Good points on the solar-battery combo, but honestly, even with solar panels, heat pumps can be a bigger drain than most people realize. A lot depends on your climate and insulation quality. I've seen setups where folks underestimated their winter energy needs—panels covered in snow or cloudy days can really throw off your calculations.
One thing I've found helpful is having a secondary heating source that's less power-hungry for emergencies. I installed a small propane heater as backup, and it's saved me more than once when the battery bank got low. Also, about those digital thermostats... yeah, been there too. Switched back to a simpler programmable one after mine decided to reboot itself during a cold snap. Sometimes simpler tech just works better.
Interesting to hear about the issues you've had with digital thermostats—I thought I was the only one who ran into trouble with those things. Installed a smart thermostat at my brother's place last winter, and it worked great...until it randomly decided to update firmware overnight during a serious cold front. Woke up to find the place freezing and the unit stuck on some loading screen. Ended up reinstalling his old basic programmable one, and it's been rock-solid ever since.
Also agree strongly about insulation quality. I've been in houses where people upgraded to heat pumps but didn't upgrade their insulation first. They were shocked that their energy bills didn't drop as expected. It's amazing how much heat can escape through poorly sealed windows and doors, or thin attic insulation.
Curious though—has anyone here tried using wood pellet stoves as a backup? I've heard mixed opinions about maintenance and reliability, but they seem pretty efficient on paper.
