A heat pump can provide an alternative to using your air
conditioner. | Photo courtesy of iStockPhoto/LordRunar. For
climates with moderate heating and cooling needs, heat pumps
offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air
conditioners. Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity
to move heat from a cool space to a warm space, making the cool
space cooler and the warm space warmer. During the heating
season, heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your
warm house and during the cooling season, heat pumps move heat
from your cool house into the warm outdoors. Because they move
heat rather than generate heat, heat pumps can provide up to 4
times the amount of energy they consume. The most common type of
heat pump is the air-source heat pump, which transfers heat
between your house and the outside air. If you heat with
electricity, a heat pump can trim the amount of electricity you
use for heating by as much as 30% to 40%. High-efficiency heat
pumps also dehumidify better than standa