A:
A heat pump is just a refrigerated air conditioner that cools a space when a switching device such as a thermostat is set for cooling. When the thermostat is set for heating the same air conditioner that was cooling reverses itself and produces warm air instead of cool air. The difference in a plain air conditioner and a heat pump is a couple of controls needed to make it reverse the flow. When cooling there is no savings between a plain air conditioner and a heat pump in the amount of electricity it uses.
When heating a heat pump won't heat your house unless you live in the desert but it dose reduce the cost of an electric heat coil, minimal.
