In thermodynamic terms, an air conditioner is a heat pump hooked up the other way, though in practical terms I realize a heat pump is a device that is used for

In thermodynamic terms, an air conditioner is a heat pump hooked up the other way, though in practical terms I realize a heat pump is a device that is used for heating. While not as mathematically elegant a comparison, you could certainly run the numbers for gas or any other heating method and find a similar cost comparision. They key point is that a computer heats the way a space heater heats, and heating your home with space heaters is expensive even in spite of the 100% efficiency at turning electricity into heat.