Is your air conditioner 20 years old or more? A cold-climate heat pump replaces it with one outdoor unit that cools in summer and heats efficiently in winter, even on Denver's cold nights. Every system below is ENERGY STAR® Cold Climate certified. Each one lists its AHRI certificate number, so you can check the ratings yourself at the AHRI Directory.
Ratings shown are for the 3-ton matched system listed. Other sizes, and pairings with a furnace coil, have their own AHRI numbers. Your quote will show the exact certificate for your system.
Good
SHV36H2BB outdoor + SAV36BDA air handler
ENERGY STAR® Cold Climate
A budget-friendly inverter heat pump with very strong cold-weather ratings and a compact, straightforward install. Also available in this tier: Goodman and Armstrong Air cold-climate systems.
Better
AZV7SA3610 + AHVE48DP1300 air handler. AHRI # 215429187. SEER2 19.0. HSPF2 8.8. Heat at 5°F: 29,000 BTU/h.
AZV9SA361C + CAHEA3630C3 coil + MBVK16CH air handler. AHRI # 216699794. SEER2 21.0. HSPF2 10.0. Heat at 5°F: 34,200 BTU/h.
ENERGY STAR Cold Climate: Yes (both)
ENERGY STAR® Cold Climate
Variable-speed comfort from a major U.S. brand. The AZV9 adds higher efficiency and more cold-weather heating capacity. Either one can pair with an Amana air handler, or with your existing gas furnace for dual fuel.
Best
BOVB-36MTB-M19E outdoor + BIVB-36MCB-M19X air handler
ENERGY STAR® Cold Climate
A premium inverter system that holds essentially full heating output at 5°F, for quiet, even comfort through a Colorado winter.
Good / Better / Best reflects brand, features and warranty, not just cold-weather performance. On paper, the Innovair has the highest 5°F heating output of the three. We'll recommend a size and model after a load check of your home.
Yearly energy-cost estimates for a typical 3-ton Colorado home. These are estimates, not guarantees. Your costs depend on your home, thermostat settings, weather and your utility rate.
| System | Cooling per year | Heating per year: heat pump only (all-electric) | Total per year: all-electric | Total per year: dual fuel (heat pump cools, gas furnace heats)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old 10 SEER AC + 80% gas furnace (20+ years old) | about $234 | n/a (gas furnace: about $945) | n/a | about $1,180 (today's baseline) |
| Good: Innovair SLIM4+ Hyper Heat | about $135 | about $1,159 | about $1,294 | about $1,081 |
| Better: Amana AZV7 | about $123 | about $1,356 | about $1,480 | about $1,069 |
| Better: Amana AZV9 | about $112 | about $1,193 | about $1,305 | about $1,057 |
| Best: Bosch IDS Ultra | about $123 | about $1,193 | about $1,317 | about $1,069 |
*The dual-fuel column assumes your existing 80% furnace does all the heating, so it's a ceiling. With a smart switchover, the heat pump runs whenever it's the cheaper option, so real dual-fuel costs should be at or below this number.
Every system cuts cooling cost by roughly 40–50% (about $100–$125 a year). Natural gas is still relatively inexpensive in Colorado. At average 2026 prices, heating entirely with electricity can cost a bit more than an older gas furnace. The heat pump comes out ahead on heating when the electric rate you actually pay in winter is below about 12–14¢ per kWh. That's why we often recommend dual fuel, and why we'll look at your own Xcel bill before recommending anything.
Electricity: 17¢/kWh, Colorado residential average, July 2026. U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
Natural gas: about $1.08/therm, from Colorado's 2025 average residential price ($11.17 per thousand cubic feet, at 10.37 therms per thousand cubic feet). U.S. EIA.
Cooling hours (383 full-load hours) and yearly heating load (70.2 million BTU) for an existing Colorado home: Xcel Energy Colorado deemed-savings sheet.
Equipment ratings: ENERGY STAR certified heat pump data and AHRI certificates. Seasonal heat pump efficiency estimated as HSPF2 ÷ 3.412. Estimates prepared October 2026.
Dual fuel pairs a heat pump with your gas furnace. The heat pump does the cooling and most of the heating. When it gets very cold, or when gas is the cheaper fuel at that moment, the thermostat switches to the furnace automatically. You get lower cooling bills, efficient heat most of the winter, and a gas backup on the coldest nights. Dual fuel uses a coil on top of your furnace instead of a new air handler, so the system and its AHRI number differ from the air-handler versions shown above. We'll show you the exact certificate for your setup. Need a new furnace for your dual-fuel setup? See our high-efficiency gas furnace options.
Xcel Energy heat pump rebate. HVAC System Repair is a participating contractor with Xcel Energy. If you're an Xcel Energy customer in Colorado, a qualifying ENERGY STAR Cold Climate heat pump may qualify for an Xcel rebate. The amount depends on the system's certified heating capacity at 5°F (paid per ton of 5°F heating capacity), and it can't exceed the installation cost. We handle the rebate paperwork for you. Rebate amounts and rules are set by Xcel and can change at any time; we'll confirm the current estimate for your exact system in writing before you buy. Details: Xcel Energy heat pump rebates.
Federal tax credit: The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) for heat pumps ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. It is not available for 2026 installations. Source: IRS.
Ready to compare options for your home? Tell us about your current system and we'll recommend a Good, Better or Best option, with the AHRI certificate and a rebate estimate.
