Discover New Heating and Cooling Options

The average household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills, with nearly half of this going to heating and cooling costs. Making smart decisions about your home’s heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system that can help save on energy costs, improve your overall comfort at home, and help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

There are plenty of energy-efficient systems available for every budget to help you stay comfortable year round and save you money in the process. New technologies like cold-climate air source heat pumps can cheaply heat and cool your home with electricity, while new furnaces and boilers have become increasingly efficient. When investing in a new heating or cooling system remember to look for efficiency ratings like EnergyStar when deciding the system that will last for decades in your home.

HEATING AND COOLING OPTIONS:

• Go Electric: Electric furnaces are a good option for those who don’t have a natural gas line and who don’t want to burn fossil fuels in their home. They require less installation cost and are highly effective.
• Try a Heat Pump: Heat pumps are an electric, two-in-one system that offer both heating and cooling. Like a refrigerator, they take heat from the outdoor air or ground and deliver it to the home via an electric pump. New cold-climate air source heat pumps operate down below freezing temperatures and still efficiently produce heat, though a backup heating source may be needed for the coldest days of the year. 
• Radiate! Radiant heaters are any system that heats by raising the temperature of the objects in the rooms rather than generating heated air through vents. These systems can be more efficient than forced-air furnaces.  
• Explore Geothermal: Geothermal heat pumps are often the best option for those who are after energy saving with great comfort all year-round. The energy stored in the earth heats and cools fluid that is exchanged in your home through radiant sources or ducted systems. However, these systems are expensive and difficult to install.

There are many rebate and loan programs that provide assistance for upgrading your heating and cooling systems. See the Buildings section of the Community Initiatives page for more.