[balfirevic]

> Cripple is a fairly strong word here.

Well... I'm in Europe, so I don't know if I ever saw a heat pump that can't operate both ways :-)

[asteroidburger]

Until recently, they've not been as common here in the US. Fossil fuels are just so much cheaper for the end customer, and central HVAC units in homes are much more common here.

[RatchetWerks]

The US is somehow very ahead and very behind at the same time :)