What Is COP in Air Conditioning Heating?
COP stands for Coefficient of Performance. It shows how much heat an air conditioning unit produces for each unit of electricity it uses. A COP of 4 means 1 kWh of electricity produces about 4 kWh of heat.
COP Explained Simply
Imagine paying €1 and receiving €4 worth of goods. That's essentially what a heat pump does with energy. It doesn't create heat out of thin air; it moves existing heat from the outside air into your house. Because moving heat takes far less energy than creating it, the efficiency is over 100%.
| COP | Electricity used | Heat delivered | Effective heat cost (at €€0.10/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| COP 1 (Electric Heater) | 1 kWh | ~1 kWh | €0.098 |
| COP 3 (Older AC) | 1 kWh | ~3 kWh | €0.033 |
| COP 4 (Modern AC) | 1 kWh | ~4 kWh | €0.025 |
Why Spain’s Climate Helps
The COP of an air conditioning unit isn't fixed; it changes depending on the outdoor temperature. If it's 10°C outside, there's plenty of heat in the air to extract, so the unit might run at a COP of 4. This makes coastal and southern Spain the perfect environment for heat pumps.
Why Very Cold Weather Reduces COP
If you live inland in Spain (like Madrid or Granada) and the temperature drops below 0°C, the heat pump has to work much harder to extract the little heat that remains in the freezing air. During a freeze, a unit's COP might drop from 4 down to 2 or 1.5.
How COP Affects Your Electricity Bill
If you need 1,000 kWh of heat for a winter month:
- With standard electric heaters (COP 1), you buy 1,000 kWh of electricity. Bill = €98.
- With modern AC (COP 4), you buy 250 kWh of electricity. Bill = €25.
Heating with electricity? Your tariff matters.
Upload your bill and we’ll compare over 50 tariffs in Spain to see if you’re overpaying. A bad tariff can double your heating cost.
Upload your billRelated heating guides for Spain
Heating costs depend on the system, the property, and the tariff. These guides explain the most common comparisons in more detail.