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Heat pumps by metro · Michigan · checked October 19, 2026
Heat pumps in Detroit
Winters here are long and cold, so the heat pump has to keep its output near 5°F. At Michigan prices a cold-climate heat pump delivers heat for about $27.02 per million Btu, against $11.05 for a high-efficiency gas furnace.
What this means for your house: Long, cold winters drive the bills here: air sealing, insulation and heating efficiency pay back fastest.
Climate and sizing
Winters here are long and cold, so the heat pump has to keep its output near 5°F. This is a humid climate: a variable-speed system that runs longer at low speed pulls more moisture out of the air than a single-stage one. Whatever the climate, the system should be sized from a room-by-room load calculation (ACCA Manual J), not from
the size of the old air conditioner or furnace: an oversized heat pumpshort-cycles, dehumidifies poorly and costs more.
Degree days: NOAA1991–2020 climate normals. Climate zone: IECC 2021 (PNNL county list). Housing: Census American Community Survey.
Seasonal COP: Seasonal COP is the heat delivered over a whole heating season, including electric backup heat and defrost, for a heat pump sized for the house. We pick the planning value by how cold the winter is (heating degree days) and set it slightly below modelled results (Dunsky/CCI 2024), because measured field performance tends to come in lower. For your own house, the HSPF2 rating of the system you choose and your installer's Manual J load calculation are the better guide.
Cold and humidNortheast and Great Lakes
Choosing equipment for Detroit’s climate
Heating drives your bills, and older homes lose heat through attics, walls and basements.
Heating is the main bill here, and many homes are decades old, with heat escaping through attics, walls and basements. Older houses may need knob-and-tube wiring, vermiculite or lead paint handled before insulation goes in. Air sealing, attic insulation and a combustion safety test are the core of a good audit.
What to look for in this climate
A cold-climate heat pump is strongly advised around Chicago (6.5 nights a year at or below 0°F) and Detroit (3.6), and recommended in Boston (0.6).
Size to the Manual J heating load. A dual-fuel setup, with your furnace as backup, is one way to cover the coldest days.
Federal minimums: 13.4 SEER2 for a split AC, and 14.3 SEER2 with 7.5 HSPF2 for a split heat pump. ENERGY STAR's cold-climate tier for ducted models is 8.1 HSPF2.
Radiator and steam homes usually have no ducts. Ductless mini-splits avoid new attic ductwork; if you add ducts, keep them inside the insulated part of the house.
Do these alongside the new system
Cold-climate heat pumps. Ductless units suit radiator homes, and ducted ones work where ducts exist. They can displace oil, propane or electric resistance heat. In Massachusetts, Mass Save lists up to $8,500 in 2026 equipment rebates.
Sealed-combustion heating or a heat pump water heater. When it's time to replace, sealed-combustion equipment cuts spillage risk in a tighter house. A heat pump water heater suits a basement that stays between 40°F and 90°F.
Mistakes to avoid
Sizing a heat pump on the cooling load. Heating is the bigger load here. Size to the Manual J heating load, not a rule of thumb.
In a climate this cold, heating is usually the biggest energy cost in an older house, so the price of each unit of heat matters. Cost per million Btu of heat delivered into the house, at Michigan's average residential prices from the EIA (electricity for
July 2026, gas as an annual average). Here a heat pump needs a seasonal COP above 6.1 to beat a 95% gas furnace, so at these prices gas stays cheaper to run; the case for a heat pump rests on replacing the air conditioner, cutting emissions or a time-of-use rate.
$2.34 per gallon before tax (week of October 5, 2026)
Standard heat pump
$30.71
+178%
seasonal COP 2.2
Oil furnace (85%)
$47.43
+329%
$5.58 per gallon before tax (week of October 5, 2026)
Electric furnace or baseboards
$67.55
+511%
23.1¢ per kWh (July 2026)
Against electric resistance heat (baseboards or an electric furnace), even a standard heat pump cuts the heating bill by about 55%.
Prices: EIA electricity · EIA natural gas. Your own rate plan may differ, especially on a time-of-use or heat pump rate.
What cooling costs in Detroit
Summer matters too. Air conditioning for a typical 1,600 sq ft single-family house with central air, at Michigan's average residential
electricity price (23.1¢ per kWh, EIA, July 2026). In this humid climate, part of the air conditioner's job is pulling moisture out of the air. A right-sized variable-speed system runs longer at low speed and removes more of it; an oversized one cools quickly, shuts off and leaves the house clammy.
Yearly cooling electricity and cost by system efficiency in Detroit
Every heat pump program we found for the Detroit area, with the equipment rule that decides which models qualify. Checked against each
program's own page on October 19, 2026. Most utility programs need an AHRI-matched system; check the exact pairing in the AHRI directory before you sign.
Equipment ruleThe tier SEER2/HSPF2/EER2 minimums are as listed. 'Each requires AHRI certification that, when installed, the package of the equipment meets the specified SEER2.' No NEEP or COP-at-5°F requirement is stated; DTE's cold-climate tiers are defined only by the ratings shown. Eligibility is limited to 'electric customers replacing electric heating', in single-family homes of two or fewer connected units, each individually metered. First-time installations are not eligible.
Other conditionsA participating contractor submits the rebate form online. DIY is not addressed.
Statusopen, funds limited, first-come, first-served. The page meter showed '52%' under 'Limited Funds Available'.
Consumers Energy heat pump rebates (Home Solutions)
Open
Consumers Energy
Heat pump amountsAir-source heat pump $300. Ground-source $200 (EER 17-18.99) or $300 (EER 19 or higher). Ductless mini-split $350.
Equipment ruleASHP: 'SEER2 15.2 - 15.99 or Higher', listed as 'Replacement for Existing Heat Pump Only'. GSHP: EER 17 or higher, also replacement of an existing heat pump only. Mini-split: 'Must be minimum SEER2 17 to 25 or greater and minimum HSPF2 8 to 12.5 or greater', listed as 'Replacement for Any Primary Electric Heat System'. For split systems, AHRI eligibility depends on the matched outdoor unit, coil and furnace. All are for Consumers Energy electric customers only.
Other conditions'All equipment must be installed by a participating Trade Ally', and only Trade Allies may submit applications (via ConsumersHVAC.com). DIY installs don't qualify.
Michigan EGLE, implemented with CLEAResult, with U.S. DOE funds
Heat pump amountsNot stated on EGLE's page. The program covers heat pumps for households at or below 150% AMI.
Equipment ruleThe implementer's MiHER measures page says: 'All HEAR measures, including insulation, must be ENERGY STAR® rated' and 'All HVAC systems should be matched according to AHRI specifications and meet ENERGY STAR® requirements.' Installs must meet the MiHER Material and Installation guidelines.
Other conditionsAn approved MiHER Registered Contractor is required.
Statuspaused for metro Detroit. New income-qualified applications are 'temporarily unavailable' in the Detroit, Warren and Lansing EGLE districts, and also in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. The page gives no dates.
The federal rebate (formerly HEAR) pays up to $8,000 toward an ENERGY STAR certified heat pump for income-qualified households, through
the state. Since May 29, 2026 it covers only upgrades from existing electric equipment, and the installer must be on the state's
contractor list. Michigan's status is in the program list above.
Audit programs, other rebates and help for lower-income homes: our Detroit guide.
Systems that suit Detroit
The certified systems that heat most efficiently at 5°F, and those that cool most efficiently, on current refrigerants, from ENERGY STAR's US listings. Rebadged twins with identical ratings are folded into one row.
How to read the tables: SEER2 is cooling efficiency over a season and EER2 on the hottest afternoons; HSPF2 is heating efficiency over a
season, and COP at 5°F shows how efficiently the system still heats in deep cold. Size is the rated output in BTU/h (12,000 BTU/h is
one ton). The AHRI number identifies the exact certified pairing for rebates. Full definitions: how to read the numbers.
Central systems that heat best in the cold (2 tons and up)
Central systems that heat best in the cold (2 tons and up) for Detroit
37MARAQ24AA3 45MAHAQ24XA3Same ratings also listed as Bryant, Midea, Heil, Tempstar, Comfortmaker, KeepRite and other ICP brands, Payne and WeatherMaker, Kenmore, LPS Legacy, Smart Comfort
BMS500-AAS024-1CSXRD BMS500-AAU024-1AHWXDSame ratings also listed as Midea, Moovair, Innovair, Stelpro, Dettson and Ouellet, Cooper & Hunter, ACiQ, Blueridge, AC PRO, CanAir
Tell us about your home and what you want to heat or cool. A person reads every request and replies with the contractors and rebate programs that serve your ZIP code.
