Rising fuel costs could spur new look at geothermal ground heat pumps.

Byline: Jim Quinn

Don't give up hope.

The last few months have been pretty discouraging for homeowners concerned about their heating bills. Virtually all the common sources of home heat _ from natural gas to heating oil and electricity _ are all threatening to go up in price. After a costly summer at the gas pumps, energy-hungry consumers are now being told to prepare for an even more expensive winter.

Wouldn't it be great if there was a source of home heat and air conditioning that is affordable as well as comfortable, efficient and easy on the environment?

There is.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, there is a type of heating system that is so efficient it could slash winter bills by up to 70 percent. It is currently used in just 1 percent of the nation's buildings, but if it were adopted widely it could save billions _ that's billions with a B _ in energy costs, all while reducing environmental damage caused by other systems.

At this point you're probably asking yourself three questions: 1) What kind of system is this? 2) Can I buy one for my house? and 3) What's the catch?

1. It's called a geothermal ground-source heat pump. (Don't be confused by the name "heat pump." It's not like most heat pumps sold today.)

2. Yes, you can buy one for your house _ if you can find a qualified installer in your area.

3. The catch is that the upfront cost is higher. (More on…