For homeowners who want the most efficient heating system available, heat pumps are the best candidate. They work by capturing heat and moving it from place to place, removing it from your home to provide cooling in summer, and bringing in heat from the outdoors for warming in winter.
Furnace and Boiler Systems
The U.S. Energy Department says furnaces and boilers are the most common heating systems in the country. According to David, they're also the most economical – at least those powered by natural gas. “Natural gas is still the least costly form of energy in most of the country,” David says.
Low carbon heating system like heat pumps are more efficient than traditional heaters like gas boilers and electric radiators. Depending on what system you're replacing, low carbon heating could save you money on your annual heating bills. Low carbon systems don't use fossil fuels to heat your home.
It's expensive to install a heat pump
They cost considerably more than a gas installation. Nevertheless, grants are available to reduce the purchasing cost, which is not the case with gas installations. However, even with such grants, the heat pump is still at least 20% more expensive.
Contractors avoid deploying more heat pumps because of money. I'm told they are too expensive to sell, when a furnace is another, cheaper solution. Additionally, the incentives are diverse in their scope and in some cases daunting to navigate for both contractors and customers.
In colder climates, 95% efficient gas furnaces fare better than ENERGY STAR® heat pumps. And, due to the relatively lower cost of natural gas versus electricity, lifetime operating costs should be considered as well.
This shows natural gas is the cheapest type of heating to run and heating oil is the most expensive way to heat a home.
Heat pump heaters and reverse cycle air conditioning units are the most energy efficient heating system you can buy, compared to a conventional electric heater. According to Your Home, even the cheaper reverse cycle air conditioner models generate less greenhouse gas emissions than other heating appliances.
The average cost to install a geothermal heat pump typically ranges from $10,000 to $30,000, depending on factors like the size of the system, property location, and installation complexity. Horizontal loop systems tend to be less expensive, while vertical systems, which require deep drilling, are on the higher end.
Revolutionary heat pump technology
They use 75% of natural resources from the air, ground or a water source to provide heating and hot water comfort for your home. The remaining 25% is powered through electricity in order to operate.
Geothermal systems provide the most efficient type of heating. They can cut heating bills by up to 70%.
The fix: Lower your home temperature to 68 degrees when you're home. Maintain comfort by adding extra layers of clothing – try fabrics like fleece, flannel and wool – and don't forget comfy slippers and blankets. If you can comfortably go a degree or two cooler than 68, your wallet will benefit even more!
But don't worry, infrared heaters are incredibly efficient. They're designed to keep a space warm while using as little electricity as possible. This makes them much cheaper to run than central heating, space heating, and air source heat pumps.
Disadvantages of air source heat pumps
Air source heat pumps do have some disadvantages to them. They're more expensive than gas boilers for one, both in terms of set up costs and running costs, and even though they're low-carbon, they don't run on 100% green electricity.
Regardless of efficiency, cost of operation is less than electric resistance heating and higher than high efficiency gas heat. Natural gas and/or propane are much more popular than traditional air to air heat pumps.
Compared to other heat pump options, air source heat pump prices in the UK are quite low, as ground source heat pumps cost between £10,500 to £37,000, including installation costs. Hybrid systems or high temperature air source heat pumps also tend to be costly, ranging between £7,500 to £11,000.
Choosing a low-energy consumption heating system for your home. Here are some of the most commonly used low-consumption heating systems today: heat pumps, both geothermal and air source; pellet stoves and boilers; low-consumption electric radiators; and condensing boilers.
Heat pumps: 10 to 16 years. Furnaces and boilers: 15 to 20 years. Geothermal heat pumps: 25 to 30 years; ground loops will last upwards of 50 years. Solar: 25 to 30 years.
But heat pumps work to cool homes, too, and are capable of working in hot weather, just like an air conditioner. According to the Department of Energy, heat pumps work as well at conditioning an equivalent-sized space as an air conditioner but they dehumidify better and work more efficiently.
Save Money. Energy-efficient appliances not only support the environment, but they also support your bottom line. Because a heat pump transfers heat rather than generates energy, you can expect to pay less on operating costs—especially if you're paying high prices for gas and oil in your region.
Geothermal heating is one alternative to a heat pump replacement. While it operates similarly to a conventional heat pump, geothermal heating pulls the heat from the earth rather than the surrounding air, and it transfers it through below-ground piping.