Can you give some more info?

Do you want AC, or just heat?
Is humidity high where you are?

How long do you plan on being in the home? (if you were moving, I would add the AC as a feature, even if you might not use it.)

Did the company you contacted do a load calculation? That is really needed to be able to select a system.

Do you have a basement, or if no, where is the current furnace?

Are you an "open windows" kind of family?

Thanks,

We need about 5 months of heating and 5 days of AC a year. So, I need efficient heating but will only install AC if the cost is not too high.

We plan to stay in the house for at least 10 years.

I asked about manual J calculation and the HVAC guy said that no one does that around here (San Jose, CA area).

We are rebuilding the house from ground up (only saving some foundation and floors). No basement; just 1 story house with a large attic that we plan to finish as a bonus game room.

Yes, we like to open windows in the summer.

Thank you so much in advance.

I forgot to mention that we have very dry summer and heating season is our rainy season.

If .12 cents per KW is the total rate for electricity thats not too bad. Thats what i pay. I have a heatpump and they make nice heat when above 32 F for a good price. Heatpumps can last a long time if you have a decent brand and it properly installed. In Cali weather they can be very efficient. If your already paying the monthly service fee for gas and you have a gas hot water tank it might just be more worthwhile to have a gas furance and forget about the A/C or heatpump especially since you rarely use the A/C. Get 95% 2-stage gas furnace if you go that route.

If you get a heatpump, they aren't so good at bringing up temps fast. With a gas furnace you can turn the furnace down and then bring the heat up quick when your back home.

I recommend heatpumps for people that need A/C anyway. Cause the cost of a heatpump over an A/C is only incremental.