Reddit remains one of the best places on the internet to seek honest advice, particularly when it comes to things like smart home upgrades.
A user on the r/SanDiego subreddit asked for unvarnished opinions and experiences with an increasingly popular form of green tech: heat pump water heaters.
Water heaters are a significant and consequential purchase, and unlike apparel or household staples, consumers typically won't have useful feedback after a week or even a month of use.
Heat pump water heaters aren't entirely new, but technological advancements, along with an Energy Star certification in 2009, solidified their status as an attractive alternative to water heaters powered by fossil fuels.
Although heat pump water heaters are a cleaner option, their immense money-saving potential is perhaps the bigger draw.
According to Energy Star, a four-person household will save an average of $550 each year and an estimated $5,600 in energy costs over the life of the unit, which means it "pays for itself" in a little under three years.
Some savings are realized in the form of lower electric bills, but that doesn't account for federal rebates and incentives on heat pump water heaters from major brands like LG. Currently, households are eligible for a 30% credit on heat pump installations, with a cap of $2,000.
An additional rebate of up to $1,750 is available to households for replacing their water heaters. Homeowners interested in upgrading to a heat pump water heater should act quickly, however, as these incentives are slated to expire Dec. 31.
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Based on the comments, there's a reason clean energy home upgrades are surging: Satisfaction levels were incredibly high among users who made the switch to an efficient, affordable heat pump water heater from a trusted brand like LG, and their savings were enviable.
"On tankless and the California climate credit will probably cover all our gas usage (everything else is electric)," a user replied.
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Should the government offer tax incentives for energy-saving home upgrades? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Absolutely 👍 Another vouched for the heat pump savings they achieved after installing solar panels and for the heater's ability to contend with their teenager's marathon showers.
"I really like it, especially being on solar," they began. "We only see large spikes (max 6kW) for a few minutes after one of our daughter's long showers. For normal showers, we do not see the resistive heating element kick in."
However, the strongest long-term review came from an enthusiastic commenter who switched to a heat pump water heater more than five years prior to weighing in.
"It cuts 25% off our all electric house monthly bill. In garage so just white noise thats not an issue at all. From about April til Halloween it's just using a small fan to heat water for 4 of us," they wrote.
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