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With the cooler air coming in, many people are talking about ways to winterize their homes, but how about if you could cut your heating bill 30 to 40 percent, by just changing the way you heat your home?

Ductless heat pumps have been around for more than 30 years. It’s already been widely used in Europe and Asia. However, the system is just now gaining popularity in the U.S., especially in the Pacific Northwest.

"People are getting educated. People are finding that we're seeing $80 to 100 in a month savings," said Tyson Garten with A1 Heating and Air Conditioning.

We met a local couple, who got the system installed in their home in Boise. “I know they have it in Europe. I read it in magazine and showed to my husband, saying this would be interesting and I just ran into it in Costco," said Sigrid Provant.

The ductless heat pump both heats and cools.  So, how does it save energy and money? "There’s a lot of heat loss in ductwork. The ductwork running through the attic, running through the crawlspace, but there's no ductwork, so heat comes straight from power source," said Garten.
   
The homeowner can also control the temperature of each room, so there's no energy or money wasted.

The heating system is virtually silent. "Window units are very noisy,” said Provant, "looking forward to having a quiet night’s sleep in the summertime."
   
The ductless heating system doesn't come cheap, but experts said it still can save you money in the long run. A single heating and cooling zone can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000.

Here’s a link with more information on the ductless heat pump:

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=MS