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[roofeditor]

Originally Posted by clamgulch

Roof, you ask, "what do I think?" Here's my $.02... I think you are right- the issue has nothing to do with Chavez grandstanding because Sununu is doing the same thing. The disgrace is not in Chavez' offer, but the fact that we are now in a position where Chavez' offer of charity is a "god-send" for so many people.
I'm not sure you can get a ground-source heat pump and all the plumbing installed for $7500- you would know far better than I would on that, so I'll take your word for it, but that seems awfully low to me based on what I've read. Twice that is what I have heard in the past.
However, I'm not sure you understand the predicament that these people facing a $7500 winter heating bill are up against- they cannot even begin to pay that, so a heat pump is pie in the sky for them. If not for charity, they would likely freeze to death in their own homes, and thanks to Chavez, they might defer that for another winter while pompous a$$es like Sununu kicks the charity in the teeth but provides nothing as an alternative. Pride goes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction- thats what Sununu is bringing down on the new "poor."

Typical costs:

• Expect to pay around $1,500 -$4,500 to add an air source ("air-to-air") electric heat pump in an average home (3 ton capacity). Self-contained through-the-wall or window units in single rooms don't require ductwork; the more common split-systems (with both indoor and outdoor equipment) require the same ductwork as central air conditioning. Air-source heat pumps work best in climates where temperatures rarely drop below freezing. Higher-end models have options such as a two-stage compressor for more power when additional heat is needed or including a hot water heater as part of the system.
• For about $2,100 -$5,500, a dual-fuel air-source system combines an electric heat pump with a gas or propane furnace and existing ductwork. Ideal for regions with extremely cold winters, a dual-fuel system uses the best fuel source depending on outside temperatures.
• It can run $3,500 -$7,500 or more to install an geothermal electric heat pump in a typical family home. Also called ground-source or geoexchange, geothermal heat pumps work well in cold climates. Typically geothermal systems are inexpensive to operate and have no noisy outdoor equipment. However, installing a geothermal system usually involves digging holes 150 to 250 feet deep.

I'm going up to the lake house in Saratoga NY in a week and we are installing a heat pump for about $5,000. We already have 3 deep wells so the deep well water source is taken care of. One of the wells was a dud only putting out a gallon a minute, but that is more than enough for the heat pump.

We expect to cut our propane bill to close to zero. And our electric bill will go up by about $100 a month.