Heat pumps are a great way to save money on your utility bills, but some people are hesitant because they are concerned about how they perform in cold climates. Luckily, homeowner Peter Ehrlich created a guide for cold-weather heat pumps on the Zero Percent Club. He shared the guide on Reddit, saying: "I wrote the guide I wish I'd had."
The scoop
Heat pumps work more efficiently than traditional HVAC systems. In the summer, they pull the warm air out of your home and put it outside, and in the winter, they pull heat from the ground, water, or air outside of your home and transfer it inside.
You have a few options, including a mini-split heat pump, a duct heat pump, or an air-to-water heat pump. A mini split is pretty typical, with a piece inside that sits near the ceiling paired with an outdoor unit.
Ehrlich wrote on Zero Percent Club: "Ducted systems are commonly used in retrofitting existing homes which used to have a forced-air furnace."
Air-to-water heat pumps are typically used in homes that were built for water heating.
TCD's HVAC Explorer is an excellent place to start exploring options to save 50% on your energy bills, even with a $0 down subscription.
To determine whether the heat pump will be good in your climate, use seasonal ratings: Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating v2 (SEER2), Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF), or Heating Seasonal Performance Factor — Climate Zones 4 through 6 (HSPF 4-6).
Ehrlich recommends using HSPF to determine if the heat pump will work for you. He said: "This rating is much more broadly available for different units than climate-zone specific information and generally a unit which has a higher HSPF2 rating will also have a higher Climate Zone 6 rating."
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How it's helping
When you upgrade to a heat pump, you can cut your bill almost in half. It's also more environmentally friendly because it works more efficiently. When you use a heat pump, it reduces the amount of dirty energy that would be used by burning a furnace.
To reap these benefits, use TCD's HVAC Explorer to discover trusted partners in your area. Palmetto is one of those partners that can help you find the right heat pump. The company offers $0 down on subscriptions and lease payments of as little as $99 a month. You'll also get 12 years of free maintenance, so if anything does go wrong, you won't have to worry about it.
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Definitely 💯 Additionally, you may even save money on what you spend over the lifetime of the system since you aren't paying for maintenance or repairs, and you're not paying anything upfront.
What everyone's saying
It turns out people on Reddit also wanted this guide.
One user said: "Your guide is awesome and would have saved me a couple of years of learning!"
Another commented: "This is a super cool guide! I agree that many guides like this are either way too detailed for the average consumer, or way too vague."
To save even more on your energy bills, especially since they can power a heat pump effectively for free, you can install solar panels. Check out TCD's Solar Explorer page to connect with trusted partners on that front.
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