Why It Works: The Hybrid Heating Solution
More often than not, there’s a hybrid heating solution that’s a real winner for homeowners who want to cut their home carbon AND save on utility bills. It’s called hybrid because this system can switch between natural gas and electric heating. Convenient. Cost effective. And provides reliable heating year round! The two charts below show how hybrid heating works, using actual hourly temperatures in Toronto 2021.
This chart illustrates how a typical home with a furnace and air conditioner works today. The air conditioner takes care of your home’s cooling when the temperatures outside are above 18C. A gas furnace heats your home when the temperatures are below 18C.
When a homeowner replaces their air conditioner with a heat pump, things get very interesting! The heat pump still provides cooling in the summer, just like an air conditioner. And the gas furnace provides heating, but only when it’s really cold, say below -2C. The difference is now the heat pump heats the home below 18C, down to about -2C. This reduces natural gas use and means your home is cutting a massive amount of carbon!
This elegant solution is simple to install with minimal disruption to the home. No electric panel upgrades are required, it is seamless and cost effective to the homeowner to operate, and there are incentives available to help cover capital costs. And it will reduce your carbon from heating by roughly 75%.
