When Paul moved into his 1954 brick home nestled in a valley, he didn’t expect heating oil to be such a burden. But after a few winters of sky-high bills, he decided it was time for a change. With a bit of research and a helpful contractor, Paul made the switch to a heat pump—and he hasn’t looked back since.
Paul’s Words of Advice
“Heat pumps are worth it in my opinion. Not having to use oil or gas is great, not only for the decrease in carbon, but the cost.” A heat pump made a lot of sense for Paul and his home, and it probably does for you (especially if you're using oil heating)!
At a Glance
Length of Project | About a month (from consultation to installation) |
Budget |
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Advisors & Contractors |
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Upgrades |
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Project Difficulty | ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 3 out of 5 - Moderate |
Satisfaction | 👍👍👍👍👍 5 out of 5 - “The reduction in oil costs was immediate” |
Est. GHG reductions (annual) | Not calculated, but significantly less oil is being burned. |
Background
Paul moved into his two-story brick home in the year 2017. The house was built in 1954, and like many homes built around that time, the primary heating source was heating oil. Even though most houses on his block had switched from oil furnaces by that time, Paul’s home still relied on this method. With poor insulation in the home, heating costs for Paul quickly became overwhelming. He began his home energy project because the cost of oil was so unbelievably high. This is common, in fact, homes that use heating oil are eligible for a large rebate off the cost of heat pump because this is such a financial burden for households.
They had moved into their home in May, and Paul remembers that their first winter was especially cold. To maintain a comfortable heat in their home, he had to refill the oil tank every 3 weeks, at the cost of about $450 per refill! This just wasn’t sustainable.
After two more winters of this, Paul was ready for a change. Since gas wasn’t an easily accessible option on his street, Paul did some research and discovered that a heat pump could serve as his primary heating source, with his heating oil system as a backup for extremely cold days. It was the perfect solution for his situation.
“In fact, it’s quite remarkable how little a change was needed to install [a heat pump]”
Preparation
Paul’s preparation was straightforward. He found Dr. HVAC through a Google search and booked them in for a consultation. He was impressed with their honest and informative visit. They did a good job of explaining how the system would work and when the oil furnace would need to kick in (below -10°C). The remarkable advances in heat pump technology from 2017 now offers dozens of units which operate effectively down to -27°C—a temperature Toronto hasn’t seen in decades.
As he considered this new form of heating, Paul checked into rebates for his project.
Unfortunately, timing was not on his side and Paul’s upgrade didn’t qualify for rebates at the time. However, he saved so much money from heating bills he doesn’t mind and thinks that waiting for a rebate to act isn’t always the best plan for homeowners.
Paul recalls that the nice thing about the heat pump was that the installation didn’t require substantial changes to the house—all that was needed was replacing the old AC unit, modifying the furnace, and running some new wiring. With this information in mind, Paul was ready to stop buying oil and upgrade to the modern technology of a heat pump!
The Work
Overall, the process was very smooth! Paul was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the upgrades happened. The installation team “knew what they were doing and had everything up and running the same day they arrived”. Paul watched as they removed the old air conditioning unit and installed the new heat pump. They had to add some components inside and outside the furnace in order to integrate the heat pump. Finally, they added a new thermostat, and voila! Everything was completed in a single day.
Paul appreciated the professionalism of the technicians and was very pleased with their work, and that the project stayed under budget.
The Results
Visually, not much changed—just a slightly larger outdoor unit compared to the previous air conditioning unit. “In fact,” Paul reflects “it’s quite remarkable how little a change was needed to install one”. But the impact was huge. Paul’s oil usage dropped dramatically, and while his electricity bill rose slightly (by $50–$80/month), it was nowhere near the cost of oil. Along with reducing his greenhouse gas emissions dramatically, Paul was now saving hundreds per month.
To Paul’s surprise, there were many weeks in the winter when the oil furnace didn’t kick in at all!
His heat pump now provides consistent heating and cooling for his home for almost the entire year, with the oil furnace only needed during the coldest couple weeks of winter. “It’s honestly amazing,” Paul said. “Heat pumps are worth it.” For Paul, transitioning his home away from its reliance on oil has given him a great deal of peace of mind. He loves the decrease in carbon emissions, and he especially loves the decrease in cost to keep his home warm and cozy!