Dropped $3,200 on a heat pump and my electric bill went sideways

I finally swapped my old gas furnace for a heat pump last month here in Portland. The install ran me $3,200 after rebates, which felt okay until the first bill came in. My electricity usage nearly doubled compared to last February, and the fan runs almost constantly. The house stays warm, sure, but I'm not sure the math works out when gas prices are this low. My contractor said to give it a full year because seasonal performance dips in cold snaps. Has anyone else seen a big spike in the first month, or did I just get a bad setup?

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zarapalmer11d ago

February is about the worst month to judge a heat pump here, honestly. I know three neighbors who made the switch and all of them freaked out over their first January or February bill before things leveled out. The thing is, people expect a straight swap to just work, but it's more like getting used to a new car that drives totally different than your old one. Idk, maybe give it until spring before you panic, that's when the real numbers show up.