Geothermal heating? Is this really better? Anything is better than oil heat right?

I saw a commercial on tv recently promoting geothermal heat. Oil heat is still the main source of heat for many homes, especially on the east coast where the homes are older. It is expensive, NOT earth conscious, and quite frankly a little aged.

So the geothermal commercial prompted me to find out more about this efficient, green heating system. Here is what I found out.

Apparently in Maine there is a way for homeowners to get 30% of the installation cost put towards a tax credit. Sounds good but is it worth it?

This is not a new concept by any means. We have been using the earth’s warmth in productive ways since the Paleolithic era in things like hot springs. There are many left over minerals and solar energies that were absorbed when the earth was formed. The decay of these minerals is a somewhat radioactive. So the decay, along with the solar energy that is absorbed at the surface, creates a heat that can be used to warm our homes with the assistance of a heat pump.