Every setup is different. I am very familiar with my house, having built it. I know it is very well sealed and insulated. So well sealed I had to retro install an air exchanger after I built the house to get the air flowing out. Saying that all my windows are in the need of replacement. Otherwise the house is currently pretty efficient. When I built the house I went with baseboard heating for easy installation and the then cheap cost of electricity. I figured no matter what electricity would be the long term solution in Ontario and reasonably priced. I never predicted the liberal governments costly green programs and overall energy mismanagement/corruption. Hard to believe we have the highest cost of electricity in North America while we sell excess dirt cheap elsewhere and we refuse to buy cheap excess power from our neighbour. The whole thing is mind boggling.
At one point I bought a new gas furnace from my neighbour and was going to retrofit ductwork. I changed my mind as I thought I would be then at the whims of another monopoly and more government regulations. Ultimately I still believe the future is cheap electric power and/or the ability to go off grid. I live in a forest otherwise I would of long covered my roof with solar panels. I do believe some technology will happen to wean us off this government energy control of us. Then they may have issues trying to tax the sunlight or your small fission generator (sure why not). You may think this is silly, but there are occasional rumors of Ottawa thinking about taxing my well water! Thus my decision to try a ductless heat pump. It is an efficient electrical based heating system with little retrofitting required.
In my case my house is a 2000 sq.ft. “side-split” bungalow. The one story side being an open concept, the two story side containing family room, laundry and garage with the second story being the bedrooms. The open side is also “open concepted” to the family room on the lower two story side. Normal thinking is that a large heat pump could heat the 1200 sq.ft. of the open side and some of the first floor family room. A second unit or heat pump would be required to heat the second floor bedrooms. However from my past experience with my wood stove in the family room the heat will naturally rise to the bedrooms under most scenarios. Thus instead of an expensive second unit (9k$ vs 5k$) I decided to try one unit, get my rebates, while they are available, and see how it goes.
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