What is the most efficient way to heat a home?
Author: Bill Hoelzer / Published: December 2020 / Read Time: Four Minutes
Space heating stands out as the largest energy expense for most homeowners, accounting for about 42% of the average home energy bill. To bring down your bills, you have to choose an energy efficient home heating system. The heating system that makes the most sense for you depends on a few things, like your budget and how you currently heat your home.
This article breaks down the three most efficient options for home heating in Portland and Bend, Oregon. You’ll better understand the features and costs of each option along with other things you can do to heat your home more efficiently throughout the winter season.
If you’d like an appointment for a new heating system - including a breakdown of costs, cash incentives, and tax credits - start by giving us a call at 541.330.8767, or self-schedule online:
Ductless Heat Pump
Overview of ductless heat pumps
A ductless heat pump is an electric system offering one of the most efficient ways to heat and cool a home. The system uses up to 60% less energy than conventional electric heating systems.
The main thing you should know about a ductless heat pump is that it’s a “zonal” heating and cooling system. It conditions a particular room or zone, not an entire home. That said, you could add multiple indoor units or heads to a ductless heat pump system. Each head would independently heat or cool an area of your home.
Learn more about the energy efficient Mitsubishi ductless heat pumps that we install for homeowners in Portland and Central Oregon:
You should definitely consider a ductless heat pump if any of the following apply to you:
An area of your home gets noticeably colder: More than almost anything else, we hear from homeowners with an upper floor that’s five to ten degrees colder than the main floor. Combined with insulation and air sealing, a ductless heat pump is your best bet to get a consistent temperature between different areas of your home. Learn more about how to get a consistent temperature between floors of your home.
Electric heating with high energy bills: If you currently heat your home with a resistance electric system (e.g. baseboard, cadet wall heaters, electric furnace), you probably have high energy bills. According to ENERGY STAR, ductless heat pump systems are so much more efficient that they cut heating bills by 60% on average. Learn more about the costs and estimated energy savings from installing a ductless heat pump system.
An older home with no ductwork or a newer home with an addition: A ductless heat pump system operates without ductwork. It’s the perfect solution if you either don’t have ducts or you have issues with your existing duct system. ENERGY STAR estimates that the average duct system loses 20 to 30% of the air moving through it because of leaks, holes, and poor connections. That corresponds to a twenty to thirty percent increase in heating costs for the average homeowner with a central air system.
How much does a ductless heat pump cost?
A single zone ductless heat pump typically costs between $4.5K and $6K, while a multi-zone ductless heat pump starts at about $7.5K. How much you end up paying depends, in part, on the location of your outdoor unit. The greater the distance between your outdoor unit and indoor unit - the more you’ll pay.
Get a detailed breakdown of the costs, energy savings, cash incentives, and financing to install a ductless heat pump in Portland or Bend, Oregon: How much does a ductless heat pump cost?
Ducted Heat Pump
Overview of Ducted Heat Pumps
A ducted heat pump delivers energy efficient heating and cooling through the existing ducts in a home. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that a properly installed heat pump delivers one and a half to three times more heat energy to a home than the electrical energy it consumes. When replacing a resistance electric heating system, this translates to estimated energy bill savings of $459 a year.
You’ll find videos, answers to frequently asked questions, and more on our heat pump resource pages for homeowners in Portland and Bend, Oregon.
A ducted heat pump may be a good fit for you if you check the following boxes:
You want to efficiently heat and cool your entire home, but your current heating system is either old or highly inefficient.
Your ducts are in good condition, and you don’t notice significant temperature variations between floors or rooms in your home.
Here are a couple common questions that we hear from homeowners about ducted heat pumps in Portland and Bend, Oregon.
Do heat pumps work in cold weather climates?
The short answer: Yes!! Mitsubishi makes the only heat pumps with hyper-heating technology, which allows them to deliver efficient heating even in extreme cold weather. They operate at full capacity down to five degrees, then at a reduced efficiency down to negative thirteen degrees. Heat pump technology has advanced dramatically in that last twelve to fifteen years, eliminating concerns about heating performance in cold weather.
How much does a ducted heat pump cost?
To install a ducted heat pump, it typically costs less than 20% more than the cost of a new high-efficiency gas furnace with a low efficiency air conditioner. Over the life of the system, you end up saving much more on your energy bills. A 96% efficient furnace typically costs between $5K and $6K with an inefficient central air conditioner adding another $4K. By comparison, an energy efficient ducted heat pump generally costs between $10K and $12K before cash incentives and tax credits.
Gas Furnace
Overview of Gas furnaces
The Lennox furnaces that we install have an efficiency rating of 96%, which means that 96 cents out of every dollar that you spent goes towards heating your home. In Oregon, you could install a furnace that’s only 78% efficient, but you’d end up paying much more over the life of the system.
Replacing an older 80% efficient furnace with a Lennox Elite Series 96% Efficient Gas Furnace would save about 16% on heating costs each year or about $6,743 over the life of the furnace.
Here’s what we like about Lennox furnaces
You get consistent comfort. Imagine what your home would feel like if you set the thermostat to 71, then your home stays comfortably at 71 for as long as you like. That’s what you get with a high efficiency, variable-speed Lennox furnace.
Older furnaces either operate at full capacity or not at all. By contrast, Lennox furnaces use variable-speed motors to adjust airflow, gently distributing heat throughout your home. The variable-speed motor is essential to both consistent comfort and energy savings.
How much does it cost to install an efficient furnace?
The furnaces that we install cost about $5,500 depending on a few variables. For example, you'll likely pay less if you can answer “No!” to all of the following questions:
Is it difficult to access the location of your existing furnace?
Do your gas or electrical lines need to be moved?
Do your ducts need to be updated?
Check out our article for a breakdown of costs, savings, cash incentives, tax credits, and financing available to install a new energy efficient furnace: What does it cost to replace a furnace in Oregon?
How to Improve the Efficiency of Your Home
To save energy at home, your heating system matters, but you also have to consider other areas of your home - like insulation in your attic, walls, and floors.
Even if you have the most energy efficient heating system, you’ll still waste money if the air that you heat up escapes through holes in your ceiling or walls.
The same point could apply to gaps in your ductwork or around inefficient windows. Not sure where to start? Give us a call at 541.330.8467 or sign up for a home energy audit. We’ll go top to bottom and run a series of diagnostic tests, which result a detailed breakdown of the priorities, costs, and cash incentives.
Learn More About Heating
Start by visiting our heating and cooling resource pages for homeowners in Portland or Bend, Oregon. You can also keep reading our latest blog articles about energy efficient home heating.
