What will it actually cost?

HonestCosts builds free calculators that answer everyday cost questions with real local numbers: your city's climate, your region's energy prices, your home. Every estimate shows its sources, and you can change any assumption.

Calculators

Home heating cost calculatorHeat pump vs gas vs oil vs propane vs baseboard in 59 Canadian and US cities, using local climate and energy prices.

This winter's numbers

A cold-climate heat pump is now the cheapest way to heat a typical home in 37 of 59 cities we track. Heating oil is the most expensive option almost everywhere after US prices jumped to about $6 a gallon this fall. See the full ranking →

Toronto, ONCheapest: natural gas furnace, $945 CAD/yr Calgary, ABCheapest: natural gas furnace, $1,032 CAD/yr Montreal, QCCheapest: heat pump, $774 CAD/yr Boston, MACheapest: natural gas furnace, $1,462 USD/yr Chicago, ILCheapest: natural gas furnace, $841 USD/yr New York City, NYCheapest: natural gas furnace, $995 USD/yr

How we keep it honest

Local data, not national averages. Climate normals and energy prices for each city or region.
Sources on every page. Each figure links to where it came from, with the date we last checked it.
Your assumptions win. Every calculator lets you enter your own prices and home details.
Independent. We don't sell the products we compare. Ads and affiliate links never change the numbers.