This is the story of our family’s journey from geothermal to natural gas.
It begins with our 2008/09 renovation of a 1,200 square foot 1956 house serviced with oil heat.
We added a legal suite and a 200 sq ft entry area.
Our goal was to improve energy efficiency in a sustainable manner.
The most significant upgrade was installation of a ground loop geothermal heating and cooling system at a cost of over $38,000.
We were assured that cost savings for geothermal vs conventional would increase month over month due to anticipated operational efficiencies and reduced fuel costs.
It wasn’t long before our rose coloured glasses fell off.
Routine service checks cost an average of $350/year and by 2022 the geothermal system had broken down at least five times.
The compressor required replacement in both 2015 and 2018.
Between 2015 - 2020 service and repair costs exceeded $5,300 (over and above our warranty).
In July 2022, the heat pump failed and replacement was quoted at $22,400-plus. Furthermore, the required components were not likely to be available until late November.
Our hydro bills were substantial just to run the system under normal conditions but they went astronomical every time the geothermal was out of order and electric heat was required.
Factoring in the track record of breakdowns, servicing costs, hydro costs, and uncertainty with respect to supply chain and labour to complete any future repairs, plus the cost and 18-week delay to install a new heat pump, we made the tough, very conflicting, decision to convert to a new natural gas home heating system.
In principle, geothermal was our preferred choice and we would have wholeheartedly renewed our commitment to it had we had any confidence that a new geothermal system would be more reliable and cost effective.
Sadly that was not the case for us.
For average Canadians to move away from fossil fuels, the alternatives must be sustainable, that is, they must be affordable, reliable, efficient and accessible.
If you are considering geothermal, do your homework, ask questions, and look for ‘real world’ operational cost information.
Marnie Skobalski,
Coldstream
