For a full year I have lived in a house that has one of these.

It’s a hot summer and I’m delighted that it can not only heat but also keep my place cool!

Now I got an email from my electricity provider that during the last weeks (I was at home most of the time) my electricity consumption was roughly twice of what it usually is.

Hence my question: compared to its heating capabilities, does a heat pump use much more electricity for cooling?

I’m not looking for a scientific breakdown.

edit:

Thanks for all replies so far. Cooling seems to be trickier than heating and I should keep my windows closed, which just feels wrong during summer… but apart from that cooling does not use more energy than heating.

  • spongebue@lemmy.world
    0·
    17 days ago

    Heat pumps are air conditioners that can be run backwards. That’s it. You’re running an air conditioner, and it’s summer.

    • A_norny_mousse@feddit.orgOP
      0·
      17 days ago

      I get that. But I come from a country where that isn’t a common thing because summers are short and not too hot (at least pre-climate-change).

        • spongebue@lemmy.world
          0·
          17 days ago

          Kinda sorta. Air conditioners seemed like a more common phrase to reference, so I just clarified that it’s the same thing.

          Arguably it would be cheaper to cool than to heat, because the whole point is to move heat from one place to another. The heat is easy to collect in a hot house vs a cold winter outdoor setting, and you probably don’t need to change the temperature as much (if you target, say, 20C and you experience 35 in summer and -5 in winter, you have a 15 degree difference in one direction and 25 in another)