Why heat pumps?
Air Source Heat Pumps: The most effective way to heat and cool a home
High efficiency heat pumps including the Mitsubishi Electric Hyper Heat product line are the most efficient way to heat and cool a home in Northern Westchester County:
Approximate price per gallon of oil = $4
Approximate price per KWH = $.14 NYSEG
High efficiency heat pumps draw 2-3 amps of power even when operating in below 32 F temperatures. When you compare that electrical draw with the fuel required to heat a 3,000 square foot house, the difference is commonly several thousand dollars less per winter.
After working for a large Geothermal Heating company I became extremely interested in heat pumps and the technology driving the product improvements. While Geothermal heat pumps are great in theory, the savings often do not offset the massive undertaking and problems this installation can cause including making two large holes in the foundation and incoming water temperature from the ground loop below 40F on cold days.
High efficiency, air source heat pumps to me were the clear winner. They are easier to install, reliable, and keep your house warm in the coldest of days. Models made by the top manufacturers such as Mitsubishi Electric heat efficiently all the way down to -13F and come with a 10 year warranty.
An important statistic to observe is that most winter days fall in between the 17 F and 42F. Within this outdoor temperature range, Mitsubishi Electric Hyper heat pumps operate with a COP of approximately 3. Meaning for 1 unit of KWH consumed 3 units of heat are generated. This is something our customers notice right away when they see how much less their heating costs are. Some of our customers have experienced 50% decreases in operational costs when switching from an oil burning boiler.
Heat pumps are not the clear winner in all territories. For example in neighboring ConEdison, the cost comparison is much closer. KWH rates can be as high as .30 and some homes have natural gas lines where they are paying less than $2 per therm. Heat pumps are still competitive with an efficient natural gas fed boiler, however the choice is less obvious than for a home in the NYSEG territory.