I live in Birmingham, AL and I have wanted to own a heat pump so badly, a heat pump is a two for one system, and you get one component that can provide heating and cooling, how it does is by moving existing heat energy; The heat pumps from outside to inside in the winter, and it utilizes the ground temperature that is always warmer.
Here is the snag though.
If your winter temps get lower than 40 degrees, the air is simply not hot enough. You can’t heat your house. In Birmingham, AL, there are three months out of the year that get nights in the 30s. That would be awful! I debated on using space heaters for supplemental heating however the boost on my electric bill would be too much, so after that I talked to my local Birmingham, AL Heating, Ventilation and A/C dealer. Tech guy suggested a hybrid furnace or also known as a dual fuel system. This combines a heat pump and gas furnace to labor for the AL weather. For most of the year my heat pump is the one that is working. I have ideal air conditioner and most of the time good heat. Then when the nights get cold, the component changes to gas and the furnace operates. I never suffer from a cold winter night. I don’t get as efficient of results however that is the best I can hope for with my cold weather. I like that I don’t even have to push a button or toggle a switch for the component to change heaters.