Letter: More about heat pumps

I was pleased to find Roper’s Heating and AC column, “Ask Dirk: What should I know about heat pumps?” in the Nevada Appeal weekend edition.

Why? There are alternative methods to heat/cool a home rather than HVAC systems. By the way, 2/3 of the homes in Norway use heat pumps.

Being concerned residents about the massive carbon dioxide pollution from the burning of fossil fuels that mankind has been pumping into the atmosphere over the last 200-plus years, my wife and I wanted to reduce our “contribution.” We replaced our HVAC system last summer with a heat pump primarily to reduce our own CO2 pollution.

We weren’t too concerned regarding the heat pump’s cooling capabilities, more so the heating. We consulted with friends who installed heat pumps a few years prior. One had an auxiliary gas-powered heat kit, and the other did not. Both have been pleased with their systems.

Regarding heating, we wanted an auxiliary heat kit to help on really cold days, but we opted for an electric heat kit to totally break away from gas. Our system is 100 percent electric. Expectations were that our winter electric bill would increase but our gas bill should decrease.

We found that to be the case so far. While it’s difficult to compare “exact” heating periods, year to year, our first month came in about $25 less than a year ago. For more about heat pumps, visit https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/heat-pump-systems.

For more about alternatives to address the overheating and extreme weather on earth, visit citizensclimatelobby.org.

Rob Bastien

Carson City