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Heat Pumps Take the Lead in Efficiency                  

>> When it comes to heating your home, heat pumps are a great choice. Heat pumps sales continue to grow year after year as more people discover the year-round comfort and savings that heat pumps can deliver.  Because there is no combustion, heat pumps eliminate the need for gas tanks, gas lines or exhaust flues, often reducing installation costs and avoiding future maintenance issues. This also eliminates the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. And certainly, by using electricity to heat the home, you're avoiding exposure to volatile pricing associated with other heating fuels.

Heat pumps get their name because they do not create heat, but instead move it from the outside into a home. The easiest way to understand how heat pumps operate is by thinking of an air-conditioner that works in reverse during the winter. Heat pumps use a compressor and refrigerant to extract heat from the outdoor air and "pump" it inside. 

Modern heat pumps are already extremely efficient.  In January of 2006, minimum efficiency standards will be increased.  For a typical 1,800 square-foot home, a minimum efficiency heat pump (10 SEER/7.0 HSPF) would save about $301 per year over an 80 percent efficient propane furnace (at $1.39 per gallon) and $360 per year over an electric furnace.

When considering a heat pump for your home, only do business with a licensed contractor and insist on a load calculation to determine the proper size system for your home.  For more information on heat pumps and home efficiency, visit www.tri-countyemc.com. <<