Lower Bills, Better Grids: Heat Pump Benefits for Homes Heating with Electric Resistance

The document specifies the technical parameters used for modeling the transition from electric resistance heating to heat pumps in the United States. It details rated efficiencies for space and water heating systems, the use of EIA RECS 2020 microdata and NREL ResStock for home archetypes and load profiles, and the methodology for calculating electric volumetric prices based on 2024 EIA residential state-average revenue.

• The analysis uses specific rated efficiency benchmarks for heating and cooling systems, including a 1.0 AFUE for electric resistance space heat and varying SEER2/HSPF2 ratings for air-source heat pumps (ASHP) depending on whether they are ducted or ductless.
• Home archetypes and energy load profiles are derived from the US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) microdata and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) ResStock, accounting for variables such as building type, year, and household income across different climate zones and states.
• Electric volumetric prices for the analysis were determined by taking the EIA’s 2024 residential state-average total revenue, subtracting utility fixed charge revenue, and dividing the result by residential sales in kWh.

APA

RMI (n.d.). Lower Bills, Better Grids: Heat Pump Benefits for Homes Heating with Electric Resistance. https://rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ER-to-HP-Article-Assumptions.pdf

Chicago

RMI. Lower Bills, Better Grids: Heat Pump Benefits for Homes Heating with Electric Resistance. n.d. https://rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ER-to-HP-Article-Assumptions.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Lower Bills, Better Grids: Heat Pump Benefits for Homes Heating with Electric Resistance |url=https://rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ER-to-HP-Article-Assumptions.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmindlower, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Lower Bills, Better Grids: Heat Pump Benefits for Homes Heating with Electric Resistance}}, institution = {RMI}, url = {https://rmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ER-to-HP-Article-Assumptions.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }