Are heat pumps more efficient than gas heating?

Obviously, adding features to split systems increases the total job cost. Using a heat pump that can heat or cool is more expensive than using a cooling-only system, but sometimes the return on investment warrants the installation of a heat pump versus a cooling-only system, and often the cost difference between a heat pump system and a cooling-only system is only around 5%. Generally speaking, heating with a normal efficiency heat pump of around 19 SEER is less expensive than using gas heating systems as long as the outdoor air temperature is above 30 degrees F. There are many variables in the calculation to determine which is less expensive, because factors like electricity and gas costs change and vary based on location. Calculating the exact savings obtained by utilizing heat pumps versus gas heating can be calculated fairly easily by using the calculations provided by our State of Michigan licensed professional engineer, Valerie Johnson's writings on How the Efficiency of Air Conditioners is Rated and Calculated.