Set a Florida heat pump to 68°F when you’re home and 62–65°F overnight or away — and change it in steps of 2°F or less. A heat pump heats slowly on purpose; ask it for a 5-degree jump and the thermostat calls the 10 kW backup heat strips, which cost about $1.50 an hour against $0.45–$0.75 for the heat pump itself. Leave it in “Heat,” never “Em Heat,” and on the 15–20 cold nights Orlando actually gets, that setting keeps a 3-ton system under a dollar an hour.
Why does a heat pump need a different thermostat strategy than a furnace?
A gas furnace makes heat; a heat pump moves it. On a 45°F Orlando night the outdoor coil pulls heat out of the air and sends it inside at roughly 90–95°F supply temperature — warm enough to heat the house, but nowhere near the 120°F+ blast a furnace produces. That is why heat-pump air can feel “cool” at the register and why the house climbs a degree at a time instead of five.
The thermostat does not know you are patient. Most heat-pump thermostats are programmed to call backup heat whenever the room is more than about 2°F below the setpoint, or when the temperature is not rising fast enough. That backup is a bank of electric resistance strips — 5 to 15 kW in a typical Orlando air handler — and they cost three to four times as much per hour as the heat pump. Every “let me warm it up fast” move is a strip-heat move.
What is the best temperature for a heat pump in winter?
68°F is the number. It is the Department of Energy’s recommended winter setpoint, it is comfortable in a Florida home with normal humidity, and it keeps the heat pump in its efficient range. Here is how the setting plays out on an actual cold night in Orlando, using a 3-ton system and a 15¢/kWh electric rate:
| Setting | What the system does | Approx. cost per hour |
|---|---|---|
| 68°F, steady | Heat pump only, cycling normally | $0.45–$0.60 |
| 72°F, steady | Heat pump runs longer; strips may assist below 40°F | $0.60–$0.90 |
| 65°F → 72°F in one jump | Strips engage for 20–40 minutes | $1.50+ while strips run |
| Em Heat switched on | Heat pump locked out; strips carry everything | $1.50–$2.25 |
The gap between the first row and the last row is the whole story. Orlando gets roughly 200 heating hours a year; spend them on the first row and winter heating costs $90–$120 for the season. Spend them on strips and it is $300–$450 for the same warmth — the “why did my power bill spike” call we get every January.
Should I turn the heat pump down at night in Florida?
Yes, but gently. A 3–5°F night setback that a furnace household uses can backfire with a heat pump, because the morning recovery from 62°F to 68°F triggers strips. Two rules:
- Set back no more than 3°F — 68°F daytime, 65°F overnight. The heat pump recovers 3°F on its own without calling backup heat.
- Use the thermostat’s schedule, not your hand. Smart thermostats with a “heat pump balance” or “adaptive recovery” setting (Nest, Ecobee, Honeywell T-series) start the recovery early and slowly so the strips never come on. Set that option to “max savings” or “balanced.”
Away for the weekend? 60–62°F is fine in Orlando — the house will not get cold enough to matter, and you can raise it in two 3°F steps when you get back.
What is the difference between “Heat,” “Aux,” and “Em Heat” on my thermostat?
Heat lets the system decide: heat pump first, strips only when needed. This is the only mode to live in.
Aux (auxiliary) is not a setting you choose — it is an indicator that the strips are helping the heat pump right now. Seeing it briefly during a cold morning or a defrost cycle is normal. Seeing it for hours means the setpoint is too far from the room temperature, or the heat pump has a problem.
Em Heat (emergency heat) locks the heat pump out and runs strips only. It exists for one reason: the heat pump is broken and you are waiting for the repair. It is not a “make it warmer faster” button, and it is not for cold nights. We wrote the full breakdown in What Is Emergency Heat?
Why is my heat pump blowing cool air when it’s set to heat?
Usually because it is working correctly. Heat-pump supply air at 90–95°F feels cool against skin that is 98°F, especially near a register. Hold a thermometer in the airflow: if it reads 15–25°F warmer than the room, the system is heating. If it is blowing genuinely cold air for more than 10 minutes, the unit is either in a defrost cycle (normal — a few minutes with steam off the outdoor unit) or the reversing valve, refrigerant charge, or a heat strip has failed. That one has its own page: Why is my heat pump blowing cold air?
Does a smart thermostat help with a heat pump?
More than with any other system. The three features that matter for a Florida heat pump:
- Heat-pump balance / strip lockout — lets you tell the thermostat to prefer the heat pump and only use strips below an outdoor temperature you set (we recommend 35°F in Orlando).
- Adaptive recovery — starts the morning warm-up early enough that the heat pump does it alone.
- Humidity display — winter air in a sealed Florida house can drop below 40%, which makes 68°F feel colder than it is. Knowing the number stops you from chasing comfort with the setpoint.
Our picks are in Best Smart Thermostats for Florida Homes, and every new system Smart Home installs includes a WiFi smart thermostat at no charge.
When is the thermostat not the problem?
If you are set to 68°F, the house is stuck at 62°F, and the outdoor unit is either silent or coated in ice that never clears, the setting is not the issue. The four failures behind most Orlando no-heat calls — a stuck reversing valve, low refrigerant, a failed heat-strip kit, and a bad defrost board — are covered on our heat pump and heating repair page, with prices on the heat pump repair cost page. The diagnostic is a flat $89 at any hour, and a technician is at your door within 90 minutes or you get $200 off.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should a heat pump be set to in winter in Florida?
68°F when you are home and 62–65°F overnight or away. Change the setpoint in steps of 2–3°F so the heat pump can recover on its own without calling the backup heat strips.
Is 72°F too high for a heat pump?
Not too high to run, but it costs more: at 72°F the heat pump runs longer and on nights below 40°F the strips help more often. Each degree above 68°F adds roughly 3–5% to heating cost.
Should I use Em Heat when it gets cold in Orlando?
No. Em Heat locks out the heat pump and runs electric strips only, at about $1.50–$2.25 an hour for a typical home. It is for when the heat pump is broken and you are waiting for repair, not for cold nights.
Why does my thermostat say Aux Heat?
Aux means the backup strips are helping the heat pump right now. Brief Aux during a cold morning or a defrost cycle is normal. Aux for hours means the setpoint is too far from the room temperature or the heat pump has a problem.
How much does it cost to heat a house with a heat pump in Orlando?
About $0.45–$0.75 an hour for a 3-ton system at 68°F, or roughly $90–$150 for a whole Orlando winter of about 200 heating hours. Running on heat strips instead can triple that.
Is it cheaper to leave the heat pump on all the time?
In Florida’s mild winter, close to it. A steady 68°F with a 3°F night setback costs less than big setbacks, because every large recovery pulls in the strips. Turning it fully off and back on for a 10°F recovery is the most expensive option.
Need help in your neighborhood? Smart Home Air and Heat serves Orlando, East Orlando, Altamonte Springs, Avalon Park, and Oviedo and all of Central Florida with 24/7 availability and upfront pricing.
