Electric Heat and what is a heat pump? (Knoxville, Maryville: how much, houses)

[KeepingUpwithUs]

We're looking at houses in Maryville and wonder how much it would cost to heat a home under 2000 sq ft a year if your heat is electric? We have natural gas in Michigan and our winter heating bill is around $80 a month, less than $15 in the summer to heat our hot water tank. And I'm ignorant on a heat pump-- is that desirable to have? any headaches?

[donsabi]

Heat pump explanation: Heat pump - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Heating costs in TN would be much less than heating costs in Michigan no matter what the heat source.

Heat pumps are far more efficient than electric heat therefore cheaper to run. Your cost is dependent on local electric prices, in TN somewhere around $.10/khw, and that is fairly cheap. The rest depends on you and your family and how you use it.

I am from the north and never had a heat pump before coming south. I could not imagine going back to oil heat and the electric rates where I used to live are at least double here in TN. I am sold on heap pumps. The only con to a heat pump is about the same as any hot air system and that is the air in the ducts cool down in between heating cycles and do push the cool air out first before the heat. Trust me, when you look at you electric bill in TN you will be dancing in the streets.

As with buying any house anywhere, I strongly urge you to have an inspection by a reputable inspector before buying.

[KeepingUpwithUs]

helpful information, for sure. In Michigan (Detroit area) we pay $0.06 KwH {probably low due to our nuclear energy}. However, you need heat from end of Nov through April...

[hiknapster]

Rates often vary every month. It also depends on where you live. In Knoxville, right now the rate is 8.503, a bit higher than usual. Our basic service charge is 12.00.

By the way, we have nuclear energy along with many other power sources thanks to the TVA, the largest public power utility in the United States and one of the largest producers of electricity in the country. In 2012 coal generation is about 32% of total, nuclear 34%, hydro 9% and (owned) gas 11%. TVA currently purchases about 10% of its power from merchant plants, mostly natural gas combined cycle, but also some coal, wind and other renewables. In use is 11 coal-powered plants, 29 hydroelectric dams, three nuclear power plants (with six operating reactors), nine simple cycle natural gas combustion turbine plants and five combined cycle gas plants.

[Badbird2000]

Heat Pumps don't produce very hot air in the heat cycle. Typically around 75 degrees i think. Also, as the outside air temp falls below around 35, you will need to switch over to the emergency strip heat to make up the difference. A gas-fired furnace will produce much warmer air, heating the space faster, but also it dries the air out as well. My house has a gas fired heater in the central unit. I am looking at installing a humidifier in the duct to keep it from drying out our skin and the little one from terrozing the cats with static electricty every time she pets them, lol.

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by Badbird2000

Heat Pumps don't produce very hot air in the heat cycle. Typically around 75 degrees i think. Also, as the outside air temp falls below around 35, you will need to switch over to the emergency strip heat to make up the difference. A gas-fired furnace will produce much warmer air, heating the space faster, but also it dries the air out as well. My house has a gas fired heater in the central unit. I am looking at installing a humidifier in the duct to keep it from drying out our skin and the little one from terrozing the cats with static electricty every time she pets them, lol.

I think it depends on the heat pump, mine doesn't use the aux heat strips until the outside temps get into the very low teens/single digits.