Are you installing a gas furnace for the first time? If you are getting a gas furnace then why do you think you need to get a heat pump?

What are your gas and electricity rates?

Nat gas fuel for heating?

What is your location?

What size home?

What size HVAC are you replacing?

Post back.

IMO

Option 2
Supply and install 2-PSIG gas line from meter to mechanical room
Supply and install manifold in mechanical room for future appliances
Connect gas line from manifold to furnace
Pressure test and have inspected by County Inspector
Supply permits
Total Install $1500.00

I don't understand this. I assume you already have a gas connection to your existing furnace. You are changing current gas line configuration? Carrier quote includes same changes? I think pricing is absurd.

IMO

Currently the home has a 25 year old heat pump. Since it was about to die and we could get the gas company to run a line for free we had them run a gas line to the home. We live in northern VA and I have been told by afew people a hybrid system would be the best option. Another company gave me right around the same quote for a carrier as well. Prices are usually higher in the DC metro area than other areas but I just don't know enough about this. The house is around 3500 sq ft and I'm no sure the size of the old HVAC

Carrier quote also includes option #2 from AmStd dealer?

Post your electric and nat gas rate all inclusive please. I will run a fuel comparison to determine if heat pump in a DF configuration is a wise choice.

Dual fuel systems have become less attractive for two reasons. Nat gas is cheap and electric rates have advanced.

I still believe the option #2 pricing is excessive. How far is the new line from meter to the new furnace? I assume dealer plans to vent through an ext wall in basement.

You definitely want a thorough inspection of your ductwork system. Supply trunk line has damper control?

3500 sq ft home of finished living area? This includes basement?

Post back.

IMO

To be honest I have no idea what the rates are or how to make sense of this. I looked online at Dominion Powers' website and saw the following

First 800 kWh Over 800 kWh
@ 2.258â per kWh
@ 1.285â per kWh

B. Electricity Supply (ES) Service Charges
Paragraph II.B. is not applicable to Customers receiving Electricity Supply Service from a Competitive Service Provider.
1.
Generation kWh Charge
a. Billing Months of June ��" September First 800 ES kWh @ Over 800 ES kWh @
b. Billing Months of October ��" May First 800 ES kWh @ Over 800 ES kWh @
3.795â per kWh 5.773â per kWh
3.795â per kWh 2.927â per kWh

Washington Gas
RATE FOR MONTHLY CONSUMPTION System Charge (Per customer)
$11.25
All Billing Months Distribution Charge (Per therm)
All gas used during the billing month:
First 25 therms Next 100 therms Over 125 therms
PURCHASED GAS CHARGE
47.95â 30.63â 25.79â

The gas meter is about 8 feet from where it will go into the home and probably another 4 feet to the HVAC. The vent will go out to the exterior of the home.
I do not believe there are dampers
The home is about 3400 total sq ft, a raised rambler with only two levels both of which have level walk outs. But the back wall of the bottom level is about 5 feet under ground.

I don't think it's the job of this forum to interpret these tiered utility rates. The important factor is to include all costs to get your price/therm for nat gas and price/KWH for electric. If you want me to give you a fuel comparison calculation to determine whether DF is worthwhile, then I suggest the following.

Call the appropriate utility and get your current all inclusive cost for 250 therms of nat gas and 2500 KWHs of electric.

Post back and I will give you your comparison numbers on the two fuels for heating.

IMO

I live in NoVA. From my February bill, $0.098/kwh
For March, it was 0.099/kwh. This is all inclusive, taxes, fuel charges, etc. The summer rates will be about 2 cents more (for the sake of calculations).

For previous poster.

That's nice but how about nat gas price/therm for fuel comparison purposes.

My point to OP is that DF is not as attractive as it once was.

TD

I don't have gas. The electric rates were for winter at around 2000kwh (1800 for one, 2100 for the other). That should be close to what you asked for.

as for gas, from the tariff given the cost should be around $86.11 for 250 therms, or $0.34/therm.

While I appreciate the info, that can not be the all inclusive cost/price for a therm of nat gas.

Many of these tariff prices posted on gas utility websites do not include administrative fees, transmission costs, and misc that actually are more costly than the gas itself. You might want to check on this.

Nat gas is cheap but not that cheap. See below.

Using your electric rate at a 2.75 COP and gas price at 95% eff, results are as follows. A heat pump would not be cost effective using your nat gas pricing.

Cost per 100,000 btu of useable heat
Electric baseboard: $2.64
Heat pump: $1.07
Natural gas: $0.35

IMO

This post was edited by tigerdunes on Tue, May 13, 14 at 6:44

Thank you for the responses. In the end my home warranty company is willing to replace my system with a Carrier 13 SEER basic system or give me a 2k buy out to go towards the Carrier 15 SEER Infinity system. We plan to be in the home 20 years so I am wondering if it is worth paying eleven thousand more.

Thank you for the responses. In the end my home warranty company is willing to replace my system with a Carrier 13 SEER basic system or give me a 2k buy out to go towards the Carrier 15 SEER Infinity system. We plan to be in the home 20 years so I am wondering if it is worth paying eleven thousand more.