And yet another European article screaming about...

[Brad Johnson]

Heat pumps aren't quite so prevalent in these parts (yet), mostly because natural gas is dirt cheap. In my old house my highest gas bill of memory was a couple of years ago when we had several weeks of sub-freezing temps. If I recall properly, it was about $130 total. Had I been on a heat pump it would have cost roughly $250 in electricity.

Heat pumps are amazingly efficient in terms of energy transfer, and are far are more efficient than straight resistive heating. Unfortunately they still end up about twice the operating cost of a gas-fired unit in our market. That tends to sway a lot of buyers, at least around here.

Brad

[K Frame]

Nat gas is quite prevalent here, as well, but my community was built right in the middle of the natgas hook up moratorium in the 1970s. At least they installed a heat pump instead of a freaking electric furnace. Ex and I looked at a couple of houses that had straight electric furnaces with exterior AC units.

I've said a number of times if my house had come with natural gas I wouldn't have a pellet stove.

[Jim147]

There are ways to adjust those heat pumps so you might be a little happier in the winter.

[Ben]

There are ways to adjust those heat pumps so you might be a little happier in the winter.

Don't be a tease.

[K Frame]

There are ways to adjust those heat pumps so you might be a little happier in the winter.

I am perfectly happy with my heat pump's winter performance...

Now that I have the thermostat set at 60 degrees and heat with my pellet stove.

I'm pretty sure that the ONLY time the heat pump came on this entire winter was the 10 days when I was away for Christmas visiting friends.

[Ben]

Now that I have the thermostat set at 60 degrees

That seems to be key. My heat pump doesn't seem to work that hard to keep the house at 62 (my nighttime setting), but working it's way back to 69-70 in the morning just seems to strain it when it's near freezing outside.

[Jim147]

They don't like anymore than a two degree change much.

[K Frame]

When you're heating with a heat pump (instead of cooling), especially if it's one with the electric coils to provide supplemental heat, it's often best just to pick a set temperature and stay with that. Otherwise you turn the toaster on and your electric meter takes off from the side of the house like a helicopter.

Heat pumps do not do well recovering like that.

[Ben]

One trick I have learned is that if  I manually set the temp up like 10 deg or more, the thermostat will automatically kick over to the furnace. I've started doing that this winter when I get up in the morning and it's in that "funky" range of outside temps. Knock it up from 62 to 72 so the furnace kicks on, then when the house gets to around 68-69, set the temp back to that and let the heat pump take over.

[Jim147]

When I have customers complaining about the cold heat pump air under 40 I change the switch over temp up if they have natural gas or propane and understand they are going to use more. If they have electric backup I tell them to add as much insulation as possible and be sitting down when they open the electric bill.

We have several house around here that are electric only heat. I can't do anything about the $600-700 bills in the winter. I didn't put it in.

[Ben]

When I have customers complaining about the cold heat pump air under 40 I change the switch over temp up if they have natural gas or propane and understand they are going to use more. If they have electric backup I tell them to add as much insulation as possible and be sitting down when they open the electric bill.

We have several house around here that are electric only heat. I can't do anything about the $600-700 bills in the winter. I didn't put it in.

I seem to remember Nick once posted some chart about efficient changeover temps taking into account temperature and electricity costs vs gas costs. I seem to recall my current switchover temp somewhat matched what the chart said, but next Winter I might knock the temp up to 30deg and see what I think. I'm not as concerned with costs as I am with comfort. :)

I definitely used more propane this Winter vs last. I'll have to check my met station software to be sure, but we were probably colder this year. December for sure was.

[JTHunter]

And then there is that annoying Gulfstream that brings mild temperatures to northern Europe.  I guess we could redirect that to Africa and let the euroweenies cook.

Without the GS taking equatorial warmth to northern Europe, their climate would be more like Siberia in winter.
Let 'em freeze.

[230RN]

...

Heat pumps are amazingly efficient in terms of energy transfer, and are far are more efficient than straight resistive heating. Unfortunately they still end up about twice the operating cost of a gas-fired unit in our market. That tends to sway a lot of buyers, at least around here.

Brad

Not only that, but I've never heard of a gas line being blown down in a storm.

Terry runs and hides

[K Frame]

When I have customers complaining about the cold heat pump air under 40 I change the switch over temp up if they have natural gas or propane and understand they are going to use more. If they have electric backup I tell them to add as much insulation as possible and be sitting down when they open the electric bill.

We have several house around here that are electric only heat. I can't do anything about the $600-700 bills in the winter. I didn't put it in.

Tell them to get a pellet stove.

[K Frame]

Not only that, but I've never heard of a gas line being blown down in a storm.

Terry runs and hides

Some years ago (15, maybe?) we had a hurricane come up the east coast. The storm surge inundated a bunch of communities, including one in which a friend of mine lived at the time. Some how the storm surge managed to get into the gas mains. Gas service for something like 30,000 people was shut down for nearly a month while they cleaned, dried, and repaired the lines.