You can’t mention home heating and cooling anywhere these days without the phrase “gas heat pump” making its way into the conversation. And for good reason. Heat pumps are incredibly efficient and are changing the way many Americans think about controlling the temperature in their homes, particularly in regions with mild winters. But as we talk about the heat pump, it’s important to note that not all heat pumps are created equal.
High-efficiency natural gas heat pumps offer key advantages over other technologies, including electric heat pumps.
Natural Gas Is The Most Resilient & Reliable Energy Source
Electrical outages are an unfortunate fact of life, even in the United States. From harsh weather to falling trees to severe peaks in demand during heat waves, all sorts of events can strain or temporarily knock out the electrical grid. In fact, nearly all electric utility customers across America will experience an outage each year.
What happens if that outage happens at a time when you’re relying on that energy to heat or cool your home?
Unfortunately, sometimes what happens is tragic. For the elderly or those with chronic health conditions, losing temperature control during extreme weather conditions can mean the difference between life and death.
In contrast, one out of every 800 natural gas utility customers experiences an unplanned gas outage each year. That’s just 0.125% compared to an average of 100%!
This level of reliability is truly lifesaving.
But even if you’re not in danger, it’s incredibly convenient to know you’ll stay comfortable when the electricity is out, too. Along with controlling ambient temperature, Americans also use gas for hot water and cooking in the home.
Natural Gas Heat Pumps Offer Dual Functionality
Unlike a traditional gas furnace that only provides reliable, affordable heat, a natural gas heat pump can be useful for both heating and cooling. What this means is that homeowners are covered in both types of extreme weather. It doesn’t matter if it’s 10 degrees out or 110 degrees, neither a cold snap nor a heat wave will pose the same threat to those with a natural gas heat pump at home.
Work To Lower Electric Grid Demand
As electric cars rise in popularity and other factors put more pressure on our electrical grids, switching homes and businesses over to natural gas heat pumps can alleviate demand and make the grid more reliable for everyone.
Heating and cooling with electricity use a lot of juice. The fewer air conditioners or electric heating equipment pulling on the grid at once, the better it is for everyone. By reducing or eliminating demand spikes, our current electrical grid can become more reliable at a lower cost than spending to build out the grid for massive electrification.
Saving Money For Homeowners
Advanced gas heat pumps offer outstanding cost advantages over both electric and traditional alternatives. Households set up for natural gas heating, cooking, hot water heating, and clothes drying are currently saving an average of $1,041 per year compared to fully-electric homes for these same applications. Add cooling to the list and the savings go even higher.
And that’s mostly in homes using a traditional gas furnace. As more homes switch to high-efficiency natural gas heat pumps, the difference will be even wider.
These savings aren’t going away, either. Did you know that the U.S. Department of Energy estimates natural gas will remain the lowest-cost fuel through 2050? Costs are predicted to stay between one-half and one-third the price of other fuels.
Better For The Environment
To finish up, natural gas heat pumps are an eco-friendly choice, offering a range of environmental benefits. For starters, they don’t rely on ozone-depleting refrigerants. They’re also extremely efficient, which means they use less energy to do the same work. Current technology operates at up to 140% efficiency!
Finally, there’s something a gas heat pump can do that no other technology can do. Run off the renewable energy source that’s being harvested from organic waste across the nation, RNG. As we collect and consume more carbon-neutral RNG, we can work together as a country toward achieving our energy and environmental goals.
If you want to learn more about Natural Gas, and how we can work together, contact us here.