When should I use emergency heat on a thermostat – HVAC experts explain

A white heat pump on a white wall above a patch of lavender / Living room, a cream sofa and carpet, and an open door to the hallway with a covered radiator, encaustic black and white tiled floor and framed artworks on the wall. / An electric thermostat on a white wall.

If you have ever looked at the emergency heat setting on your thermostat and wondered what constitutes an 'emergency', you are not the only one. 

This often unused setting can help to keep your home warm this winter when your heat pump heating is struggling in sub-0 temperatures.