Air conditioners take cold air and force it through ductwork throughout your home. Heat pumps work on a similar principle in reverse. They take the hot air within your home in the summer and transfer it outdoors, thus cooling your house. When the weather cools down, heat pumps begin working in the opposite direction, drawing whatever heat is outside (even the heat that you do not feel), and using it to heat your home. The resulting system provides energy-efficient heat, since it is not using fuel to heat the air but instead just enough energy to move it.

Although this innovative technology is a wonderful solution during the majority of the year, come the coldest days of winter, a hybrid heating system is recommended. Once the air outside reaches a certain temperature (about 30 degrees Fahrenheit) a traditional furnace is required to raise the temperature of the air.