Heat delivered is not electricity consumed
A resistance heater converts electricity into heat at the point of use. A heat pump moves heat and can deliver more heat energy than its electrical input. Its coefficient of performance changes with outdoor conditions, equipment, defrost behaviour, and supply temperature.
Compare the same comfort requirement
Do not compare a small room heater with a whole-home system without matching the area, temperature, schedule, and delivered heat. Include backup resistance heat where the system uses it.
Operating savings are not the full decision
Installation, maintenance, building fabric, equipment life, cooling value, local climate, and tariff structure can dominate payback. Use the running-cost comparison as one layer of a complete ownership decision.
Who · how · why
How this page was prepared
PowerCost Lab publishes this page to help readers make a specific electricity-cost decision. Worked figures are recalculated from the inputs shown, assumptions remain visible, and market facts are separated from user-entered estimates.
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