My husband and I bought property in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, with the plan of building our dream house. The area is absolutely beautiful, offering the amenities of a big city with small town charm. The downtown district is especially fantastic, with lots of shops and food options. There are plenty of parks and trails and Longview Lake provides swimming, fishing and a wide variety of water sports. We are also just minutes from Kansas City. As we designed our new home, we knew that heating and cooling needed to be a consideration. While the four distinct seasons in Lee’s Summit are part of the appeal, the weather extremes present a challenge. The winters bring temperatures well below zero while the summers are hot and humid. After a lot of research and consulting with a local HVAC company, we chose to install a dual fuel system. This combination of an electric heat pump and gas furnace is a bigger investment than most other options but quickly pays for itself in energy savings. For the majority of the year, we utilize the heat pump. It works by moving heat between the indoor and outdoor environment by way of refrigerant. It easily handles the summer heat and humidity. In heating mode, the operation is more environmentally friendly and less expensive than running the furnace. There is no combustion process, eliminating carbon monoxide and greenhouse gas emissions. Once the outdoor temperature drops below freezing, the heat pump struggles to find sufficient ambient heat to meet indoor demand. At that point, the furnace takes over. Our home is comfortable no matter what the weather in Lee’s Summit brings, and our utility bills are reasonable.