Is Airspool’s HS12 Really the Cheapest Heat in Peoria?

1) How Heat Pumps Work (The Simple Version)

Heat pumps don’t burn fuel to create heat. Instead, they move heat from the outside air to the inside of your home.

• Mild days (40°F outside): Lots of heat available, so the pump runs very efficiently (COP ≈ 3.5–4.0).

• Frigid days (–10°F outside): Less heat to capture, so efficiency drops (COP ≈ 1.8–2.0).

This is why heat pumps shine in shoulder seasons and mild winter days—they multiply the value of every kilowatt-hour. Airspool’s HS12 (HSPF 10.8) is designed with EVI “superheat” technology, so it keeps working down to –22°F—long after older heat pumps give up.

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2) Why Peoria?

Peoria, Illinois makes a great test case:

• Cold enough to stress-test a heat pump.

• Mild enough that efficiency really matters for most of the heating season.

• Plus, as the saying goes: “How does it play in Peoria?”

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3) The Numbers: HS12 vs Gas, Oil, and Baseboard in Peoria

Assumptions

• Electric rate: 18.33¢/kWh (Illinois, June 2025 – EIA)

• Natural gas: $1.65/therm @ 92% AFUE (based on U.S. residential average winter 2024/25)

• Heating oil: $3.60/gal @ 85% AFUE (based on U.S. residential average winter 2024/25)

• Sunshine in Peoria: ~4 hours/day in winter (Dec–Jan averages)

• HS12 COP (EVI): 40°F: 3.5 · 30°F: 3.1 · 20°F: 2.7 · 10°F: 2.3 · 0°F: 2.0 · –10°F: 1.8

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Table: Cost per kWh of Delivered Heat

What this shows:

• At 40–30°F, HS12 is cheaper than gas, oil, and baseboard—even without solar.

• Around 20°F, gas and HS12 are neck-and-neck, but solar gives HS12 the edge.

• Below 10°F, gas pulls ahead per BTU, but HS12 still crushes oil and baseboard. Solar blending narrows the gap further.

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4) The Chart: HS12 vs Fuels in Peoria

Chart shows HS12 with grid only, solar (–12%), and solar+preheat (–22%) vs natural gas, oil, and baseboard. For reference: 1 kWh = 3,412 BTU. So HS12’s ~5¢/kWh heat equals ~1.5¢ per 1,000 BTU, cheaper than gas, oil, or baseboard.

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5) What is “Pre-Heat”?

Pre-heat means using the solar-powered window (around midday) to raise your thermostat by 1–2°F.

• During those 4 sunny hours, HS12 runs for free (solar power).

• The home stores a little extra heat in walls, furniture, and air mass.

• That stored heat reduces the load in the evening when electricity costs real money.

In practice:

• Solar only (no preheat): Cuts daily heating costs by about 12%.

• Solar + Preheat: Boosts savings to 20–22%, because you’re shifting more load into the free solar hours.

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6) DIY Your Own Analysis

Here’s how you can do this for your own city:

1. Get your local electric rate from EIA’s Table 5.6.A.

2. Pick a temperature (say 20°F).

3. Look up HS12 COP for that temperature (from the Assumptions table above, COP 2.7 at 20°F).

4. HS12 cost (grid-only): Electricity Rate ÷ COP.

5. Add solar savings: Multiply HS12 cost by 0.88 (–12%) or 0.78 (–22%).

6. Compute fuel benchmarks:

   • Gas: (Price/therm) ÷ (29.3 kWh/therm × Furnace Efficiency).

   • Oil: (Price/gal) ÷ (40.6 kWh/gal × Boiler Efficiency).

   • Baseboard: Electricity Rate ÷ 1.0 (COP=1).

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Example: Wichita, Kansas at 20°F

• Electricity: ~$0.15/kWh (EIA data for KS)

• Sunshine: ~5 hours/day winter (weather-us.com)

• HS12 COP at 20°F = 2.7

Math:

• Grid-only cost = 0.15 ÷ 2.7 = $0.056/kWh heat

• Solar (–12%) = $0.049/kWh heat

• Solar + Preheat (–22%) = $0.044/kWh heat

• Compare: Gas (~$0.061), Oil (~0.104), Baseboard (~$0.15)

👉 In Wichita, even at 20°F, HS12 is cheaper than gas, oil, and baseboard once you include solar.

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7) Final Takeaway

In Peoria—and across much of the U.S.—Airspool’s HS12 is the cheapest heat source for most of the heating season.

• Always cheaper than oil or baseboard.

• Cheaper than gas on mild and moderate days, and still competitive during deep cold when you use solar and preheat smartly.

And yes—it plays in Peoria.