Vikeologist

I dont have any documentation yet, but the guy giving me the estimate has geothermal, and he heated and cooled his own home for around $800 last year, and his house is much larger than mine.

Im in a small town, so i do know this guy and how big his house is.

I'm still waiting on the exact estimate, but he thought it would be in the neighborhood of about $13,000.

My local power company will also finance $12,000 of it at 2.9% interest for 5 years.

Im just looking for options, but what else is there if i cant get natural gas?

inspectorD

What is your house like, There are always ways to improve the envelope before you upgrade the system. Your actually putting the cart before the horse.
My opinion is to do an energy audit on your home before you upgrade. I have experience in this area and recommend it to everyone before you do a mechanical upgrade. If you do it this way, you save thousands up front that year. To many things go wrong in a home over time, insulation settles or was never installed in some areas ,ductwork works loose, systems get out of wack, the list goes on. I enter a home with an Infrared camera and see the heat leaving building which have an energy star rating.
Many systems are oversized already because of the envelope not able to support a smaller system. The HVAC company does not have faith in insulators, been like that for years. I don't blame em either.
I don't know how many more ways to say it...you need an evaluation from someone OTHER than a heating guy.
Sorry if I'm being forward, but I see it done in the wrong order ALL the time. We need to change that.

Envelope first, system sized second.
Sorry HVAC guy's.

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Vikeologist

I appreciate you being up front...how much does an energy audit cost?

Also, i have recently replaced the windows, put R-board and new fiber cement siding...

blown in 18" of insulation in the attic...not sure if the walls are insulated or not...

inspectorD

I would contact as many companies as I can in your area. Try some home inspectors and some HVAC companies for some reputations to go by.
Anywhere from $400 on up.
Get a company who does infra red thermography and blower door testing. You will save money in the long run, that I am sure of.
Walls should be insulated, foundation can be insulated, fireplace chimney can be made more efficient. There are many things I would spend money on before upgrading a system.

It does not matter how big and efficient the motor is if your tires do not hold air.

Educator had an energy audit done , with great results.http://www.houserepairtalk.com/showthread.php?t=3139
and http://dailyhomerenotips.com/energy-conservation/

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runfast

Here is a page that shows how they work. www.heatpumpmn.com/