Last month, I shared my story of switching to a heat pump and of how doing the right thing for the planet turned out, at least in my case, to be a frustrating experience as a consumer.

Almost immediately, I was inundated with emails from readers eager to share their own experiences. So many readers responded, and with such a bounty of insights and tips, that I felt compelled to share some of what I learned.

Here’s the main takeaway: Many people love their heat pump, but there are often important details that made their experiences a success. Of the 200 or so readers who emailed me, most told me that they’re very happy they made the switch and described some interesting reasons.

Dennis Nord, who lives near Santa Barbara, Calif., was an especially early adopter: He bought a heat pump in 1987. Nearly 40 years later, he hasn’t just saved thousands of dollars, he wrote, but he cut his emissions as well.

“Either you or the people after you in that dwelling are going to benefit for a long time!” he wrote. “And in some reasonable future amount of time, the pain of that extra cost will be forgotten!”

But in many cases, readers offered specific reasons their heat pumps were a win. Some noted that their homes had solar panels, creating free electricity that made their switch to a heat pump especially rewarding financially.