Which uses more energy: Heat or AC? (if both are powered by electricity.)?

Question

Which uses more energy: Heat or AC? (if both are powered by electricity.)?

Answer 1

You can use this formula to estimate an appliance's energy use and the cost to run that appliance:

Wattage × Hours used per day × Days used per year ÷ 1000 = Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption per year

For example: Personal computer (120 Watts) and monitor (150 Watts)

(120 Watts + 150 Watts) × 24 hours per day × 365 days per year ÷ 1000 = 2365 kWh/year **

**figures used assume computer and monitor are left on at all times

Then, calculate the annual cost to run an appliance by multiplying the kWh per year by your electricity rate per kWh consumed.

2365 kWh × $0.049 (sample residential rate) = $115.88 per year

You can usually find the wattage of most appliances stamped on the bottom or back of the appliance, or on its nameplate.The wattage listed is the maximum power drawn by the appliance. Since many appliances have a range of settings(hairdryers), the actual amount of power consumed depends on the setting used at any one time.

Answer 2

For a given level of unit of heat energy being transferred for either raising or lowering temperature (e.g. effective BTU rating) in a forced air electric furnace or a forced air electric AC.. the AC will always use more energy..

My reasoning: As one other answer said, the fan motor and all associated electrical operations in a forced air furnace produce heat that must be removed by the AC system. While this same energy can go into raising the temperature when you are heating a home.

However, if you are talking how much energy does a typical residence use to heat vs a typical family use to cool on an annual basis. Typically I suspect that more energy is used to heat a home. The reason is it depends upon climate and location.  Someone that lives in Alaska which does not have very hot days in the summer (and may not even need AC) but had very cold winters will use a lot more energy for heat on an annual basis.  Someone that lives in the deserts of Arizona will not use much energy for heating but will use a lot of energy for AC on an annual basis.

Answer 3

This is too general a question. There are too many variables. The major one is the climate you live in.

If it is near the equator you obviously will use AC and conversely if you are in Siberia you will use more heat.

Answer 4

Air conditioning uses more energy.

All electricity used for heating, ends up as heat.  Even the heat that is generated by the fan motor.

Air conditioning removes heat by transferring it to another medium (freon).  Some of the electricity in this process ends up as heat (compressor, losses in pumping) so A/C ends up being less efficient.

Answer 5

heat

Answer 6

AC is a heat pump, adding heat to the outdoor world while compressing the coolant, Heating with electricity involves is a direct conversion of electrical energy to heat. You could probably answer this question given only this information.

But as a general matter, if you live in a very cold part of the world, Heating will use more energy than AC, and if you live in the tropics, Cooling will use more energy than Heating. So in general, you cannot really answer this question.

AC is less efficient than direct heating, therefore it uses more energy to cool than to heat.

Answer 7

I just know that AC's use 240 volt outlets and maybe the same for heaters.

Answer 8

Heat,.

It uses coils that 'heat' up to get warm.

AC, pases the gas back through the system, which cools down then the fan blows the air over which cools the air down.