A hybrid combines the best of both a furnace and heat pump to heat your home cost effectively and comfortably. Here are the reasons why hybrids are economical:

1) Heat pumps can heat a home for fewer costs than a furnace above specific temperatures.

2) The furnace can heat the home for fewer costs than a heat pump below specific temperatures.

At specific outdoor temperatures, heat pumps have a difficult time keeping up with demand and become less efficient in heating the home. Supplemental heat is required to help keep the home comfortable during those temperatures. In a traditional heat pump system, and electric heating kit is installed in the indoor section to supplement the heat. Unlike the heat pump that moves heat from outside, these supplemental options will increase electricity at a greater rate because they must create heat. This is a common set-up for markets in which the only heat source is a heat pump.

However in markets where furnaces are the dominate heat source, and air conditioners are used to cool in the summer, hybrids make the most sense. Not only can a heat pump cool the home as efficiently as the air conditioner, they can cost effectively heat the home to specific temperature lowering the consumers total heating costs for the winter. When the outdoor temperature requires additional heat source, the heat pump will turn off, and the furnace will take over to heat the home. This is done economically by setting the thermostat to a specific outdoor temperature, which can vary per household.