On Dec 8, 2:15 pm, "Dan" wrote:
wrote in message

...

Agree. There is confusion of terms from the beginning of this
thread. The term "electric heat" is usually used to refer to systems
using resistance heating elements. Heat pump is a system that uses a
compressor powered by electricity. And another factor is heat pumps
can then use either air or geothermal to exchange the heat. Heat
pumps systems usually have a backup heat source, usually electric to
be used at lower temps. There is a world of difference in terms of
operating costs between resistance heat and a heat pump. Just about
everywhere, nat gas is going to be cheaper than electric resistance
heating to operate. But a heat pump system could be a good
alternative, depending on the climate and fuel costs.

I don't know what confusion you're referring to, when I started this thread
I clearly stated I now have & am considering a heat pump for replacement.

The title of you post was "How to compare electric heat vs natural gas
heat". That's confusing, because what you're talking about is a heat
pump, not resistance electric heat. Phisherman responded with a
post saying where he lives, even with low electricity costs, electric
heat is more expensive. I think what he means is electric resistance
heat, not an electrically drive heap pump, is more expensive. But
there is no way of knowing when you misuse the commonly acceptedus
terms.



Like most heat pumps, my current system has resistive backup heat for when
it's really cold, but such low temps are pretty rare around here. I'm
aware of geothermal heat pumps, though I have not researched them in depth.
Our lot is a little over 1 acre, but about 80% of that is heavily forested
and on fairly rough terrain. Obviously, the installation costs of such a
system, whether the horizontal or vertical variety, would be significantly
higher than simply plopping another box on the ground. Either way, I may
not be living here more than about 5 years, so recouping higher installation
costs over time, even for just a top of the line "high efficiency" gas or
air-source heat pump, let alone a geo, is probably not going to happen.

Another factor is the potential price stability of the 2 energy sources. No
one has a crystal ball, but it seems logical to expect the price of
hydro-sourced electricity to be more stable over time than natural gas.

Thanks all for the replies.

Dan