During the coldest days of winter, however, a heat pump cannot meet the demand for warmth. A hybrid system uses a heat pump during mild cold, supplementing with a traditional furnace to cover the coldest periods. Using the best option at any given time, a hybrid system will reduce your energy utilization-green for both the environment and your bank account. Although it may seem odd to invest in two disparate heating systems, if you're already thinking about a central air system, a heat pump is a nominal increase in price-a very cost-effective idea when considering the reduction in heating bills it will return.
Your furnace is also likely to be the appliance that consumes the most energy in your home. Improvements in recent years have reduced operating costs through more efficient motors and more effectively extracting heat from fuel. So if you're looking to cut your energy bills-or just to cut your carbon footprint-the appliance that will provide the biggest impact is probably your furnace. A typical high-efficiency gas furnace today uses 95% of the heat per unit of fuel. Compare that to an 80% efficiency gas furnace (typical of 1990) or a 70% unit (typical of 1980), and you can expect to save 15-25% off your energy bill.
Integrated with your existing furnace, a central air system uses the existing ductwork to cool your whole house. Compared to operating several window units, a central air system is more efficient and has lower operating costs. Existing R-22 systems will not need to be replaced immediately, but the discontinuation of R-22 altogether in 2020 means it eventually will need to be. It won't be an entire loss: Recent advances in motor design mean today's A/C and heat pump systems can operate with much less electricity than older generations, so your operating costs will drop after upgrading your system.
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