Switching to a Heat Pump

What inspired you to install a heat pump?

I was mainly concerned with climate change and I concluded that if I could afford to do it, I had a moral and ethical responsibility. Before, on average, I was burning about 5 cubic meters of gas per day, and about 1,800 cubic meters per year. Now, my gas consumption has almost gone to zero.

What are the economics of this type of project?

This was not a cheap project. I did get some money back from the Canada Greener Homes program, but really it was probably only one in three dollars. I went for a Cadillac heat pump project, where I completely removed my old gas furnace. Just the heat pump was around $16,000. I think I would have saved at least $3,000 on a a hybrid system, meaning one that would have kept my old gas furnace as my backup.

Does the heat pump still work in really cold temperatures?

The new heat pumps are supposed to harvest heat out of the outside air when it's -25° C, which is quite remarkable. The real game changer is that we now have heat pumps that we can use in extremely cold Canadian winters.

Does the type of heat feel the same as a gas furnace?

The other thing that you need to get used to is the temperature of the air coming out. Your ductwork is cooler than it was before with the natural gas system, but it's still warm enough to warm up the house, but there's less cycling of that warm air. The heat pump system wants to run fairly continuously with minimal interference to maintain the set point temperature inside the house.

When is the best time to switch to a heat pump?

The obvious time of switching would be when your gas furnace is failing. But that really doesn't give you enough time to make a rational, educated decision. The best time is when your gas furnace is maybe 10 or 15 years old. You could ask an HVAC professional the estimated life expectancy of a typical gas furnace.

Ideally, you should be planning one to three years out, before your gas furnace lets you down in the middle of a cold January night, because under those circumstances the average person is going to say just replace what I had.

What advice would you give to others considering a heat pump?

If you're an Enbridge Gas customer, your monthly bill has a usage chart at the bottom that shows how much gas you used in the previous 12 months and that's an important and simple tool to determine how much CO² you can eliminate with a heat pump.

I would talk to a few HVAC people in your community. Perhaps five years ago they might have even been reluctant, but now most are used to the technology. I would hire somebody that you have a relationship with, who will stand behind their equipment, and has a track record of installing heat pumps.

I would also fully support anybody who wanted to do what they call a hybrid heat pump system. The hybrid program maybe the sweet spot for people looking to be as economical as possible and still have that natural gas back up if they need it.

• Learn more about how to make your home more energy efficient and funding opportunities.
• Find out if a heat pump is right for you through online tools, such as Jouleia or the Canadian Climate Institute’s heat pump calculator.

• Already made the switch? Host a heat pump party to share what you’ve learned with your neighbours.