The other problem with only having a heat pump is if the electricity goes out, which happened across the region (there was a windstorm at the same time as the a

The other problem with only having a heat pump is if the electricity goes out, which happened across the region (there was a windstorm at the same time as the arctic freeze which brought down trees onto power lines). We have one friend who lost power but thankfully had a working fireplace with fuel, otherwise they would have been in a world of hurt. The people who had burst pipes mostly seemed to be transplants from outside the northeast, including some from other countries, who have never been exposed to a situation like this or the basic precautions to prevent burst pipes. It's a hard lesson to learn, for sure.