How a Ductless Heat Pump Can Save You Money in an Older North Country Home
Quick answer: a ductless Mitsubishi heat pump saves money three ways in an older North Country home: it delivers about three units of heat per unit of electricity instead of burning oil or propane, it avoids the 20–30% of heat a forced-air system loses in its ducts, and it lets you heat only the rooms you use. If your house has an old boiler and radiators and no air conditioning, one system adds cooling and cuts the heating bill at the same time, with NYS Clean Heat rebates through NYSEG or National Grid paying part of the cost.
Two problems, one system
Walk through most village homes in Ticonderoga, Port Henry or Whitehall and you find the same setup: an oil or propane boiler feeding radiators or baseboard, and no cooling at all except a window unit or two. Adding central air would mean cutting ductwork into a house that was never built for it. A ductless heat pump sidesteps that. An air conditioner moves heat from inside to outside; a heat pump is an air conditioner that can run in reverse. One system does both jobs, and Mitsubishi's Hyper-Heating models do the heating job at full capacity at 5°F and keep going to -13°F (-22°F on H2i Plus), so it is not a summer-only appliance.
How a ductless system is built
A ductless system has an outdoor unit and one or more indoor units, which is why it is called a split or mini-split system. The two are joined by a small insulated line set that passes through a three-inch hole in the wall. Together they take up far less space than a furnace, ductwork and a condenser, and there is nothing in the basement to replace a boiler's footprint if you keep it as backup. Learn more on our ductless mini-split page.
Where the savings actually come from
1. Moving heat instead of making it
A heat pump uses electricity to run a compressor and two fans, not to make heat directly. Across an Adirondack winter the Mitsubishi systems we install deliver roughly three units of heat for every unit of electricity. Electric baseboard delivers one; an oil furnace or boiler delivers less than one unit of heat per unit of fuel energy. That ratio is the core of the savings, and it is why the biggest winners are homes on propane and electric baseboard. Read what Hyper-Heating costs to run.
2. No duct losses
Forced-air systems can lose as much as 30% of their energy pushing air through long, leaky ducts in attics and crawl spaces. Refrigerant lines carry heating and cooling energy to the room far more efficiently than ductwork, and a compact indoor unit delivers it right where you sit.
3. Zoning
One multi-zone outdoor unit can run up to eight indoor units, each with its own control. Heat the kitchen and living room to 70°F during the day, keep the bedrooms at 62°F until evening, and leave the spare room off. A boiler heats the whole house to one number; zoning lets you stop paying to heat rooms nobody is in. Larger homes often use two multi-zone outdoor units so every room is covered and no single unit carries the whole load.
Secure the envelope to maximize savings
A new heating system in a leaky house still leaks. Before or alongside the install, make sure the attic is insulated, the rim joist and attic hatch are sealed, and windows and doors are weather-stripped. In a cold climate the heat pump has to work harder for every BTU that escapes, so the envelope work directly lowers the size and cost of the system you need and the electricity it uses. We flag the obvious envelope issues at the estimate and can point you to NYSERDA programs that help pay for insulation.
Rebates, financing and the real payback
Ductless cold-climate heat pumps qualify for NYS Clean Heat incentives through NYSEG and National Grid, and through Efficiency Vermont across the lake. We confirm the amount at the free estimate and file the paperwork. Financing is 18 months at 0% through Synchrony. Together those usually bring the monthly payment on a single-zone system below what the same room was costing in oil or propane. For a written number for your home, use the savings calculator (and get $250 off your install for completing it) or request an installation quote.
Cheaper and cleaner at the same time
Because a heat pump burns nothing, it removes the oil tank, the combustion, the carbon monoxide risk and the delivery truck from your home at the same time it lowers the bill. You do not have to trade comfort or cost for a cleaner house. Pair it with solar, as some of our customers have, and the heating and cooling bill can approach zero; see heat pumps and solar.
Frequently asked questions
How much money does a ductless heat pump save on heating?
It depends on your current fuel and the price of electricity, but a Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat system delivers about three units of heat per unit of electricity, so homes on propane or electric baseboard see the largest savings. Our calculator gives a number for your home.
Can a ductless heat pump replace my boiler?
Yes, when sized to your home's heat loss. Many homeowners keep the boiler as a backup the first winter and then rarely run it. Mitsubishi H2i delivers full capacity at 5°F and operates to -13°F or -22°F by model.
Is a ductless system cheaper to run than central air?
Generally yes. It avoids duct losses, uses an inverter compressor that modulates instead of cycling, and cools only the rooms you choose.
Do I need to insulate before installing a heat pump?
Not required, but air sealing and attic insulation reduce the size of system you need and the electricity it uses, so it is the best first dollar spent. We identify the big envelope issues at the estimate.
Talk to us
Have questions about your home? Call Adirondack Heat Pumps at (518) 812-1958, stop by the showroom at 15 Montcalm Street in Ticonderoga, or request a free in-home estimate. We serve Essex County, the Lake George and Lake Champlain shores, the High Peaks and Addison County, Vermont.