Hvac peoples

4spdragtop said
Some real good info here, thanks guys.
Stipulation with the grant is you having backup. My concern would have been using the heat pump for 90% of heating and the hydro bill sky rocketing, but if we can use the backup heat(NG furnace) without any downside, it.kinda makes it a win/win.
Thanks

Running the numbers should be able to tell you what your hydro bill will be around, or at least get you started. A good installer should be able to do this kind of thing pretty quick and you should be able to then look up the terms or ask around here to find out how accurate it might be.

Where most folks run into issues is that they're used to NG heat feeling warm, and HP heat really doesn't. Gas furnaces typically have register temps above 100F, where a heat pump might push air at or several degrees below the thermostat setting with a maximum typically around 80F (this varies wildly depending on the install, unit, and tech!).
Some folks wind up turning up the stat enough to get there that they drown out the energy savings. In most cases though, the effiency is high enough that the cost is typically no worse and often still much better. Plus the added upside of air conditioning in the summer.

But again, working the numbers will tell you what to expect.

Keeping a gas emergency heat option is a good idea for preparedness. You never know if a windstorm or other issue might knock power out for extended periods, or your gas utility runs into a problem that causes an interruption in service. Having multiple heating options then becomes extremely important IMO.