A home heat pump can cut electricity use by as much as two-thirds – 66% — compared with traditional heating.
Replacing a traditional indoor heating system (furnaces, electric radiators, or boilers) with a heat pump saves around $948 each year, on average, nationally.
But that is not free. Switching to a heat pump can be expensive – in the thousands of dollars. So the best time to switch is when an old heating system is being replaced.
Rebates, personal and corporate tax credits, and financial incentives are offered in many areas. All told, there are about 57 such programs available in Kentucky.
To search for ones you or a client could use, the first, best stop is the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, run by N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at N.C. State University and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Just enter a zip code. https://programs.dsireusa.org/system/program?zipcode=40207.
Exact gains from a heat pump depend on the house, and especially thee insulation, electricity source, and local rates.
But heating (homes and businesses) produces about 560 million tons of carbon dioxide each year. That’s about 10% of our country’s emissions.
