Looking to slash your energy costs while making your home more planet-friendly? A heat pump water heater might be the answer.
These energy-efficient appliances are popular for homeowners who want to slash their utility bills and environmental impact.
The savings get even better with Inflation Reduction Act incentives. Homeowners can qualify for rebates and tax credits when purchasing heat pump water heaters.
With the IRA potentially in flux — President Donald Trump has expressed his intent to eliminate these subsidies to reduce federal spending — taking advantage of these incentives soon could save you thousands of dollars.
While changes to the IRA would require an act of Congress, acting now provides the most financial certainty.
The scoop
Heat pump water heaters pull warmth from surrounding air and transfer it to water in the tank. They work well in spaces that need dehumidifying, as they naturally remove moisture from the air.
Some people are understandably looking to learn more about the tech before buying one, of course. Along those lines, a Redditor shared their concerns about installing one in an older home with an unfinished basement, saying, "After my neighbor got a heat pump water heater, he put a pellet stove in his basement to keep it from getting too cold."
As some commenters replied, almost all heat pump water heaters have backup heating elements, with electric resistance heating kicking in automatically if the water heater is located in an overly cold basement or if hot water demand is high. A heat pump water heater will gradually pull in heat from the air around it and slowly store that in the unit ahead of future water usage with very little energy required to power the process — so it is an efficient option regardless, but it's even more valuable when the home or building it is in is also heated by electric heat pumps rather than an oil or gas furnace.
"I've had a heat pump water heater in my basement (well insulated - insulated concrete forms) with no heat source down there, and it works great," one commenter said. "I keep it on heat pump all the time (it also has the backup resistance elements that I never turn on). But long story short it's worked really well for the last 3 years. It dehumidifies my basement well in the summer, which is a great win-win.
"During a couple of long duration cold snaps it will trigger a low air temp alarm - I think when it gets below 45 degrees. But it's been a brief alarm that seems to go off on its own. It hasn't been cold enough this year to trigger it. But I bet if you put it on a hybrid setting in your basement it would probably be fine."
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Lower energy bills 💰 How it's helping
The most significant advantage for homeowners is the dramatic drop in utility costs. Heat pump water heaters use as much as 70% less electricity than other water heaters, which means serious savings on monthly bills.
For the planet, this means reduced electricity demand and lower pollution. By switching to energy-efficient appliances such as heat pump water heaters, homeowners can decrease the pollution from their homes.
Companies including Cala can help homeowners find the right heat pump water heater. Cala offers customizable smart heat pump water heaters that help homeowners decrease their energy bills while reducing their environmental footprint.
What everyone's saying
Homeowners who've made the switch were positive about their experiences.
"I have one in my basement. Half my basement is a living area/tv room and the other half is an unfinished storage and mechanical room," one Reddit user shared. "It's significantly cheaper than a resistive electric one. The noise is not too bad. It's about as loud and sounds like sitting in a room with a window AC."
The convenience factor also gets high marks, with another writing: "Had one for years before we recently moved. It was incredible. It was a hybrid so when the heat pump function wasn't enough it would still heat the water no problem. It doubled as a dehumidifier and kept any lingering moisture completely at bay. It used about $12 in electricity a month."
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