Good news on the heat pump front. THIS inspiring news regarding new federal attention being paid to heat pumps could be a game changer!
The HEATR Act
With 4 million heat pumps installed in the US in 2021, yet 6 million AC units installed in the same period, the Senate’s HEATR Act, introduced recently, looks to incentivize the adoption of heat pumps. As we know, these amazing devices provide both the benefits of heating and cooling.
A key provision in the recently introduced HEATR Act encourages manufacturers to convert their whole supply of traditional central ACs — which can only cool — into devices that both heat homes and cool them: heat pumps. Sponsored by Democratic Senators Klobuchar, Smith, Hickenlooper, Whitehouse, Leahy, Merkley and Booker, the bill has the potential to transform American climate control.
Two-way heat pumps have a few important advantages over both one-way air conditioners and traditional heat sources. They tend to be two to four times more efficient than competing devices, which means they result in comparable or lower energy bills for most families. By taking over from other heat sources such as gas, oil and wood, heat pumps can dramatically reduce indoor air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Even homes in Florida, which have only a handful of heating days each year, can benefit.
Read the full Canary Media story, A New Bill Could Speed up American Electrification by 20 Years, HERE.
Incentives NOW in southeast Alaska!
If you are currently an Alaska Power and Telephone (APT) customer (Prince of Wales Island, Haines, Skagway and Gustavus), a heat pump incentive exists for you right now! APT offers both a heat pump cash incentive as well as an electric vehicle incentive. Learn more about your potential eligibility for APT’s $500 incentive here! And, if you are a Sealaska shareholder in addition to an APT customer, Sealaska will double the incentive by kicking in an additional $500. You can learn about that additional bonus here!
Alaska Heat Smart is currently in the early design stages of an additional incentive program that will target income-qualified Juneau heat pump adopters. We hope to roll out our program this coming fall with incentives of up to nearly 50% off the cost of a heat pump and its installation.