Heating efficiently in 2 zones - heat pump and gas
I live in a 2 story (plus basement) single family home and am trying to determine the most efficient (energy and cost) way to heat my home in cold weather. I have 2 heating/cooling zones - a gas furnace which heats the basement and first floor, and heat pump for the 2nd floor, where the bedrooms are. At night I typically turn down the furnace and turn up the heat pump thermostat - and do the opposite during the day. On most cold nights the auxiliary heat runs for much of the night. Am I better off keeping the furnace running more so the gas heat rises and takes some load off the heat pump, or is it best to just let the auxiliary heat do it's job and save the gas?