Natural gas versus electric heatpump

[chrisva]

Hello all,

I apologize if this has been discussed before. Is there a website where a homeowner can got to plug in heating and cooling degree days, cost of electricity and natural gas and get an answer to the question of what type of heat is less expensive?

We're looking at maybe replacing out crappy downstairs "high-efficiency" gas furnace and electric AC with a high efficiency VS heatpump, but are not sure if this is the way to go.

Thanks in advance,

Chris

[Irishmist]

Talk to your local utility provider whether lp gas, electric, natural gas, etc. and they should have some information that will assist you in comparing costs.

What are your contractors recommending you do? Do they also agree that eliminating the natural gas altogether is the best way to go?

You will hear the term "dual fuel" quite a lot from this site, and it is a blend of fossil fuel (natural gas heating) with the use of a heat pump. This gives you the 'best of both worlds.' Good luck.

[chrisva]

Thanks, John.

[Sleuth]

Try :

http://www.hvacopcost.com/

[uktra]

The real question is how long are you going to live in this home and what are the probabilities of energy price increases in both gas and electricity in your area. If you are going to live in the house for more than 5 years, go with the heatpump and electric staged back-up. This country is past peak gas, and the price is going to be bad news from now on.

[docholiday]

if the "va" in your name suggests Virginia, I would consider the heat pump only option. Or at the very least a dual fuel system.

[Jax]

In my part of the country there is not an answer to the question you ask, and here is why.
1. ONG, our main carrier, can price based on spot price, meaning when it gets cold in Jan the price of gas can go from $7 to $20 without you even knowing.
2. On the heat pump side, it will depend the severity of the winter as to how much elect heat strips are used, and it can depends on how your system is staged.
3. One last thought is the cost of Elect. In our part of country the price is fairly low, about 9 cents in winter. It is bound to go up in the next 15 yrs with the price of gas going up. We just don’t know how much.
Jax