Why don't more people use heat pumps?

[sprsun]

heat pump vs furnace gas, do you know why?

[Jack Feldmann]

Many times people in cold climates find that heat pumps do not work as efficiently as other energy sources.

[Harry Janssen]

Many times people in cold climates find that heat pumps do not work as efficiently as other energy sources.

Heat pumps work better in climates that are not so cold,Florida,California,etc.eg temperature seldom reaches less than 32F

[Jerry Peck]

Heat pumps work better in climates that are not so cold,Florida,California,etc.eg temperature seldom reaches less than 32F

We have heat pumps for our house here in the Asheville, NC areas. It is currently 45 outside, and we had a late snow last night, and snow again midday (not a heavy snow, but snow).

Even when it gets down to 15 or so during the coldest parts of last winter, the heat pumps kept the house a nice 74 inside when we set the thermostat to 74. Being as this is our first winter here, we are testing the settings, 72 for a month, 74 for a month, 73 for a month. The heat pumps keep it where we set it, and at a cost of about $225 December @ 72, $300 January @72 (with January being the coldest month), $235 February @ 74 and almost as cold as January. Those are not bad heating costs (includes both of the two heat pump systems).

[Jack Feldmann]

Heat pumps work better in climates that are not so cold,Florida,California,etc.eg temperature seldom reaches less than 32F

UH, isn't that what I said??????

[david shapiro]

DOE seems to have spurred improvements:

https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-breakthrough-residential-cold-climate-heat-pump-technology

How they do it, I dunno; haven't dug deep enough.

Currently I'm deep, deep in trying to chase down data to improve on Dalziel's, Lee's, Biegelmeier's research (and extrapolations) that might speak to risk of electrical injury at high frequencies, because VFDs have some inclination to trip GFCIs. I rather expect that this is an element how the latest heat pumps operate; and hey, it's cheaper to drain non-sinusoidal noise to ground.

[Ken Amelin]

Many times people in cold climates find that heat pumps do not work as efficiently as other energy sources.

Modern Inverter type heat pumps work efficiently (100% efficient) down to 5 degrees F.
Variable speed compressors and compressor heat recovery technology has made great improvements.