News

By: Mitch Ross

I grew up in a home without central heating and cooling. Instead, we relied on plug-in space heaters and window air conditioners. The reason was simple: a whole-home HVAC system was beyond our family’s budget.

While that approach got the job done, it came with some significant drawbacks in comfort and convenience. It was also one of the least efficient ways to heat and cool a home. Unfortunately, many families still face this challenge today. When the upfront cost of a central HVAC system is out of reach, households often turn to lower-cost alternatives that save money initially but result in higher energy bills over time.

Because of my own experience, I’ve become a strong advocate for practical solutions that balance upfront affordability with efficiency. For many homes, that means considering an approach that provides comfort today while keeping long-term operating costs in mind.

Split Decision

One option worth considering is a high-efficiency, mini-split heat pump system serving as the primary heating and cooling source for the home’s main living area, paired with supplemental window units or space heaters used in occupied bedrooms and other spaces that are separated from the home’s central gathering area. While this may not be the most efficient whole-home solution available, it can offer an excellent balance between initial costs and ongoing energy savings.

Consider a home with an open-concept living room, dining room and kitchen. In this setup, a mini-split installed in a central location can efficiently heat and cool the largest portion of the home. By keeping bedroom doors open when rooms are unoccupied, conditioned air can circulate throughout much of the house, allowing the mini-split to handle the majority of the workload.

When bedrooms are occupied and doors are closed, a small supplemental heating or cooling source can be used as needed. The key is to think of these units as occasional support rather than around-the-clock solutions. Limiting their operating hours helps maximize the savings provided by the high-efficiency mini-split.

For many families, the ideal HVAC solution isn’t necessarily the most expensive one, it’s the one that best fits both the home and the household budget.

By combining a mini-split with carefully managed supplemental heating and cooling, homeowners can enjoy greater comfort, lower energy costs and a practical path toward improved efficiency without the expense of a full central HVAC installation.

Mitch Ross is the energy efficiency manager for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.