Know if a heat pump will actually pay off in your home — before you spend a cent.
Most heat pump advice comes from two camps. There is the “400% efficient, they’re magic” crowd, and there is the “useless below freezing” crowd. Both are selling you a feeling, not a decision. This kit is neither.
What’s inside the 15-page kit
- Check 1 — what you actually pay for heat. Your all-in rate, not the headline rate, plus a 30-second break-even test.
- Check 2 — is it a real cold-climate unit? The four numbers to demand in writing, and where to verify the model yourself.
- Check 3 — how cold your winter really gets. So the system gets sized for your coldest normal day, not an average one.
- Check 4 — what backs it up on the coldest nights. Dual fuel, electric backup, or nothing at all.
- Check 5 — is the house ready for it? Air sealing and insulation change the whole answer.
- Check 6 — the rebates, and what they actually require. Including how to confirm the current rules instead of trusting an old summary.
- Check 7 — contractor or salesperson? The questions that tell you which one is standing in your hallway.
- Worksheet A — your break-even temperature. The outdoor temperature where a heat pump stops saving you money at your rates.
- Worksheet B — compare quotes side by side. Same numbers in every column, so the cheap quote stops looking cheap.
- The scorecard. Go, caution, or don’t buy — before you sign anything.
- Ten homeowner questions, answered. The ones that come up in every kitchen-table conversation about this.
- Install-day checklist and a one-page summary you can cut out and keep.
What it is not
- Not a brand recommendation. There are no “best heat pump” picks here. The right unit depends on your house.
- No printed prices or rebate figures. Utilities change rates and rebates open and close. Every rate in this kit is a blank you fill in from your own bill, so you can re-run it whenever prices move.
- Not an assessment of your home. It is an education tool that helps you ask better questions.
Instant download. Print it and take it to your quote appointments. Built for snow-belt and cold-climate homes.
Not ready to buy yet? Start with the free one-page heat pump check at progradehomescience.com/heat-pump-checklist.
This is general education, not advice for your specific home. Have a licensed professional assess your property before making equipment decisions.