Heat pumps are not as popular as central heating, or forced-air furnace systems, but they are rising in popularity.  Heat pumps are effective systems that can both heat and cool a home and can be more energy efficient and cost effective.  But are they worth it?

A heat pump uses heat in the air or ground outside of the home and moves it into the house.  A furnace on the other hand creates heat by warming up the air already in a home and recirculates it through the house.  A heat pump can also work in reverse as an air conditioner.  So, in the summer, it will find cool air outside of the house and bring it in.

Can a heat pump work during extremely cold weather?  Natural Resources Canada states that the heat content of air when it is -18°C still contains 85% of the heat as when it is 21°C.  So, it may not feel like there is any heat in the air to us but, there still is heat source to bring in.

Heat pumps work very effectively.  The reason is they distribute heat that already exists rather than creating heat as a furnace does.  Pulling in heat from the air or the ground is a more efficient way of heating a house and requires less energy than creating heat from scratch.  During the summer months heat pumps can also work as an air conditioning system.  It works the same way, but just in reverse, so they are also effective in cooling homes as needed.

Heat pumps are designed to create a steady temperature, so they work slowly but keep the temperature stable.  Users are directed to set their temperature and forget about it.  Although it may take a while to reach a desired temperature, once it is set, it will remain stable and not fluctuate as much as other systems.

Are heat pumps money savers?  In short, YES.  How much will depend on what current system you have and where you live.  But because they are so efficient on heating a house by drawing in warmth than creating, it follows that less electricity will be used, and your energy bill will be lower.

Another way heat pumps can save money for homeowners is through rebates and green energy initiatives.  Some provinces offer money back programs to incentivize switching over to a heat pump system for your home.

The end result is easy, heat pumps are effective, energy efficient, low-cost system, and worth looking into.