SERVING 
We’ve never met anybody who didn’t want a lower utility bill.
But will a heat pump heating and cooling system result in massive energy savings? Many people think so! And with the current energy rebates available to Georgia homeowners, we can’t think of a time when there’s ever been so much excitement about switching to a heat pump.
So, is the hype about lower costs for real? Do heat pumps really reduce energy bills?
Let’s take a look at the facts. No hype. No biases for or against heat pumps. Just an objective overview of the costs.
We’ll also consider the overall cost of a heat pump, which we believe is a much more important issue than the operating costs.
Cost to Heat and Cool Your Home with a Heat Pump
Well, versus whatever else you may already have!
For most homeowners in the Atlanta area, heating comes from a natural gas furnace and cooling comes from an air conditioner. For heat, you pay the gas company a certain cost per therm of gas consumed. For cooling, you pay the electric utility a certain cost per kilowatt hour of electricity.
With a heat pump, there is no gas bill (unless you use gas for something else, like a water heater). These systems rely on electricity to both cool and heat your home.
So your gas bill will definitely be lower. However, your electric bill will probably increase. The question is whether the greater efficiency of the heat pump (compared to the old system) results in lower energy costs overall. Does it?
The answer is a hard… maybe.
At the time of writing (early 2025), natural gas is pretty inexpensive. In fact, the cost per therm in Metro Atlanta is so low that the overall operating cost of a gas furnace, all else being equal, is comparable to what you’d pay to heat your home with a heat pump.
Yes, an energy efficient heat pump will use less energy than an old gas furnace. But so would a new high efficiency furnace! Energy efficient heating and cooling systems almost always cost less to run than whatever you’re replacing, regardless of fuel source.
Claim your rebate savings today
Our Customer Advocate Center is ready to help you determine your HER and HEAR program eligibility, find the best upgrades for your home, and maximize your rebates.
Please note: We currently serve homeowners in the Metro Atlanta area only.
Complete the form below or call us at (404) 798-9672 to see if this program is a good fit for you!
What About Future Operating Costs?
At present, most innovations in energy production are geared toward making electricity cleaner and cheaper. If you believe that these changes will result in lower operating costs for electric appliances over time, then it probably makes sense to go with a heat pump.
At PV Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, we don’t take a position on this one way or the other! However, we have customers who switched to heat pumps for this reason.
Do Heat Pumps Have other Cost-Saving Benefits?
We currently live in an era of unprecedented savings opportunities for homeowners who opt for heat pump systems over AC and furnace installations. Thanks to Georgia’s Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) program, eligible homeowners receive an $8,000 rebate when they replace a gas furnace with a heat pump system.
Assuming you’re eligible for the HEAR program–any household earning less than 150% of area median income can qualify–your upfront costs are mostly paid for!
Even if the operating cost for a heat pump stays mostly even with the cost to run a furnace, the HEAR program makes heat pumps the more affordable option.
The same is true for homeowners who utilize Georgia’s Home Energy Rebates (HER) program. With this program, reducing home energy use by at least 20% qualifies you for thousands of dollars in rebate savings. The rebate amounts depend on income (there is no income cap) and the total cost of all energy-saving home improvements, but replacing your furnace with a heat pump is one of many ways to claim your HER rebate.
The bottom line? Heat pumps have cost-saving benefits.
Whether heat pumps result in energy savings isn’t exactly clear. What is clear, however, is that the current rebate programs make heat pumps much more affordable overall when compared to purchasing a natural gas furnace.
To get a general idea of how much you may save with the HER and HEAR programs, plug your info into the savings calculator below! These are just ballpark figures and contacting a PV customer advocate can help you calculate your maximum rebate savings.
At PV Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, we are all about reducing energy bills with energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment for your Georgia home! In addition to being an approved contractor for the Georgia HEAR and HER rebate programs, our team is one of the only Metro Atlanta contractors that always performs a Manual J load calculation prior to installing heating and cooling equipment.
We’ve also created a Customer Advocate Center that’s wholly dedicated to helping you maximize your savings through these rebate programs. Contact a PV customer advocate today to learn more or schedule an in-home consultation!
Our commitment to installation excellence, building science, and maximizing comfort and efficiency are rare attributes among Atlanta-area HVAC contractors. Check out our 4.9 rating and 1,500+ five-star Google reviews to get a sense of how we work!
We’ve also created a Customer Advocate Center that’s wholly dedicated to helping you maximize your savings through these rebate programs. Contact a PV customer advocate today to learn more or schedule an in-home consultation!
