Fuel-switch calculator · Electric resistance

Baseboard to heat pump
savings calculator.

Electric baseboard is 100% efficient at turning electricity into heat — and mini-split heat pumps are 300–400% efficient at doing the same job. Nowhere else do mini-splits show larger savings. Enter your ZIP to see yours.

01.

Heat pumps move heat, baseboards make it

Electric baseboard has a COP of exactly 1.0 — every kWh in becomes 3,412 BTU out. A mini-split at HSPF2 10 has an effective COP around 3.0, meaning the same kWh delivers 10,000+ BTU. On the same electric bill, you get 3× the heat.

02.

Biggest wins, fastest payback

Of every heating-fuel switch, electric-to-mini-split has the shortest payback — typically 3–5 years. In high-rate areas (Hawaii, California, New England), it can be under 2.

03.

Cooling, finally

Homes with baseboard heat are usually cooled (if at all) with window units. Mini-splits give you whole-home cooling for the first time — and the heating savings pay for it.

Step 01

Where is your home?

ZIP Code

We pull your local climate and electricity rate automatically.

Step 02

Your space

Square feet

Whole home, or the single room you're conditioning.

Step 03

Your current heating / cooling

Pick how your home is heated and cooled today. We'll show you which efficiency numbers to enter.

Current system

System type

Furnace AFUE (%)

On the nameplate or manual. Pre-2000 furnaces: ~78–82%. Modern high-efficiency: 90–98%.

Do you also have central AC?

Central AC SEER2

▾

Pre-2023 units report plain SEER — subtract about 1 to approximate SEER2 (e.g., a SEER 16 unit is ~SEER2 15).

Step 04

The new mini-split

Pick the efficiency ratings of the unit you're considering.

New mini-split

SEER2 (cooling)

▾

Typical DIY range: 18–28. Most popular units sell around 22.

HSPF2 (heating)

▾

Typical range: 8–11. Cold-climate units reach 10+.

Step 05

Calibrate with your utility bill — optional

Last 12 months of HVAC spending. When provided, we scale our estimate so it matches your actual spend — the single biggest accuracy boost per NREL ResStock.

Estimated annual HVAC cost ($)

Rough number is fine — skip if unsure. We'll use our model's estimate as a fallback.

1,500 sqft · 1 current system · 1 mini-split

Questions we get

Will I need new electrical service for a mini-split?: Probably not. Mini-splits run on a dedicated 220V circuit (15–30A typical), which almost any 200A panel can accommodate. If your baseboards currently pull full house load on the coldest days, you may actually reduce peak demand after the switch — baseboard is the highest-draw heating option by far.
Can I phase this out room by room?: Yes — this is a common approach. Start with the room you use most (often a main bedroom or living room), add one head, use the baseboard as backup. Expand to more rooms as budget allows. Because mini-splits give immediate relief, users often add 2–3 heads in the first year once they see the bill impact.
Do I lose baseboard's simplicity?: Baseboards are dead-simple — no compressor, no moving parts, no failure modes. Mini-splits have more to go wrong but 10–15 year typical service life. The maintenance is filter cleaning every 6 weeks. If reliability is your top concern, keep the baseboards installed as backup.