As rising global temperatures lead to rising power bills, many homeowners are looking for ways to cut energy costs. Replacing your current HVAC system with a heat pump could reduce energy use by 31%-47%, as detailed in a National Renewable Energy Laboratory report.
The scoop
Traditional HVAC appliances, including radiators and AC units, operate by using a lot of energy to generate heat and change the temperature of the air inside your home.
A heat pump, however, moves heat around instead of generating it — a much more energy-efficient method of controlling temperature. Despite its name, a heat pump both heats and cools your home.
Energy.gov explains it like this: "During the cooling season, heat pumps move heat from your house to the outdoors, and during the heating season, they move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house."
How it's working
Initial costs for heat pumps can range from $4,000-$8,000, but by shopping for competitive pricing and utilizing government rebates or tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act, this number can be greatly reduced.
The IRA offers up to $2,000 in tax credits to homeowners who install heat pumps and up to $8,000 in rebates to qualifying low-income households.
The long-term savings of a heat pump also help make up for initial fees. If you take additional steps to weatherize your home, like installing better insulation, the savings over time increase.
Further upgrading your home energy and making your house a smart home, using techniques such as smart thermostats and lighting, can also help decrease your energy consumption and save you even more cash.
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EnergySage, an organization created to help homeowners find the best prices and reliable providers for home energy upgrades, has tons of free resources. Check out their website to visit its Heat Pump Marketplace and find the best products for you.
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Using the HPM — and other resources like Arcadia and WattBuy — can help you generate a home energy upgrade plan to give you serious long-term savings and cut down on your home's pollution output.
What people are saying
There are many discussions about heat pumps on Reddit, with lots of people responding to share their positive experiences.
In one post in the r/HeatPumps subreddit, a user asked: "Anyone regret going [heat pump]?"
One Redditor responded: "Not at all, going on 3rd year. Primary heat was a wood stove, nice to wake up to a warm house every morning now."
Another user responded: "I live in an area with cheap electricity, so I'm saving a ton of money."
In an additional Reddit post, this one in the r/NewJersey subreddit, a user asked: "Success stories with heat pumps?"
One Redditor shared: "I have a Fujitsu heat pump for a 700 sq. ft. bonus room. … It is unbelievable how fast it cools and heats the room."
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