Graeme Bruce

Heat pumps are having a bit of a moment.&nbsp;

Once considered a novel and fringe technology, these home heating and cooling units are gaining in 

Heat pump use in Canada has increased in recent years, and that shift may accelerate as a result of new federal cash to help&nbsp;

Heat pump popularity is increasing, but how well do they work on the Prairies?

With no sign of further exemptions to the federal carbon tax, heat pumps have made their way into the energy conversation. But are they a viable heating source for cold Prairie winters?

Catherine Gibson stands next to her heat pump behind her Regina home.

Catherine Gibson says she's already seeing savings by switching to a more efficient natural gas furnace. She's hoping her new heat pump will reduce her utility bills even more this winter.

Catherine Gibson with her heat pump

Regina's Catherine Gibson says she's already seeing savings by switching to a more efficient natural gas furnace. She's hoping her new heat pump will reduce her utility bills even more this winter.

Could the Liberals' carbon tax troubles light a fire under the move toward heat pumps?

Whatever else the Liberal government's carbon tax contortions have done, they may have boosted the cause of energy efficiency — particularly for low-income households. And there are now calls for the Trudeau government to go even further.

Two workers install a white heat pump outside in the backyard of a house.

A new pump is installed at a home to replace both an old air conditioner and a natural gas furnace.

Heat pump

A new heat pump is installed at a home to replace both an old air conditioner and a natural gas furnace.

Heat pumps — which use electricity and don't burn fossil fuels — are more efficient than traditional means of indoor climate control because they 

Here is a visual to help you better understand how they work.

A project engineer checks the paperwork for the installation of a heat pump on a model house in 2021 in Slough, England. Canada has seen an increase in heat pump use in recent years.

How heat pumps work: A visual guide

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