Mr Cool Universal Heat Pump Review | Heat Pump at Fixed Temperature All Winter

[@Housebarons]

If you are wondering about performance details and costs we've experienced with a Mr Cool Universal heat pump, then be sure to check out our Mr Cool HVAC playlist. kzbin.info/aero/PLExVGissIl-GdKsUBhF3c0fQ6E_o6oOaZ We have tried to answer as many questions as we could imagine in the 17+ videos in this playlist - hopefully they help you! The price of the unit we bought is around $3800 ( as of June 2024) on Amazon : 2 to 3 Ton 18 SEER Variable Speed MrCool Universal Central Heat Pump Split System - Upflow/Horizontal with Quick Connect Lineset - 15 Feet amzn.to/3WE8SfI Thats our affiliate link. Thx in advance for your support if you use it - it's free for you to use and if you do, Amazon may send us a small commission. it helps keep our channel going! We do appreciate your help!

[@optionstraderman]

I live in Central Florida, and we have the opposite problem here... Hot and Humid 6 to 8 months out of the year. In May of 1999, I had a Trane XL1800 Dual Compressor (separate 5 ton & 2.5 ton compressors) Heat Pump installed with 18 Seer rating. Despite having a programmable thermostat, after thinking it through logically, it just made more sense to us to lock the temp at 76 Degrees in the summer and about 68 Degrees in the winter. The unit runs mostly on the 2.5 Ton compressor, but when the house gets more than 2 degrees away from the thermostat set point, it switches over to the 5 Ton compressor and runs it until the temp comes back down a couple of degrees, then switches back to the 2.5 ton and runs. During the summer months, this continues all day long. I have performed regular maintenance on it over the years, and it's still going strong. This summer coming up (2023) will be its 25th summer of service. We are cooling a 2500 sq ft single story home built in 1980 which has very little attic insulation and very little insulation in the walls, single pane windows, etc. It's a brick home with a wood frame, no basement and the house faces south, so lots of sun on the 70 foot long front brick face and top of the house most of the time. While the unit seems to run most of the time in the summer, the Kilowatt usage has remained pretty stable throughout its life from summer to summer. We are an ALL ELECTRIC home and use about 66.5 kWh per day during the hottest month of the year (about 2131 kWh for the billing month of 32 days). Every other month is less. Setting the thermostat and forgetting it seems to be much easier on the unit as it never really has to "Catch Up" more than a degree or two on temperature, and everything in the house stays at a constant temp and humidity level. The house stays about 45% relative humidity when it's 90+ degrees and 80% to 99% humidity outside. No issues with mold or mildew in the conditioned space at all. Personally, I think programmable thermostats are pretty much a gimmick to sell more thermostats and make your equipment work harder and not last as long. That's just my humble opinion, LOL. Anyway, I'm looking at replacing my old Trane with the 5 ton Mr Cool Universal unit at some point, so I'm glad yours is working well. Thanks for all of the updates.

[@Housebarons]

Hey options…, Wow! Florida sounds like the place to put a unit through its paces! If you do install the MrCool, please post your results. Super curious how it would go. At your current 18 seer you have a pretty efficient unit. I’d be real tempted to add attic insulation as that’s where it sounds like you are least efficient. Thx for the input and for watching!

[@christopherflora1935]

I am in my second winter with my Mr Cool. This thing continues to impress. We had some single digit temps when that cold front came through at Christmas and no issues keeping us warm. I also do not have heat strips! I recently installed a programmable thermostat and set up some schedules. Not expecting any savings after your video though!🤣

[@Housebarons]

Hey Christopher, Nice. The unit really excels in summer! Seems like we pay higher electricity rates in summer and our bills are still pretty low! Thx for the comment and for watching!

[@karmendimas5274]

What temperature did you have your thermostat set at when you were in the single digits?

[@mosfet500]

Thanks for the video. I order #2 oil a month ago (Oct 2022). They told me the price was $5.15 a gallon so I stopped the delivery and bought a mini split which I just installed. I also installed a power meter to check the load, I'm going to check the consumption vs the outside temps to get an idea of what my costs are. In the last three days I've used 16kWh but about half of that was offset by my PV system. It appears this unit is so efficient I could actually run it off grid from my battery back up, the SEER is 25.5 and the HSPF is 13. It will be interesting to see the results but I can tell right away that I will pay for the mini in one winter with the plus that I'll have air conditioning in the summer. This thing sips power, incredible! ps: I'm keeping it at a constant temp, I read that's the beat way to run it.

[@Housebarons]

Hey Mosfet…, Wow! Nice pivot. Thx for sharing your results. Definitely great info for people being slammed by the crazy fuel prices this year! Interesting - reading about constant temp setting - was that in the mini-split set-up instructions? Thx for watching!

[@mosfet500]

@@Housebarons I think it might have been a video from someone who tried different settings over a constant temp..

[@joeb2480]

If you program your tstat to drop the temp, just do set back of 2 degrees F, no more than that. I do that for the nights only and have it bring the temp back up the 2 degrees while I'm still sleeping, so it's back to "normal" when I normally get up.. That's just for heating. For cooling I'm set for the same temp 24/7.

[@Jon-hx7pe]

Heatpumps are best left at a constant temperature - the reason has to do with efficiency and compression ratios, efficiency is lower when its running full out compared to at reduced capacity. The house does lose more heat overall at a constant temperature - so it may balance out. when heating with gas/oil furnaces, setback does save.

[@Housebarons]

Hey Jon, thx for the input!

[@bgaff7590]

You should try switching the unit to the 2 ton or 24,000 but setting this winter. It operates more efficiently at this setting and you will find out is it is able to keep up with your heat load. if it cant it wouldn't be hard to switch back to 3 ton. Could be some decent energy savings there.

[@Housebarons]

Hey BGaff, Interesting idea! Thx for the input. Might have to look into that. Thx for commenting and watching!

[@Alex.H584]

Second this!

[@ericp4832]

I did a heat loss calc for my house based on a online calculator and then compared that to another method based on gas usage for a single really cold winter month. Turns out, i can get away with using 2 ton mode instead of 3 ton mode. After switching for 2wks and comparing the results, i am definitely seeing a reduction in power and more comfortable house temps thanks to unit running for longer periods of time. I also set a fixed temp of 67 degrees in house when i switched to 2 ton mode.

[@rocketstar9067]

Mine is raised off the ground and I boxed mine completely in , I left lots of clearance around it. I used 1/2" treated plywood and painted it to match my house. Now no rain or snow can touch it. If I have to drive it I just take out a few screws and I can get to it.

[@Housebarons]

Hey @rocketstar9067 , Sounds like you went the extra mile! Thx for watching!

[@psholmes717]

I believe there are multiple factors leading to your end result. Your findings align with what I’ve observed monitoring watts vs btu on my 2 ton this winter (mild winter temps of 30 at night & 50 during the day). I suspect your unit is likely running for longer periods of time because your outdoor temps are so low & consistently below freezing. Thus it’s operating at max efficiency (fully ramped up) most of the time regardless vs if you were in a milder winter climate. I’ve observed the efficiency of the unit is greater the warmer the indoor temp so I’m not surprised that in a very cold climate it’s only marginally more expensive to keep it at a steady temp 24/7. In a milder climate the 6-7% gap might grow a bit if the thermostat schedule and temps are optimized. No way that’s the case for most people so I’d expect others to observe similar findings to yours. I’ve been blown away by the efficiency of my MrCool 2 ton Universal. These units should be required in every home that needs heating in freezing temps. Mine uses exactly 50% less energy during freezing temps vs my previous Bryant hump with heat strips. It was an HSPF 9 and very efficient but this mrcool inverter technology is far superior in freezing temps.

[@Housebarons]

Hey PS.., Thx for the thoughtful input! Quite a few people are watching and researching so it will be a help! Thx for watching!

[@PHamster]

I have the same garage door system and the same outdoor condenser (granted different label). Power consumption for me was about the same when set to 68 vs 71 with the same heat pump. Granted I have solar and batteries to offset and my temperature outside only drops to 43*F. Maybe SPAN should sponsor this channel so you can try out their smart panel with power monitoring.

[@Housebarons]

Hey Phillip, Good idea on the power monitor. It may use the same peak power but the duration may change. Thx for the comment!

[@PHamster]

@@Housebarons A crazier test would be to see if different outdoor units would perform/consume more/less power. MrCool vs York HMH7 (Goodman) w/ 24V kit

[@chiefcliff]

Thanks for these videos on your Mr. Cool Universal. Your videos are about the most comprehensive on KZbin regarding the system. I am building a 2500 square-foot log home and thinking of installing a 4-5 ton universal unit. I am planning on installing all of my own ductwork. Is there anything new you would recommend from Mr. cool on doing the system? Is there a retailer online that you like for purchasing these products? Any other advice? Thanks!

[@Housebarons]

Hey chief…, Thx for the kind words. Congrats on the new log house. I have some ideas … but first, how far along are you in the build and do you know where you are putting the air handler ( closet, basement, attic, garage etc?) Thx for watching!

[@chiefcliff]

@@Housebarons Hi--Airhandler and ductwork in finished/concrete crawl space. Condenser about 25 feet outside.

[@electricandlspower]

I feel keep it steady temp is better. Big swings takes alot to bring it to where you want it.

[@Housebarons]

Hey EV, Thx for the comment. Seems like that makes sense. Thx for watching!

[@countach711]

I am looking to add one of these systems. So if I listened correctly, you are testing the theory that it takes more energy to bring the temp back up to 71 than it does just leaving it at 71 all the time. Presumably, it takes more energy to get things warm again. Interestingly, this goes along with the theory that leaving fluorescent lights on saves more energy than turning them on and off because it takes a lot of energy to start them. I learned, or at least was told this, when I sold fluorescent bulbs by phone, which turned out to be a cover business for the mob, but that's another story... The outcome overall was negligible, very interesting. My issue would be is that I like it cooler at night because it helps me sleep better but this is still good information to have and doesn't change my mind about getting a system for my homes in Colorado and Arkansas.

[@Housebarons]

Hey countach…, In the long run it did not save money to stay at a constant temp, but it did not cost an extreme amount more either to keep it at one temp. I really like the heat pump for the summer savings. Thx for watching!

[@rover-t]

Thanks for your post. Just about to install Mr Cools in our place and I was wondering if the 24/7 option was a possibility.

[@Housebarons]

Hey rover…, Not sure - what’s 24/7??

[@patreilly1458]

When I bought the house we are in now the other owner had the thermostat programed to drop the temperature at night to 65 from 70. I let that run for a couple of months and noticed a few issues with that. One the house was reduced from 11:30 PM till 6:45 AM. the furnace still would come on at those lower temperatures and the unit would cycle the same as if it was still at 70 F. There was a short double OFF period after the switch over at 11:30 PM then it was the same cycle on off. Two when 6:45 AM came the temperature would go to the daytime setting and the furnace would run until it hit the time out limit on the burner. After a short cool down period the furnace would fire up again and go till it timed out. This would happen till the temperature was back at 70 F. The run time till the cut out activated is about three times the burn time from a normal cycle during the day time. The amount of gas saved in the night at the lower setting is nothing. So I stopped doing that because other issues started showing up. There was a couple of places where the grout on the ceramic tile started to crack and come out. Talked to a tiling expert and the first thing he asked was I setting my thermostat down. Ceramic tile expands and contracts at a different rate than the floor under lay under it and the constant cycling of it can cause this problem. Another thing about this My son lived with two women sharing a house while he was going to school. During a long cold spell he complained to me that they could never get the house warm enough and the furnace was running all the time. I went over and looked at his furnace and thermostat and found that it was set up to retard the temperature in the night but also in the day time as well. Checked the BTU output on the name tag and this furnace was on the small size for that house. Told him to stop cycling the temperature and just leave it at 70 F. The girl that had set it that way was very angry with that but after two days that small furnace finally caught up and began to cycle properly. My son and the other girl over rode the Green girl and left the thermostat set to 70.

[@Housebarons]

Thanks for the thoughtful input! Much appreciated.

[@moirhoh]

Great videos. I'm thinking of doing the same thing near Dayton, Ohio. How large is your house in square feet and which Mr Cool did you choose?

[@Housebarons]

Hey @moirhoh, to briefly compare: our 20 yr old house is about 1900 sq ft - a story and a half over another 1000+ sq ft basement. We chose a Mr Cool Universal - ( w/o heat strip ! ). We chose the 3-ton setting. We are a little north of you in Indiana. BUT ... There are many other variables to count that change the equation when doing a comparison.. For example: age of house, quality of builder, the number of windows, size of windows, number of panes of glass, EV coatings, gas filled panes or not, how old the windows are, thickness of wall insulation, thickness of ceiling insulation, how air tight is the house, how old is the house, 2 story vs one story, which way the houses face, number of sunny days, number of windy days, type of thermostat - learning vs. digital, vs analogue. Is it programed or not? How often are people in the house. How many time a day doors get opened and for how long. Type of HVAC filter, how often condenser is cleaned, and on and on and on. So what we tried to do in our videos was compare the same house with the same people in it over different years. That way you can see how usage changes and make some general guesses of what to expect with your system. And to be clear, the only heat in this house is a heat pump - WITHOUT a heat strip. And NO additional heat in any way is used for the house thus far. Heat pumps work by taking heat out of the atmosphere. Even when the outside temperatures are below 0 degrees Fahrenheit it can still find heat and extract it for home heating. They sell them on Amazon. You may be able to find a better price going direct to Mr Cool. Here is an Amazon link : 2 to 3 Ton 20 SEER Variable Speed MrCool Universal Central Heat Pump Split System - Upflow/Horizontal with Quick Connect Lineset - 15 Feet Just FYI: we are amazon affiliates. Hope that helps! Thx for watching !

[@furtherwest9290]

Nice review. Would be great to know how Mr. Cool compares to normal heat pump with heat strips.

[@Housebarons]

Hey further.., Check our HVAC playlist - but our experience has been pretty positive. We have saved quite a lot! Thx for watching!

[@vanlam1039]

Grate video, can we depend on the MRCOOL Universal AC unit on the winter without the gas furnace ? How many square feet are on your house and the average cost of the utilities bill at 71F ? Can it go up to 75F at constant temperatures? I am looking at buying one. Please help...

[@Housebarons]

Hey Vanlam, I added a pinned comment at the top of the comments to our play list - we have 17 videos covering all your questions and more.Hope they help. But quick summary - we have a 2000 sq ft over 1000 sq ft basement house, 25 years old, r-50 to r-60 attic insulation. windows original, many windows facing SW zone 5b. EVERY house is VASTLY different - so your results will differ. That said we replaced a 20 yr old 10 seer condenser & gas furnace. Our costs were a little higher in winter and nicely lower in summer. Can it heat your house at 75 ? All depends on how your details compare to ours. In 4 years we have only had one day where it was -10 F and the temp struggled to go past 65 degrees. FWI - We DID NOT install a heat strip - big energy waster IMO. Hope all that helps! Thx for watching

[@rickedwards7276]

My house is at 66° when we’re in it and at night the heater turns off completely. I have trouble sleeping if my bedroom temperature is much above 65. When it’s really cold in the winter by the time the oil boiler turns on at seven in the morning the house somewhere around 58 or 59°. I assume when I swap the oil boiler out for a heat pump I will have to adjust to the warmer nighttime temperatures. I also assume that if I keep the thermostat at 66, I will save quite a bit of money.

[@Housebarons]

Hey Rick…, Yikes! I can’t do that kind of cold! Yup - I sure expect you’ll save some coin! Thx for watching!

[@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity]

Per most manufacturers instructions do not allow water to drip off of a roof or gutters onto the heat pump.

[@Housebarons]

Hey @rv…, Makes some sense. We are outside the roof overhang, but it still gets rained on plenty. I guess they are worried about concentrated amounts of water. Thx for watching.

[@SamusAran1969]

Where do you live? We are in southern minnesota and am debating on a whole house heat pump

[@johnnyk617]

Fantastic review thank you

[@Housebarons]

Thx for watching!

[@PHamster]

Since it got really cold…I’m curious now on how that heat pump is going.

[@Housebarons]

Hey user, It really had to work. We’ll be doing an update video with the details but we are still warm! Thx for watching!

[@cryptickcryptick2241]

Previous generally accepted wisdom used completely different inputs when saving energy. These new systems work differently. Here is another idea to think about. Heat pumps run more efficiently when it is warmer outside. Generally, between daytime highs and daytime lows there is a 20 degree swing in temperatures. We could attempt to pump that heat inside when it is warmer outside. Warm the house in the day and let it cool at night. Given a 20 degree swing outside, the heat pump is naturally going to be more efficient when it is warmer outside. One could use the whole house as a "thermal battery." The air in a house is only a small amount of the heat; the air in a house weighs about 1,000 pounds, while a house weighs about 100,000 pounds so there is about 100 times more heat in the walls and building materials of a house than there is in the air of a house. In order to change the temperature of a house it effectively takes several hours for the whole house to warm up. Given this information, and given that most people are ok with a slightly warmer house. one could set the programable thermostat to increase the temperature of the house in the daytime, noon to 4 pm, a couple of degrees 71 to 73, which would allow all the house to come up to that temperature. (this will take about 4 hours). Theoretically, every unit of heat pumped into the house while it is warm outside will be about 17% more effcient than heat pumped into the unit when it is at the coldest outside. These savings are going to be very modest. For those people that are gone all day from the house, heating the house up mid-day, when there is lots of power in the grid, and it is warm outside is better and more effcient than waiting to kick up the thermostat when they come home at 5 PM solar power is done and grids are struggling with cooking demands.

[@Housebarons]

Hey Cryptick, Ok. I’m SUPER INTRIGUED by these comments. THANK YOU. Definitely going to work on this. It makes sense - proof is in the trying! I’ve read about houses built with a large thermal mass in the house center ( concrete core ) as heat storage - to catch daylight sun and warm up during day and radiate then heat releases slowly over night. I’d love to be able to test your idea to get real world data. The problem is it’s very difficult to find 2 identical days. Maybe a model? I’ll think on it. Thx again!!

[@cryptickcryptick2241]

@@Housebarons So I thought I would run some numbers If the typical house has about 100,000 pounds of building materials that is about equivalent to 20,000 pounds of water. Since I used to BTU and one BTU is by definition 1 degree F per pound of water this makes it easy. If we raise all the thermal mass of one house up by one degree it will take 20,000 BTU. One Kilowatt of electric power (be resistance and definition) has 3,412 BTU. Most Good heat pumps have a COP of 3. Raising up all the mass of a house up one degree would take 5.8 kilowatts (of resistance heat) With a COP of 3 that would be 1.95 kilowatts of power with a heat pump. Based on the Charts that show COP ratings at different temperatures I compared various temps and saw that there was a 17% difference in COP ratings. This is actually different for every temperature, but we need something simple. 17% of 1.95 kilowatts is 332 watts of power saved per day per degree At $0.12 per kilowatt hour that is 4 cents per day. I suggested two degrees, that would be 8 cents per day. If we do 2.5 degrees that is 10 cents per day, or $3.00 per month in energy savings. In my climate my winter heating bill is about 100 a month so this represents a 3% savings. I am not sure on the Size of your heat pump. If it is a 2 ton 24,000 BTU per hour of cooling. A two ton heat pump would take 50 minutes to put out enough heat to raise the mass of a house by 1 degree. The hot part of a winter day is about 4 hours long, so the heat pump could raise the entire house my about 6 degree max. One could do the reverse during in the summer. One could super cool the house in the morning, 4 to 6 AM. Then the house could be shut up tightly and allowed to raise in temperature through the day. This keeps the heat pump from running when it is hot out as much. My house has energy usage of around $100 a month in the coldest months. That is $3 a day. That is 25 kilowatts of power. We can simplify that and say my house uses about 1 kilowatt of power per hour. With a COP of three; that is a total heat loss in the house of of 13,000 BTU per hour. On an average day, with no heat it would take 36 minutes to drop the thermal mass of the house by 1 degree. If the heat pump turned off after warming the house three degrees warmer, it would take about 1.5 hours for the house to cool and the heat pump to kick back on. Now my estimates of 100,000 pounds for a house is probable for a small house (1000 sq house); with bigger houses one can double of triple these numbers where appropriate. I do think this could work, both summer and winter. I don't know it is really worth it. I have run numbers like this on several other theoretical problems, so I thought I would give a try and estimate theoretical performance.

[@psholmes717]

I’ve tried this and it does work, specifically if you have freezing temps at night and above freezing daytime temps (45+ ideally). It is however limited by the degree to which you’re willing to bump up the temps indoors during the afternoon (comfort level). Also how tight your building envelope is will play a role but there are savings using this method of optimizing schedule temps for max efficiency. How much savings can be achieved will vary widely.

[@geekinstein]

Been doing this BTU banking for decades. It works if your house is insulated and tight. I've even added water barrels in the basement. In the summer the thermostat is on 75 from sunrise to noon, 80 from noon until bedtime and 70 from bed time until sunrise. In the winter it's on 60 from sunset until an hour after sunrise, 65 from sunrise+ until noon, 70 from noon until sunset. Fan is always on to clean the air.

[@PHamster]

Forgot to ask...What was the temperature coming out of the registers? What's the insulation the house use?

[@Housebarons]

Hey Phillip, Not sure about temps. Maybe a future video! The insulation is typical glass, 2x4 walls. R-50 to R-60 in the attic - blown in cellulose. Thx for watching

[@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity]

R-50 insulation is not typical in the USA.

[@Featherburner]

I'm starting my 2nd Winter with my Mr. Cool Universal this year. Last year I had my night set back set to 60 degrees and daytime set at 66. I'm not a Polar Bear, I swear, but I have been accused of being one. I did notice that it took a significant amount of time to raise the temperature those 6 degrees. On average, my monthly bill was $50ish dollars more per month over gas heat. But in my opinion, where the Mr. Cool really shines is in the savings it provided on cooling costs. During my first Summer, I saved over $700 in cooling costs alone.

[@Housebarons]

Hey Feather…, Couldn’t agree more - some saved us a bunch EVEN after increased price per kWh for the high demand summer. Thx for watching!

[@scottymoore9983]

But was your gas bill with this should you not have cheaper gas bill?

[@Housebarons]

Hey Scotty, Our gas bill was cheaper once we installed the heat pump in place of a gas furnace. That’s where we saw all the difference. Thx for watching!

[@krisarmbrust7708]

Was the summer savings worth it?

[@Housebarons]

Hey Kris, Yes! Summer : kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4LSlIStmMSIpKc Full year : kzbin.info/www/bejne/bX6lZ2eVn7t_kM0 Thx for watching!

[@cryptickcryptick2241]

Inverter heat pumps are designed to run all the time. Programable thermostats make more sense with gas furnaces. The inverter heat pumps work more efficiently when they can run on a partial load. More surface area, allows the heat pumps to get rid of heat more efficiently; the fans do not need to work as hard. With 2023 SEER2 requirements making heat pumps larger (and more expensive) was one way the HVAC companies are able to increase SEER ratings. Many people use heat pumps in the south a good portion of them do not adjust thermostats at all. Just set it and forget it.

[@Housebarons]

Hey Cryptick…, Thx for taking the time to pass on the additional info. And thx for watching!

[@number1pappy]

I'm here just to make sure a mr cool universal heat pump will heat a home when the temperature outside goes down to the single digits. The mr cool website says it only heats down to 39 degrees outside.

[@Housebarons]

Hey bugguy…, Not sure where you got that… but it’s wrong. I don’t think that is the official web site. Try these - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJDJh5WqpsapaNE kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWrLd3VvqK-bf5I These are real life tests we have experienced : Plus, I have seen other videos where the MrCool universal goes to -25 F in the dakotas. Thx for watching!

[@balayagesalon]

​@@Housebarons it does say that on a site but it changes to well below zero if you have the heat pump thats what the specifications say on ingrams site ..it was weird

[@CubanMofo]

This is the worst Ac brand you can buy. I bought the 4-5 ton heat pump. Got it shipped to Miami. The unit barely lasted a year. Always breaking down. First the air handler had a major leak then the compressor went out. And good luck getting the parts from the warranty. Terrible Terrible

[@dymsza]

LOL I so julas about you energy cost 3x that in California

[@Housebarons]

Hey dymsza, True. But then you probably have great weather year round - so give and take I guess! Try for watching

[@dymsza]

@@Housebarons Yeah at the end I pay a bit less :)

[@ReyErnesto-p1c]

Terrible brand my 5 ton universal mrcool heat pump broke three times in less than year. Terrible warranty

[@Housebarons]

Ouch!! Sorry to hear that!

[@franklong6269]

I have a gas furnace and I live in AZ. I have added insulation in my attic to above R-60, which is overkill. Interestingly, I have found that the vast majority of my heated air (and cooled air) losses is through the windows, which I will replace sometimes in the future. Though this is not a heat pump, the principle remains the same because if you cool down the house, the furnace will run longer to reheat it. I keep my thermostat at 76 degrees F, and my highest gas bill has been $110 this winter. That actually is high for my house, but because we live in a red (republican) governed state, the utility costs are very low compared to blue democrat-run states. Typically, here is AZ, we pay 50% to 75% less for energy costs than blue states. With the advent of the Ukraine war, here in AZ we are paying 400% less for heating costs than many of the democrat-run New England states. We are currently paying approximately 300% less for heating than residents in CA are paying. Obviously, democrats are imbeciles when it comes to managing complex utility grid issues and they are creating "energy poverty" in many of their states. In other words, residents in many blue states cannot afford to pay their heating bills. Interestingly, this also occurring in nearly every EU (Europen Union) country in Europe because they have shut down hundreds of their coal fired plants. Amusingly, both the UK and Germany are now building NEW coal plants, which is hilariously stupid. Millions of citizens in Germany and the UK cannot afford to heat their homes and there are a multitude of businesses that are simply closing down because they cannot afford to heat their businesses. The moral of the story is, here in America, if you don't want to be subjected to energy poverty, don't vote democrat. Their energy polices were authored by an ex-bartender (Rep Alexandra Cortez) and they are suicidally insane!

[@Housebarons]

Hey Frank, A good argument for voting! Th. For watching!

[@balayagesalon]

Man i dont agree with that .In Illinois a blue state gas is cheaper .i rented a condo for about 8 yrs and it was electric heat and i literally had to get help from the city to pay the outrageous electric bills for heat .it did get better when i forced the hoa to insulate the condo but still ...and because of that nightmare and now in nevada im concerned how this heat pump works .because we normally have a gas furnace

[@balayagesalon]

Your politics arent exactly correct if you're basing it on energy or gas/ electric bills

[@franklong6269]

@@balayagesalon You are making my point because democrats in blue states are trying to ban the use of gas to heat homes and cook with. In the San Francisco Bay area, democrats have passed a law that bans gas stoves from being used. Existing gas stoves are grandfathered in, but no new gas stoves can be installed. Democrats will go after gas furnaces next, it's just a matter of time. And here's the key, Nevada is a blue state. Democrats legislators in your state will follow California's lead and try to get rid of gas stoves and gas furnaces. As far a gas being cheaper in Illinois, check your numbers. Illinois has some of the highest taxes in the nation. It's highly unlikely that the gas prices there are "cheaper" than in other states.

[@stephenbrown9998]

They are pointless