"This area is perfect for geothermal," Barney said. Geothermal uses the year-round underground temperature of about 50 degrees to provide heat in winter and cooling in summer. The heat also helps warm hot water in two tanks in the basement.
Instead of paying $4,000 a year for oil, plus $6,000 for a new furnace, Barney and Parcells now pay only for electricity to run the system and the house's lights and appliances, but the monthly bills are significantly lower, Barney said.
Another Howard couple haven't had a trouble-free ride, however.
Bill and Lisa DeLong, who have lived in their West Friendship home for 22 years, paid $48,000 for a geothermal system in their 2,700-square-foot home on one and a quarter acres.
But the system's computer malfunctioned over the first several months, resulting in duplicate energy costs for a while. Those issues were solved, and the system is now running smoothly, he said.
Based on three months of trouble-free operation, he now thinks the system could take more than two decades to pay for itself, unless energy costs rise significantly. Still, he expects to recoup much of the purchase price whenever he and his wife sell their home.
"It is an amazing system. It's incredibly quiet," he said.
