Heat pumps by metro · Texas · checked October 19, 2026

Heat pumps in Greater Houston

Cooling runs most of the year here, so summer efficiency matters more than heating at 5°F. At Texas prices an efficient heat pump delivers heat for about $18.62 per million Btu, against $19.68 for a high-efficiency gas furnace.

Utility bills and a phone showing a monthly energy-use chart on a kitchen table
Climate Zone 2A 1,266 heating and 3,288 cooling degree days a year
Heat pump $18.62 per million Btu seasonal COP 2.5 for this climate
Gas furnace (95%) $19.68 per million Btu a heat pump beats gas here above a seasonal COP of 2.4
Heat pump programs 0 of 1 open 1 unconfirmed · Amounts and equipment rules

Climate and sizing

Cooling runs most of the year here, so summer efficiency matters more than heating at 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 pump short-cycles, dehumidifies poorly and costs more.

IECC 2021 climate zone
2A
Heating degree days (65°F)
1,266
Cooling degree days (65°F)
3,288
Weather station
HOUSTON INTERCONT AP, TX US
Seasonal COP for planning
2.8 cold-climate · 2.5 standard
Typical home
built around 1982; 42% owner-occupied

Degree days: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Climate zone: IECC 2021 (PNNL county list). Housing: Census American Community Survey. Seasonal COP: Seasonal COP for a whole heating season, including electric backup heat and defrost, for a heat pump sized for mild to cold weather. Planning values set slightly below modelled results (Dunsky/CCI 2024) because field studies (RDH for FortisBC; Yukon pilot) came in lower. Above 6,000 degree-days the values rest on one partial-season pilot in Whitehorse, so we use the low end of the band from 7,000 degree-days (Yellowknife).

What heat costs to run in Greater Houston

Cost per million Btu of heat delivered into the house, at Texas's average residential prices from the EIA (electricity for July 2026, gas as an annual average). A typical older house in a cold climate uses 50 to 100 million Btu of heat a year; a house in the South uses far less. Here a heat pump costs less to run than a 95% gas furnace whenever its seasonal COP is above 2.4, which an efficient heat pump reaches in this climate.

Delivered heat cost by fuel in Greater Houston
Heating system Cost per million Btu of heat vs cheapest Based on
Cold-climate heat pump $16.62 cheapest seasonal COP 2.8 for this climate
Standard heat pump $18.62 +12% seasonal COP 2.5
Natural gas furnace (95%) $19.68 +18% $1.87 per therm (2025 average)
Propane furnace (93%) $36.46 +119% $3.10 per gallon before tax (week of October 5, 2026)
Electric furnace or baseboards $46.54 +180% 15.9¢ per kWh (July 2026)

Against electric resistance heat (baseboards or an electric furnace), even a standard heat pump cuts the heating bill by about 60%.

Prices: EIA electricity · EIA natural gas. Your own rate plan may differ, especially on a time-of-use or heat pump rate.

Heat pump rebates in Greater Houston

Every heat pump program we found for the Greater Houston 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.

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric HVAC System Replacement incentives

Unconfirmed

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, through participating HVAC contractors

Heat pump amountsNot re-confirmed on October 19, 2026: CenterPoint's pages didn't load. Our October 12 check quotes: 'CenterPoint offers incentives that start at $200 and may increase, depending on your installation', applied to the installation invoice.

Equipment ruleNot re-confirmed on October 19. Our October 12 check: central A/C, heat pumps or mini-splits rated 15.2 SEER2 or higher.

Other conditionsNot re-confirmed on October 19. Our October 12 check: installed by a participating contractor.

Statusnot confirmed (the page didn't load on October 19, 2026). Our October 12 check found no funding or closure notice.

centerpointenergy.com ↗ · checked October 19, 2026

Federal

Federal tax credit (25C)

Ended

No 25C credit for a heat pump placed in service after December 31, 2025. Heat pumps installed in 2025 are claimed on 2025 returns.

irs.gov ↗

High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebates

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. Texas's status is in the program list above.

Program rules ↗

Audit programs, other rebates and help for lower-income homes: our Greater Houston guide.

Systems that suit Greater Houston

The certified systems with the highest SEER2, on current refrigerants, from ENERGY STAR's US listings. Each row keeps its cold-weather numbers too. Rebadged twins with identical ratings are folded into one row.

Central systems that cool most efficiently

Central systems that cool most efficiently for Greater Houston
Brand Outdoor / indoor model Size SEER2 EER2 HSPF2 COP at 5°F Refrigerant AHRI #
Carrier Infinity 23 VS Heat Pump 27VNA324A*030* CVAMA4421XMA*+UI Same ratings also listed as Bryant, Heil, Tempstar, Comfortmaker, KeepRite and other ICP brands, ACiQ, Kenmore 27,600 BTU/h 2-ton 23.0 14.0 9.5 2.06 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 217624611
Bryant Evolution 23 VS Heat Pump 293VAN048**AA* FE5BNBD60L*+UI Same ratings also listed as Heil, Tempstar, Comfortmaker, KeepRite and other ICP brands, ACiQ, Kenmore 48,000 BTU/h 4-ton 23.0 12.5 9.5 1.98 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 215931505
Carrier Infinity 23 VS Heat Pump 27VNA336A*030* CVAVA6124XMA*+UI Same ratings also listed as Bryant, Heil, Tempstar, Comfortmaker, KeepRite and other ICP brands, ACiQ, Kenmore 37,600 BTU/h 3-ton 22.5 12.5 8.5 2.06 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 215936924
Heil, Tempstar, Comfortmaker, KeepRite and other ICP brands SmartSense 23 VS HP B5H3V36*K*AAA* EVM5X61M24A*+WALLCON Same ratings also listed as Kenmore 37,600 BTU/h 3-ton 22.5 12.5 8.5 2.04 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 218411807
York LX SERIES YH960E2C11 CTM60C5CGS1+JMC17C2SN1+CC Same ratings also listed as Coleman and Luxaire, Kenmore 48,000 BTU/h 4-ton 22.0 12.0 9.0 2.00 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 218026792
Mitsubishi Electric P series 5HCL9036A1000A* 5TEM9D04AC31SA* 40,000 BTU/h 3-ton 21.2 12.1 9.2 2.10 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 217497618
Lennox DAVE LENNOX SIGNATURE SL22KLV SERIES SL22KLV-060-230A** CK40[C,U]T-60C-**+TDR 51,000 BTU/h 4.5-ton 21.1 11.7 9.0 1.96 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 216776120
Lennox Elite EL21KLV SERIES EL21KLV-024-230A** CK40HT-24B-**+TDR Same ratings also listed as Armstrong Air, AirEase, Ducane and Concord 24,000 BTU/h 2-ton 21.0 13.5 8.2 1.90 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 218745112

Mini-splits that cool most efficiently

Mini-splits that cool most efficiently for Greater Houston
Brand Outdoor / indoor model Size SEER2 EER2 HSPF2 COP at 5°F Refrigerant AHRI #
Carrier 45M Series 37MPRAQ06AA3 45MPHAQ06XA3 Same ratings also listed as Bryant, Midea, Payne and WeatherMaker 9,000 BTU/h 0.5-ton 35.1 17.5 15.6 2.00 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 215413141
Mitsubishi Electric M-Series MUZ-FX06NLHZ*** MSZ-FX06NL*** 9,000 BTU/h 0.5-ton 35.0 21.5 13.0 2.38 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 215611124
Midea MSE Series MO1SS-H06B-2A MSESU-H06B-2A Same ratings also listed as Comfort-Aire and Century, Blueridge, AI AIR CONDITIONING, KEEN Home, Mainline, Novair 9,000 BTU/h 0.5-ton 35.0 17.4 15.6 2.00 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 215471385
Fujitsu AIRSTAGE H-Series AOUH09KTAP1 ASUH09KTAS 12,000 BTU/h 1-ton 33.5 19.1 14.0 2.48 R-32 ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 216018255
Carrier 45M Series 37MPRAQ09AA3 45MPHAQ09XA3 Same ratings also listed as Bryant, Midea, Payne and WeatherMaker 12,000 BTU/h 1-ton 33.5 17.0 14.6 2.00 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 215413142
Midea MSE Series MO1SS-H09B-2A MSESU-H09B-2A Same ratings also listed as Senville, Comfort-Aire and Century, Blueridge, AI AIR CONDITIONING, CanAir, KEEN Home, Mainline, Novair 12,000 BTU/h 1-ton 33.3 17.0 14.6 2.00 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 215471386
Fujitsu AIRSTAGE H-Series AOUH09KZAH1 ASUH09KZAS 12,000 BTU/h 1-ton 33.1 18.8 13.3 2.26 R-32 ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 214888800
Mitsubishi Electric M-Series MUZ-FX09NLHZ*** MSZ-FX09NL*** 12,000 BTU/h 1-ton 33.1 18.4 13.3 2.20 R-454B ENERGY STAR Cold Climate 215611125

Brands with the most efficient cooling

Brands by the best SEER2 among their certified systems. Each brand page has the warranty, product lines and best models.

Heat pump brands for Greater Houston
Brand Best SEER2 Best COP at 5°F All certified models Price tier
Midea 35.1 2.89 629 Mid-range
Bryant 35.1 2.89 219 Budget to premium
Carrier 35.1 2.89 201 Budget to premium
Payne and WeatherMaker 35.1 2.89 136 Budget
Mitsubishi Electric 35.0 3.28 369 Premium
Blueridge 35.0 2.54 202 Budget
Comfort-Aire and Century 35.0 2.44 151 Mid-range
Fujitsu 33.5 2.62 130 Budget to premium
Senville 33.3 2.40 45 Budget
Heil, Tempstar, Comfortmaker, KeepRite and other ICP brands 33.1 2.89 275 Budget to premium
Hisense 32.0 2.52 116 Mid-range
Gree 30.0 2.40 406 Mid-range

Compare every brand · All 43 brand pages and every certified name

Get heat pump quotes in Greater Houston

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