high, the system could use resistance strips more often and the heat pump less, which commenters framed as the costlier part of the setup.
Other replies emphasized that the thermostat may be only part of the picture. One commenter said, "There's a lot of settings that can affect how often the heat strips are turned on. Also if the heat pump system is struggling due to a leak or dirty system or any reason it'll fall back on the strips."
Rather than debating heat pumps broadly, the thread stayed focused on this homeowner's high bill and on practical checks such as settings, equipment condition, and the exact hardware involved.
What can be done?
A practical starting point from the thread was to inspect the thermostat's heat-pump settings. The clearest recommendation was to look at the "lockout or crossover point" and bring it down if the strips are turning on too soon.
Commenters also advised checking the outdoor-temperature point where the thermostat swaps over to backup heat. At the same time, several replies said not to assume the thermostat is the entire problem. One commenter recommended having the equipment "checked out by a tech."
Taken together, the suggestions focused on setup and maintenance steps that might cut down on unnecessary strip-heat use, which commenters repeatedly treated as the main source of the high bill.
Where can I learn more?
Winter power bills can climb fast when backup heat comes into play.
• Homeowners questioned an HVAC pricing trend that keeps inflating system costs.
• On TikTok, an expert warned a thermostat misconception can quietly drive winter bills higher.
• After an HVAC failure, one homeowner asked whether heat pump savings actually beat older systems.
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