CW2274 gets it most correct: NWS (and anybody today) need to get things right due to the potential for litigation. Plus the general 'intensification' of most media. Now nearing general hysteria in an effort to 'reach' people. Locally some of the worst, most aggravating ads on the teevee are from screeching injury-lawyer-types.
DoctorKnow, can't imagine what you have against heatpumps, they are simply the best, most efficient HVAC's (commonly) available for residential uses (yeah, I know- geothermal, etc...). I jes luvs mine in all seasons.
Without the use of gas or propane for heating, which might be cheaper. Which I've been dang glad to be rid of for decades, used to have those ceramic wall units in the bathrooms in the Valley.
Unless one's gone alt-energy (solar/wind/etc), the cheapest of all sources now.
For heating, a lot of people don't realize that a heatpump is 3-5 times more efficient than oldfashioned straight electric resistance heating (HVAC 'heatstrips').
For cooling, the SEER's have really improved from yesteryear, some run in the SEER 20-30 range now; and the small extra cost is worth it given the energy savings.
And they're good way down below 0deg F. Of course one's location factors in I guess, here we very rarely see sub32deg F temps, only a few hours in the last few years, so YMMV.
With a heatstrip, you input 1kW of electricity, you get about 1kW worth of BTU's out.
With a heatpump, you input 1kW electricity, you receive 3-5kW worth of BTU's out (depending somewhat on the calculus of the ambient outside temps). A very significant efficiency gain over plain resistance heat.
There are even very efficient hotwater tank heatpumps, they cost about one third more than a standard 'best' electric hotwater tank, and payback quickly.
I'm waiting on my tanks to die to get some. I figure it will also help to cool the garages, as it exhausts very cold air into the ambient as it feeds heat to the water inside (which is neat to feel on the HVAC when it's heating the house, the air exiting the condenser outside is really cold stuff, instead of the summertime hot exhaust).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pump#Overview