Electrify your home with Heat Pumps

Summary: Electrifying your home heating system with a heat pump is one of the most effective ways to reduce your overall carbon footprint and make your home more comfortable.!

Description

Electrifying your home heating system with a heat pump is one of the most effective ways to reduce your overall carbon footprint and make your home more comfortable. 

Air source heat pumps extract heat from the air outside and distribute it inside your home. During warmer months, this process is reversed to provide cooling.

There are both ducted and ductless heat pumps (commonly referred to as mini-splits), making them suited to homes with or without existing ductwork.

What rebates are currently available?

• up to $10,000 off the costs of your installation, income-based enhanced incentives up to $16,000 from MassSave 

• zero interest financing up to $50,000 on many energy saving home improvements

• $2,000 federal TAX CREDIT

Want to see how heat pumps work in animation? Watch the mini-split videos on Mass Save here.

In order to qualify for the MassSave incentives, you should first do everything you can to add the maximum insulation and reduce drafts significantly. We have exactly the thing for you: sign up for a no-cost Home Energy Assessment.   Find more details on the incentives under the Deep Dive tab above.

Want to get started with a quote right now?

Check out the STEPS tab above for more info on purchasing and the DEEP DIVE tab above for Q&A and to find out how they work!

Deep Dive

Heat pumps work much the way your refrigerator does, by circulating a substance called a refrigerant through a cycle of evaporation and condensation. During the heating season, a heat pump moves heat from the outside air to your home. (Since the air outside always contains some heat, a heat pump can supply heat even on cold winter days.) During the summer, a heat pump cools just like an air conditioner, by transferring heat from inside to the outdoors.

Air source heat pumps have two parts: an outdoor condensing unit and one or more indoor air handling units, connected by a conduit through the wall. Some are ductless and some use ducts. Want to see it in animation? Watch the mini-split videos on Mass Save here.

I heard heat pumps don’t work in New England.

This used to be true, but now effective cold climate heat pumps are available and they work very well in New England. 

Doesn’t it cost more to heat with electricity?

No, because heat pumps move heat rather than generate it, they can heat and cool at a significantly lower cost than other systems. In fact, The  Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships  found that in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions air source heat pumps save around 3,000 kWh (or $459) when compared to electric resistance heaters, and 6,200 kWh (or $948) when compared to oil systems. When displacing oil (i.e., the oil system remains, but operates less frequently), the average annual savings are near 3,000 kWh (or about $300).

Do I have to replace my entire existing heating system to use heat pumps? 

Heat pumps work with most heating systems, such as forced hot air, radiators, or radiant (floor) heat. They can also be “ductless,” in which case they transfer warm or cool air directly into the house. Some people choose to install heat pumps on top of their legacy heating system, so that the old system can kick in if temperatures get very cold.  

Types of Air-Source Heat Pumps

The different types of air source heat pumps are described below.

 Ductless vs. Ducted vs. Short-Run Ducted

Ductless applications require minimal construction as only a three-inch hole through the wall is required to connect the outdoor condenser and the indoor heads. Ductless systems are often installed in addition.

Ducted systems simply use ductwork. If your home already has a ventilation system or the home will be a new construction, you might consider this system.

Short-run ducted is traditional large ductwork that only runs through a small section of the house.  Short-run ducting is often complemented by other ductless units for the remainder of the house.

 Split vs. Packaged

Most heat pumps are split-systems—that is, they have one coil inside and one outside. Supply and return ducts connect to the indoor central fan.

Packaged systems usually have both coils and the fan outdoors. Heated or cooled air is delivered to the interior from ductwork that passes through a wall or roof.

 Multi-Zone vs. Single-Zone

Single-zone systems are designed for a single room with one outdoor condenser matched to one indoor head.

Multi-zone installations can have two or more indoor heads connected to one outdoor condenser. Multi-zone indoor heads vary by size and style and each creates its own "zone" of comfort, allowing you to heat or cool individual rooms, hallways, and open spaces. This distinction may also be referred to as "multi-head vs. single-head" and "multi-port vs. single-port."

Ground Source Heat Pumps 

Ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) can provide highly efficient heating, cooling, and water heating by utilizing the nearly constant temperature underground to heat or cool your home. GSHPs are typically the most efficient type of heat pump, but installation is more complex and the initial cost is somewhat higher than ASHPs. More info from MassSave and the MA Clean Energy Lives Here. 

How do I decide which kind of heat pump is right for my home? 

A qualified installer is your best guide, but if you want to learn more now, check out this buying guide.  

Resources

State and Federal Incentives 

30% federal tax credit for equipment and installation costs starting in 2023 with a limit of $2,000 per year. Electrically heated homes are NOT ELIGIBLE. Subject to a $14,000 HEERA cap (includes weatherization and heating equipment). Pair with a 30% federal tax credit for electric system upgrades with a cap of $600. Estimate your savings via this calculator from Rewiring America.

2024 Mass Save incentives are up to $10,000 for a whole home conversion from a non-gas heating system. Or, $1,250 per ton for a partial conversion capped at $10,000. Households may be eligible for enhanced incentives based upon their annual income. Incentives subject to change.

Guide to the Inflation Reduction Act.

Steps to Take

Heat pumps work best in well-insulated homes, so your first step should be to sign up to receive a free Home Energy Assessment. See scheduling details below.

1. Sign up to receive a free Home Energy Assessment unless you have had one in the last 2-3 years. Visit the Town of Swampscott's partnership with Mass Save to sign up.

2. Be sure to get more than one quote for your heat  pump.  Qualified installers will be able to provide a free estimate. We encourage you to get 2-3 quotes. The quotes can also provide different approaches to the system design and equipment. 

3. Consider a no cost virtual consultation with a MassSave specialist. They can provide guidance on heat pumps and answer technical questions. Appointments are released 30 days in advance and there is high demand. 

4. Explore a quote comparison tool to help you compare the prices and equipment recommended by the installers. Be sure the equipment is on the MassSave list of equipment that qualified for rebates. 

5. Explore your rebate and financing options. A good installer should automatically sign you up for any available rebates or savings.

6. Heat pumps are eligible for a 0% interest Mass Save HEAT loan of up to $25,000 if you qualify. 

7. Let us know how it went! Write a testimonial!