"Mac Cool" wrote in message
...

Raleigh.

We have been gradually improving the insulation and leakiness of the
house. Its a 40 year old house, built like a fortress but there was
practically no insulation when we moved in.

Then the insulation is what you really need to put in first.
I lived in a 1200 sqft house built in 1965 near Charlotte with almost no
insulation in it and the heating bill was very high with a natural gas
furnace. While I was in the process of moving and selling the house, it was
costing a large ammount with an empty house and the thermostat set as low as
it would go just to keep the pipes from freezing.
In a 2000 sqft house where we only use about 1300 sqft downstairs , the
total bill for electricity including the heatpump is less than the nautral
gas bill was. The house is well insulated.