After spending over fifty years dealing with the brutal cold and excessive snow up north, my husband and I decided to move south.
We’d had enough of temperatures down to negative twenty-five degrees and dangerous wind chills.
We were tired of shoveling, plowing and scraping ice. For more than half the year, we were trapped in the house and reliant on the furnace. Our monthly heating bills added up to approximately 50% of our household energy consumption. By the end of the winter, the house would feel horribly dry, stuffy and stale. It seemed to take forever for the weather to warm up enough to melt the snow. The spring and fall seasons were usually windy and rainy. We were lucky to get two to three months of weather warm enough to open the windows and wear shorts. There was very little opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities. Then it would once again be time to schedule maintenance for the furnace, change the air filter, and get the snow shovel, boots and wool coats ready for another winter. My husband and I were eager to head south and escape temperatures below freezing. We chose a house with a heat pump that provides both heating and cooling. We rarely need to run it in heating mode, but are certainly thankful for cooling. Our new location often sees temperatures in the high nineties. Although the heat and humidity are intense, we’re still happy we relocated. We prefer sandals instead of boots and tank tops instead of sweaters. The heat pump handles the year round comfort of our home.