The new generation of cold-climate heat pumps could cut energy costs drastically. The savings over oil heat are substantial — as much as 40 percent for residents of the Northeast, according to a 2013 report from the Rocky Mountain Institute, a Colorado think tank that focuses on energy. Are you considering whether you should buy a heat pump? what are the benefits to you and your home? Let’s find out. The following are simply a few of the benefits you can achieve by switching to a heat pump.
-Can be used for heating. With the simple touch of a button, either mounted on the wall or by using a remote, it extracts heat energy from outside and brings this into your home or business.
-Can be used for cooling. The “reverse cycle” refers to its ability to work backwards. In fact, it works in exactly the same way as a fridge works. This means it can also extract heat from inside your building and transfers it outside.
-Safety. There are no flames or hot surfaces that children or pets can touch and burn themselves on.
-Climate control. The single most important feature of the heat pump is your comfort. You are able to control and maintain your climate to meet your own needs and desires.
-Safe for the environment. Heat pumps don’t create smoke, ashes, moisture, or any other waste material for you to remove.
-Reduces running costs. Because they move heat rather than creating it by burning oil or gas, they are much more efficient with average savings of over 60% for ground source heat Pumps and 40% for air source heat pumps.
According to the Department of Energy, for climates with moderate heating and cooling needs, heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners. In fact, if you heat with electricity, a heat pump can trim the amount of electricity you use for heating by as much as 30% to 40%. Of course actual energy savings depend on the relative costs of the combustion fuel relative to electricity.
The above are simply a few of the benefits of utilizing heat pumps for your buildings. While heat pumps work best in colder climates, a backup source of heat will be required of the temperature drops below 30 degrees. You could use electric heat strips to supplement heat as well. Have you switched over to a heat pump systems and noticed the cost savings benefits? If so, share your comments below.
I like what this article mentions about safety. I have young children, and I want them to be as comfortable as they can be. With comfort comes safety, and I think that having no hot surfaces they could potentially touch is very beneficial. I will definitely have to keep this in mind, thanks for sharing!
I’ve been thinking about replacing my air conditioning unit recently, so I’m happy that I found your post! I like how you mentioned how safe heat pumps are. I’m going to be having my first child in a few months, and I wouldn’t want her to get hurt by touching a hot furnace! I’m going to call an HVAC contractor to come and install a heat pump in my home right away. Thank you for the information!
This is some great information, and I appreciate your point that heat pumps are more energy efficient. My husband and I have had our current HVAC system for a long time, and it’s getting to be old enough that we need to replace it. We’ll definitely look into installing a heat pump instead so we can save money on energy. Thanks for the great post!
I really like the safety aspect of a heat pump. My kids get into things a lot, and I don’t want them to get hurt like they did on my water heater. A heat pump would be a safe and effective way to keep my house warm, or cool, and without any added dangers to my curious kids.