Anyone who has marveled at heat pump technology has also wondered whether making the switch is worth it. The answer, of course, is that it depends. A Reddit thread about the topic revealed some of the reasons heat pump adopters are saving so much money — and a few reasons others have not.
The scoop
Heat pumps are highly efficient — by multiple orders of magnitude — air movers. They don't create heat like a furnace but instead move it into your home in winter. In summer, they can work backward, moving that hot air outside to cool your house, filling in for that inefficient air conditioner.
One New Jersey homeowner who said they factored this into the cost to change their situation was not willing to upgrade. Their natural gas was cheap, and the electricity they produced from solar panels was spent to charge an electric vehicle. "Do heat pumps actually save you money?" they asked.
They said it would take 8-10 years to break even on the project and were unwilling to try a heat pump because it would cost too much upfront and "likely break down more often."
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How it's helping
While the installation of a heat pump can match or exceed that of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, the government is paying homeowners to make the switch. These incentives can reach $10,000. And users save around $1,000 a year in utility bills — again, depending on your cost of electricity.
As commenters pointed out, the price of propane and other dirty fuels can be extremely high — not to mention variable — so replacing an oil-based furnace with an electric heat pump is a real boon for these homeowners. Those in mild climates may also get the most out of the new appliance.
If you have to supplement your heat pump with traditional heating, however, it may not be worth making the switch. Check out EnergySage's heat pump marketplace to explore the issue, consult with an expert, and compare quotes.
What everyone's saying
Users noted that proper installation is key and heat pumps are better for our health and that of the environment because they don't produce heat-trapping gas pollution.
"If you're putting in a new system, you might consider [a heat pump] as you also get air conditioning as a bonus," one wrote.
Someone else said: "For most situations, it does not make sense to swap out a perfectly good gas system for a heat pump. You would only want to swap if yours was near end of life.
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What is stopping you from upgrading to a heat pump system?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
The cost of installation 💵 "If you really want to save money, you should probably have an energy audit done. Better air sealing and some added insulation in your attic may be the bigger money savings."
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