Drew Tozer
We live in a technologically advanced world with artificial intelligence, electric cars, and advancing space travel.
But our primary strategy for heating homes is still “burning stuff”.
We pump gas, propane, or oil into a traditional furnace and light the fuel on fire to keep houses warm. It’s an archaic solution—like sending a fax instead of an email.
Furnaces are popular because the majority of HVAC is replaced in emergency “no heat” situations. The default option becomes a like-for-like replacement (swapping an old furnace for a new furnace) because it’s quick and easy.
HVAC is a top 5 most expensive purchase that a homeowner will make in their lifetime, and we rush the decision by ignoring equipment until it breaks.
Choosing the right HVAC system is an opportunity to improve homes. HVAC is the biggest factor for indoor comfort and air quality, and the chance to pick the right system only comes around every 15 to 20 years.
Heat pumps operate like two-way air conditioners. In the winter, they take heat (energy) from the outside air and use it to heat homes.
So, what makes heat pumps the right decision?
Because electric products are just… better
Consumer experiences matter, and electric products create better experiences. The quality of electric appliances (like heat pumps, electric vehicles, induction cooking, and electric yard tools) surpassed gas alternatives in recent years.
For now, there continues to be a place for gas appliances in niche situations. But the overwhelming consensus is that electric products are better than gas products
A few examples:
- Oversized furnaces are the primary cause of comfort issues. Heat pumps are the direct solution—they can be properly sized to match the heating and cooling needs of a house, improving comfort and eliminating hot and cold rooms.
- EVs are more fun to drive, while being quicker, quieter, more convenient, and lower maintenance. The stress of “range anxiety” has largely disappeared with better infrastructure and battery performance.
- Electric yard tools are quieter, safer, and lower maintenance than gas tools.
- Gas stoves increase the risk of asthma in children. Induction is safer and healthier while offering similar control and faster boiling times.
The performance gap of electric over gas is growing. Every generation of electric products takes a leap forward while gas appliances stay largely the same.
Over the last decade, gas furnaces have increased from 90% to 97% efficiency. That’s the only change.
By comparison, cold climate heat pumps achieve efficiency ratings above 300% by moving heat instead of burning fuel to create heat. Heat pumps continue to improve, both in efficiency, reliability, and cold weather performance. They’re a proven success in cold climates like Canada, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.
Heat pumps can also be sized to provide the right amount of heating and cooling at any given time, and the lack of combustion eliminates the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, gas leaks, and explosions.
A sustainable world is an electric world
The cost of ignoring climate change continues to grow.
There’s no way around it. Ignoring climate change won’t solve it.
The frequency and severity of wildfires in North America are a key example. Large parts of the US are becoming uninsurable as the damage risk becomes untenable for banks and insurance companies.
These aren’t political choices, it’s the free market working: climate change is bad for business.
When we choose to not take action, it increases pain and suffering without decreasing the economic burden. We’ll have to implement the same solutions, but we’ll have to pay more to rebuild and replace more infrastructure and homes along the way.
Delaying action is the more expensive choice.
Heat pumps are part of the solution because they create a path to sustainable heating. They can be powered by renewables, either on-site or within grids.
We have access to the cheapest source of electricity in human history: solar. We choose not to embrace and scale renewables for political reasons. It’s a people problem, not a technical one.
We’re fortunate that the sustainable option (heat pumps) is also the choice that improves the comfort, health, and safety of homes.
Energy (in)dependence matters
Heat pumps and renewables allow homeowners and countries to heat and power their homes with local energy. It makes homes and communities resilient against geopolitics and global energy costs.
A house can be entirely energy independent by combining a heat pump and electric appliances with rooftop solar and battery storage.
Conversely, you can’t extract and refine oil in your backyard. If you rely on combustion heating, then you’re dependent on the person or country that supplies your oil and gas. A situation that played out with Europe’s reliance on Russian gas.
In the tenuous landscape of global politics, energy dependence is a risk.
Heat pumps are the future of heating and cooling because they create a path to sustainable heating powered by renewables. They create comfortable, healthy, sustainable homes that benefit from energy independence and improve consumer experiences.
