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Careful_Square1742 t1_j74umkz wrote

Reply to comment by Dangerous_Mention_15 in Some data on heat pump performance today by happyhourscience

my 36kbtu heat pump system, on a day like this, costs about $10 to run. I'll check my GMP account when it updates tomorrow

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Careful_Square1742 t1_j767ot3 wrote

just checked GMP. I used 69 kWh yesterday. at $0.18, that's about $13 for heat, lights, fridge, stove, etc

69kwh is roughly 235,000 BTU

a gallon of propane contains about 93,000 BTU

assuming 96% efficient burn in a boiler/furnace, that's about 2.8 gallons of propane

at $3/gallon that's about $8.50.

so yesterday my heat pump was roughly on par with propane heat when you factor in the non heat electric use. today is supposed to be 10 degrees warmer, so I'm confident my heat pump will "win"

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thisoneisnotasbad t1_j76gaod wrote

Before I got my heat pump I looked at historic electric outages and temperatures over the past 10 years. It was a clear winner in terms of efficiency and reliability of infrastructure.

I grew up with wood.I have a pellet stove currently but heat pump tech has come a long way and they truely are hard to beat at this point

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Careful_Square1742 t1_j76i0y8 wrote

if you live in an area with frequent power outages, a wood stove for backup heat is a great idea.

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thisoneisnotasbad t1_j76jmi2 wrote

Very true. Which is why it is important to check that before investing in a heat source.

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abitdaft1776 t1_j76u12j wrote

I can’t imagine living up here without a generator. Power where I am doesn’t go out much, but if it went out this weekend because of wind…

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Careful_Square1742 t1_j76y3sq wrote

def a risk management calculation to be made here. Where I live, the power is super stable - maybe goes out 2-3 times a year for an hour, max. low likelihood of it going out, but whoa man it'd be bad if it did today!

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abitdaft1776 t1_j76tw51 wrote

Last winter I averaged 1000 a month in propane. Plus about 200 in electric. This month my electric bill is about 400. Even if you add in 100 for pellets when I use my stove I’m way ahead this year due to my mini splits

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kellogsmalone t1_j7fd43g wrote

$1000 in propane??? What factors led to this?

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abitdaft1776 t1_j7fl96z wrote

A very large, very poorly insulated house with an inefficient burner over 30 years old

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kellogsmalone t1_j7fniwn wrote

Sorry to prod just, my wife and are house shopping and trying to gage expectations for bills, renovations and upgrades and what to incorporate into our budget.

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