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do the math before you get one. In my area it’ll double or triple my electric bill due to the extremely high price of electricity. I would need to add a lot of insulation to my home to make it worth it. Also, installing solar would be a wiser first step. Of course, even then, with the installation costs, it will take 20-30 years to really see a savings.
Edit: downvote all you want, it doesn’t change the math. I spent 6 months studying heat pumps for my situation, sorry it doesn’t live up to whatever eco-hype you’re huffing. The real issue is mismanaged utility companies with a legally protected monopoly. All I’m suggesting is you learn about your situation before you jump in blind, but apparently that is too offensive of a suggestion for the Lemmy hive mind. If you’re going to downvote, maybe give a counter argument, I’ll give you a math equation in response.
If you need to add insulation to make switching to a different heat source worth it, then adding that insulation without switching will reduce your current utility bill. It's not like the insulation (or lack ther of) cares how the heat was generated.
It depends on your climate zone… most people piling on the insulation bandwagon live in really cold climates. In more moderate climates, insulation makes your house is hot in the summer, which means you need to run the air conditioning. I don’t run air conditioning in the summer because our home is naturally cool. There are more summer months that winter months; so there are trade offs and reasons for different construction decisions.
Insulation doesn't just keep heat in for the winter.
It keeps heat out for the Summer.
A lack of ventilation can cause buildings to overheat but anyone who seals up a building without adding a proper HVAC is a cowboy.
You can add insulation without reducing ventilation. Do it.
I don't get the "I'd need to add a lot of insulation" bit.
So you're heating your house just now with gas or something, and you're basically just pissing it up a wall, and fuck the environment?
Some people don't think that far ahead. One day their gas bill will be just as bad and they'll still complain.
Well, when the price of electricity is 3x the price of natural gas, it’s a different story. Also, low insulation in certain climate zones means you don’t actually need air conditioning in the summer time. Really depends on what your local climate is.
Our electricity is also about 3x the price of natural gas, and the math made sense for a heat pump over a gas furnace (Southwestern Ontario, Canada). We do have auxiliary natural gas and that is set to kick in at 20°F, but even then, the manufacturer's chart says the heat pump's COP > 2.0 (200% efficiency). If I remember correctly, it's COP >3.0 by 30°F.
Installing better insulation is always the best first step, better than the climate control solution or solar. That's why some of those states require insulation improvements before other rebates can be taken. Sometimes they also heavily subsidize the costs of improving the insulation.
Once the structure is properly insulated, then the best option between heat pumps and solar depends on the cost of electricity, as you noted.
A while back I sealed and reinsulated my house and replaced all the duct work. It made a massive difference on my electric bill as my house's HVAC system is a heat pump. I did all the work myself and got a rebate from the electric company and it ended up costing me about $1000 out of pocket. I did some calculations back then and my payback period was only a couple of years so it has been paying me back for quite a while now. It was one of the best things I have ever done.
We're fortunate our utility (Puget Sound Energy) will give us rebates for DIY improvements as well.
We installed a heat pump and got money back from the state and the feds.
We hired a company to do our 2 story home. Half was a previous addition that didn't need upgrades, but the other half got blown-in. Doors got new seals as well. Cost us less than 800 after the state rebates (which were all handled by the installation company). Also one of the best upgrades we've made.
It definitely makes sense to evaluate electricity costs. It's unfortunately expensive to get a heat pump in some places.
Where we live, the Seattle metro area, it was a huge cost savings to get our heat pump.
Crunch the numbers and make sure it makes financial sense.
There might be federal or state programs that can help you with weatherization. I'd check into them because they'll definitely save you money. Back when I was on oil it saved me about 10% on my heating bills, even in a drafty old farmhouse.
"I don't want to help at all unless I can see immediate personal financial benefits"
That's what you sound like
That how life works. You dont know their situation. You dont know if they can afford in increase. Where i live i have heat pumps and it costs me $300 a month to heat a two bedroom apartment. And thats with keeping it at 68f. If the cost of the electricty is outrageous, what are people supposed to do?
Sorry I thought everybody here understood personal sacrifices will need to be made in order to solve the climate change problem. Apparently not, we just like to blame corporations for selling us the things we demand (like gas heating)
There's a very distinct difference between a personal sacrifice and literally impossible with their current finances. This is the most ignorant shit I've seen on this thread, and there's been a lot.
He doesn't give the math of what he's spending now vs with a heat pump, and he doesn't say he CAN'T afford it, just that it will take too long for him to see the financial benefits. When others try to ask him about details, he doesn't respond.
The whole reason why we're in this mess is the full cost of carbon is not paid by current consumers used to cheap energy. People need to accept that their western standard of living will be reduced to match the correct cost of these comforts without taking a sort of "carbon loan" for the future generations to pay.
It's a very hard pill to swallow, I understand.