In our area, heat pumps spend a lot of their time providing cooling. After all, they make fantastic replacements for traditional air conditioners, and for so much of the year, that’s exactly what we need in Louisiana. Many people purchase heat pumps in the spring and early summer specifically for that reason.
But we’d like you to consider something else. There’s no better time to get a heat pump than right now, at the end of the year. Why? Here are two very persuasive reasons.
1: Heat Pumps Are the Most Efficient Way to Heat
While heat pumps are, generally speaking, quite efficient at cooling, that’s nothing compared to how efficient they are at heating. The reason for this is pretty simple. Generating heat uses a lot of energy, regardless of the type of heating system or the fuel or energy source you’re using. Why are heat pumps different? Because they don’t generate heat.
This may sound silly. How can they heat your home without generating any heat? They transfer heat instead: they move it from one place to another. It’s just like your air conditioner absorbing heat from your home and carrying it outside. Your heat pump functions in the exact same way, but with a reversing valve that switches the flow, so it can carry heat into your home instead.
And it doesn’t have to be warm outside in order for your heat pump to warm up your home. It only has to be a bit warmer than the refrigerant, because it operates on temperature differential and not specific temperature. In fact, in climates where it rarely drops below freezing, heat pumps can provide all the heat you need, all winter, with outrageous efficiency.
Just how efficient are they? HSPF2 (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) is a rating system for measuring heating efficiency. An example of an ordinary rating is an electrical resistance heater, which rates a 3.41 on this scale. But the least-efficient heat pumps start out at a rating of 7.5, and the most efficient ones come in at a 10.5. That’s a staggering difference from other heating methods.
2: Heat Pumps Can Qualify for Tax Credits and Rebates
This amazing level of efficiency that heat pumps can achieve makes them valuable, not just for a homeowner, but for society at large. The more people who use heat pumps, the less pressure there is on the power grid or electrical infrastructure. With so much less energy being used, heating can have a much smaller carbon footprint and much lower environmental impact.
Because of all these positive impacts, people who purchase heat pumps can qualify for a variety of state and federal rebates and tax credits. Some of these are scaled by the homeowner’s income, and in some cases, the entire cost of the heat pump could be recovered through these rebates and credits.
That means that the best time to get a heat pump is now, when you’ll not only be able to enjoy the massive benefit of reduced heating costs this winter, but you’ll also be able to claim it on your 2023 taxes. A member of our team would be delighted to talk with you about heating installation in Sterlington, LA, what heat pump would work best for your home, and what credits and rebates you may qualify for.
Contact Mike Smith Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC. We provide “Professional grade service.”