By installing a heat pump in his house in the hills of Oslo, Oyvind Solstad killed three birds with one stone, improving his comfort, finances and climate footprint.

Heat pumps can’t take the cold? Nordics debunk the myth::By installing a heat pump in his house in the hills of Oslo, Oyvind Solstad killed three birds with one stone, improving his comfort, finances and climate footprint.

  • Chetzemoka@startrek.websiteEnglish
    19·
    11 months ago

    Electricity monopoly in the US = they can price gouge, and this is literally the only reason I installed a dual fuel system with a less efficient heat pump. The Eversource electricity price hikes last year probably would have meant I couldn’t afford to heat my home in the worst parts of winter here in Massachusetts.

    This is how policies are killing the planet. Socialize electric utilities, upgrade the electric grid, subsidize the use of electric heat pumps so they’re actually affordable for all end users, and of course more people would adopt them.

    As it is, I run my heat pump as much as I can, which is like 9 months a year. Better than only having gas heat at least.

    • Earthwormjim91@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      11 months ago

      The US has some of the lowest electricity prices in the world though. Only a couple pennies per kWh higher than Canada. And MUCH lower than pretty much all of Europe.

      In 2020 (last year I could find from Canada specifically) Canada averaged 11.25¢ per kWh. The US averaged 13.04¢. The UK averaged 21.91¢, France averaged 19.91¢, Finland 20.56¢, Spain 28.77¢, and Germany 33.39¢.

      https://www.electricity.ca/knowledge-centre/the-grid/customer/electricity-rates/

      It’s more that Canada uses a LOT of hydro power which is cheap.

      • Chetzemoka@startrek.websiteEnglish
        1·
        11 months ago

        This is the problem I’m facing though:

        https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/11/18/eversource-western-massachusetts-electricity-rates-hike-2022-2023-winter

        Our electric rates went from 18¢ to 25¢ last winter with no warning. It’s not that our prices are particularly high for now, but rather that they’re unreliable. I didn’t feel secure installing an electric only system because of this, even though I could have gotten a more efficient system. The dual fuel allows me to toggle between the two as needed, which feels like the safer option for the next 15-30 years that I expect to have this thing.

        Sucks because I’d really prefer to have one of those Mitsubishi hyperheat systems. But even with the less efficient system, I’m running in heat pump only mode in the to 0⁰C nights we’re seeing right now and it’s fine.