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It's actually difficult to say what the cost would be if everyone switched over. The reason is that natural gas is subsidized, both on the production side (at l
by kibwen 3y ago
It's actually difficult to say what the cost would be if everyone switched over. The reason is that natural gas is subsidized, both on the production side (at least in the US, which wants energy security) and on the consumption side (because it's politically unpopular to let people freeze to death). Of course, electricity prices are also affected by subsidies. Figuring out the true operating prices would require some research. However, it remains true that, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, it is usually preferable to heat a home with a heat pump than by burning gas directly (there exists a temperature below which any given unit will become less efficient than burning gas, but unless you live in a place where this temperature is common then heat pumps will still come out on top (and the fact that residential gas lines are notoriously leaky and basically just venting nonstop into the atmosphere makes the calculation even more favorable)).
- Alupis 3y agoIt seems to me, there is no future where a heatpump can be the only source of in-home heating then. 1) Natural Gas is vastly cheaper in most/all of the US. 2) Homes still require an alternative heating source when temperatures drop to low levels (coincidentally when people need heating the most). So, even if a heatpump is technically more efficient in terms of emissions, the technology does not solve all of the problems it's attempting to replace. Additionally, Natural Gas is vastly more clean in terms of emissions than some other alternatives still used around the country. There's no way the average home is going to stomach 2-4x more heating expenses on average without some real tangible benefit (hand-wavy emissions numbers don't factor into the average homeowner's decision making). I must be missing something here...
- Maxion 3y ago> It seems to me, there is no future where a heatpump can be the only source of in-home heating then. > > 1) Natural Gas is vastly cheaper in most/all of the US. > > 2) Homes still require an alternative heating source when temperatures drop to low levels (coincidentally when people need heating the most). > ... > I must be missing something here... Yes you are, your natural gas subsidized, i.e. government handout, i.e. you're not paying the real market cost. Second, heat pumps do not have issues with cold temps, unless you're at like -40c. They're used all over the nordic countries - including above the arctic circle. Your energy grid is shit, which is why your electricity price is so high.
- Alupis 3y ago> Yes you are, your natural gas subsidized, i.e. government handout, i.e. you're not paying the real market cost. > Your energy grid is shit, which is why your electricity price is so high. Adding a heatpump solves this issue, or makes it worse?
- tcfhgj 3y agoHeat pumps power consumption can be modulated by energy providers and improve grid power stability. In Germany you get way cheaper electricity prices if you allow this.
- Alupis 3y agoI am not aware of any such system in the US. What do you mean by "modulate"? Your utility provider decides how much heat your home gets? That's a very strange concept.
- nightski 3y agoHeat pumps might work at -40c, but all the efficiency gains are lost and it's going to cost a fortune.
- sgerenser 3y ago2-4x seems like a stretch, and would only apply in areas with very high electric rates. My last house was heated with a builder-grade heat pump (HSPF around 8), and my winter electric bills were around $150-200/mo. My current house has natural gas heat, and similar level of appliances/EVs/lighting, and winter bills electric bills are around $100/mo. This is the same town and the electric rate didn’t change, so the net cost of heating my old house with a heat pump was only $50-$100/mo. Meanwhile my winter gas bill in this house, subtracting baseline summer usage, runs more than that. The only backup heat I had with the heat pump was electric resistance heat, which I needed to use only once or twice each winter for a few hours at a time.
- kelnos 3y agoYou can also use resistive heating (like baseboard heating or space heaters) as a backup for the heat pump when it's too cold out. They're expensive to run off the grid, but if you have solar power and battery storage (for operation at night), they're essentially "free". Obviously you wouldn't install solar panels and a battery just for this, otherwise it's very much not free, and probably a lot more expensive than burning gas. But if you already have the solar+battery install, and have enough capacity, it could even be cheaper to operate than a gas furnace.
- baq 3y agoYou’re talking about the future but only consider the present. You’re one government decision from your calculation to have an opposite result. Estimating probability of any such decision (ban on fracking, tax incentives, etc) is the hard part.