Environment & Energy

...it doesn't make sense to upgrade to a heat pump. In a hot climate (such as NOLA) you won't use it very much, so it will take years to justify the investment. In a cold climate, it is often too cold for the heat pump to keep up -- they can only effect a 40 degree F or so temperature shift -- so they require conventional extra backup heat anyway. It might make a big difference if everyone magically switched to heat pumps, but in this case "magic" is a synonym for "money." If ever there was a good reason for an individual home government subsidy, this would be it.