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Because of the advanced technology in this industry, heat pumps work very well here. We use them exclusively in the new homes we build.
BUT We do suffer from power outages...more so than in past years, due to the prevention of wider powerline right-of-ways...its an EPA thing brought about by Federal Tree Hugging legislation...Years ago the right-of-ways were wider and the trees didn't fall and break the lines like they do now...
As a preventive measure, we almost always provide a gas tap for cooking and add a vented natural gas fireplace to the new home. If electric is disrupted, life can pretty well go on as normal until its restored. I would suggest a dual power/heat system to everyone in WV...electric is the cheapest but it is not that dependable...
I'm guessing that Romney might be a little colder, but not much, than the Pittsburgh area.
Last summer I replaced the original oil furnace (no A/C) in my house with a combined oil furnace/heat pump. The HP handles the heating needs down to 40 deg or so (and of course all the A/C), while the oil furnace takes over at cooler outside temps. This alleviates one of the big problems with heat pumps, that they become very inefficient (and eventually switch to pure electric resistance heating) as the outside temperature drops.
It's too soon to know the savings, but my "seat of the pants" is that it's working very well. My electric bills went up about $20-30 in the winter months, and about $50 in the summer. (Remember, I didn't have A/C at all, before.) I won't know how much less oil I used for a couple of months, since I fill the oil tank just once a year, usually in September or October when HHO prices tend to be lowest.
My advice would be to go with the highest SEER you can afford, since the long term trend of all energy prices is only moving in one direction.
Snorpus
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