With states across the country seeing skyrocketing energy costs, more and more homeowners and governments are looking for energy-efficient upgrades to reduce the burden of pricey monthly bills.
A video shared by WBUR, Boston's National Public Radio affiliate, explained how rural New England towns are ditching pricey energy prices by adopting heat pump technology.
@wbur Everything is expensive nowadays. Especially energy costs, and especially if you're a small town like Warwick, Mass., with a population of 780. Older, less energy-efficient public buildings with high heating bills have these towns looking for savings. Rural towns are embracing a switch to electric appliances, powered by home-grown renewable energy. They're finding that the move both spares their pocketbooks and helps the planet. 📝 Bianca Garcia/WBUR 🎥 Meghan B. Kelly/WBUR #warwickmass #energycosts #solarpower ♬ original sound - WBUR
Bianca Garcia, a news fellow for WBUR, broke down how rural communities with older buildings often feel the pressure of frigid winters and expensive utility bills.
"Dozens of small towns across Massachusetts are ditching gas and oil and switching to electric," Garcia said. "That means out with the old boiler and in with the new electric heat pump."
Heat pumps function slightly differently from conventional HVAC systems. Instead of generating heat, they move heat from one place to another using compression technology and refrigerants.
In turn, these units are highly efficient. In fact, homeowners who snag a $0-down energy-efficient HVAC lease through Palmetto can even lower their energy costs by up to 50%.
Garcia explained the benefits are "twofold."
"Towns are cutting back on energy spending and reducing planet-warming emissions," Garcia said, referencing how energy-efficient appliances tend to use less energy and, in turn, produce less harmful pollution.
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According to some data on small towns, local governments that have adopted these clean energy upgrades have reduced energy consumption by over 60%.
In addition, winter heating bills were reduced by nearly two-thirds.
After the upgrades, these small towns — often with limited tax bases — freed up thousands of dollars in their annual budgets.
These towns are not alone. Homeowners can also see major savings by upgrading to heat pump technology.
If you're curious about upgrading but concerned about the upfront costs, Palmetto's HVAC leases start as low as $99 a month and include over a decade of free maintenance.
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