" I do not want a heat pump because of it's supposed slow ability to heat. "

I call BS on this. Heat pumps would be perfect for the mild climate you have, especially over an electric furnace.

I'll work on getting those numbers, mike_home.

Weedmeister, from what I understand, (and open to be corrected), heat pumps generally are slow er to warm up a house relative to an electric furnace, true? Our climate is relatively mild, so to me "efficiency" isn't as important to me as comfort. Comfort to me = achieving the desired temperature quickly.

Please explain why a heat pump is perfect for a mild climate.

A preference isn't BS, it's just a preference.

Steve, I believe it's true that heat pump produced heat is less warm than furnace produced heat. It's still heat. It would take longer to heat a cold home after a setback period or being off. In all but the coldest locations, if you have the thermostat set to a temperature you want heat to come on at, it should come on when needed and keep the house from being colder than desired.

Heat pumps extract heat from outside and become less capable of doing so when outside temps drop. They're installed with secondary heat sources, often electrical resistance coils but a furnace can also be used, to provide supplemental heat when it gets colder outdoors. In the, say, 35-65 range of outdoor temps, most heat pumps can provide heat more economically than resistance means and perhaps cheaper than propane if you have low electricity rates.

An HVAC contractor along with a recent electricity bill should be able to help you weigh the cost of electrical resistance (likely the most expensive choice), propane, or heat pump. From that, you can decide what you want.

I'm in south La.

I have been in the energy efficiency field since 1995.

I, personally, have propane for water heater and stove, and

a heat pump.

My utility bill is the lowest in the winter (and summer) than

any of my neighbors.

I have a single stage heat pump with a variable speed

air handler.

Heat pumps are made for our climate.

I have found that if your hvac company tells you differently, it is probably because

they don't know how to install one. Heat pumps today are

different from heat pumps 30 years ago.

when heat pumps go into defrost mode the air temp can drop,

but heat strips make up the temp difference.

heating with electric strip/heat is THE most expensive way to heat

your home.

do invest in higher SEER rated hvac system.

14 SEER is now the minimum, 16 SEER is a good upgrade

that will not break the bank, and save you $$ long term.

My utility provider has the cheapest rates in the state.

(Slemco, which is a co-op) They have a Design One program to

help homeowner's build an energy efficiency home.

Good info.

as for your water heater...where in the home do you plan to

locate?

if you go tankless gas, consider putting it outside.

Installing the tankless on exterior wall will keep the heat

out of the house, and plumbing with pex piping will

eliminate worry of freezing.

look on water heaters you are considering for the Energy Factor.

95+ energy factor for electric

65+ energy factor for gas.

lots of efficient water heaters out there.

aside from tankless, standard water heaters operate 24/7

investing in a high efficiency system is your best option.

as always efficiency costs are upfront, but the benefits

are for the useful life of the unit.

best of luck!

An honest question (from perspective of a colder climate resident) - isn't air conditioning basically a requirement in Louisiana? If so, I would think a heat pump (reversible to provide heat and cooling) would be a no-brainer in that climate.

Only comment on the hot water - depends on how much hot water you're likely to use and rates, etc.

Any pro tips or real life experiences?

Your climate is similar to mine. I just recently installed an Inverter Heat Pump at my home. This decision wasn't based entirely on heat, but more so about air conditioning and dehumidification. In my opinion for a humid climate there is no better option currently.

Here's a recent lengthy thread with pro tips and real life experiences as well with an Inverter Heat Pump.

Electricity - hands down.

If you want to heat quickly, all heat pumps will have electric strips backup. So they can heat more quickly, you just lose efficiency. But for all the other times, the heat pump will be more efficient and save a lot of money.

For hot water, in a warm climate, it is really hard to beat a heat pump hot water heater. They are cheap to run and cool and dehumidify the space they are in which for you is beneficial 8 months out of the year.

I live in NC and agree that heat needs to be set higher on humid days. But you can also just set and forget the heat pump.

We just finished our first year of an all electric (except cooking and fireplace) house and are right at 20 MWH annual energy use. That includes 2 EVs which are about 8000 KWH of that.

3800 sqft, 3 fridges, swimming pool and we like to sleep in the mid 60s.

We pay about 11 cents per kwh (probably very close to you) and so that is $2200.

(Not in that calc is solar makes about $1400 worth so our net is $800 - so our total energy bill including cars and house is just $800 a year)

I agree that your climate is perfect for a heat pump for your heat. An inverter type would be great.

I also agree that an electric hybrid (heat pump) water heater would be perfect for your situation if you can locate it somewhere that it can remove the heat (basement, garage, etc.)

Don't even think about whole house tankless electric water heater.

Tankless gas water heater is an option - but a propane tankless costs almost as much as an electric resistance tank heater to operate.

Propane is really expensive and a huge hassle. If you can get rid of the propane entirely you will save a lot of money on the front end.