One of the most popular questions we hear is, “do heat pumps use a lot of electricity?” We are delighted to answer that they do not. Compared to more traditional methods of heating, ductless heat pumps are much more energy-efficient, which means they have less impact on your utility bills. In some cases, you may even be eligible for rebates or tax credits because of how environmentally friendly ductless heating systems are.
MINI-SPLIT HEAT PUMPS AND ELECTRICITY BILLS
Heat pumps run on electricity, while traditional heaters run on gas. This offers a couple of enormous benefits for people who choose ductless heat pumps over gas heating. For one thing, they aren’t using oil to heat their homes. There are many ways to get electricity which makes it more of a renewable resource. Oil, on the other hand, is a non-renewable resource. Using a heat pump can reduce your home’s oil consumption by up to 300 gallons.
While it decreases your oil consumption, it also increases your electricity consumption at the same time. That said, heat pumps still work out in your favor. The amount of electricity used only costs about half of what it would cost to heat your home with gas. People who switch from gas heat to ductless heat pumps will see the results on their utility bills almost immediately.
Heat pumps are so effective at saving power because of the brilliant way they collect heat. These systems do not have to generate any new heat– they only harness what is already there. Ductless heat pumps only need to power an evaporator, condenser, compressor, and pump. This operation requires far less moving parts and less energy than traditional heating options.
Ductless heat pumps collect heat from outside your home, concentrate it to create warmth, and pump it inside. This method of using existing heat from the environment is already much more efficient than traditional heating options. When combined with other energy-saving methods, heat pumps can have an especially dramatic impact.
HEAT PUMPS AND SOLAR POWER
As solar power becomes more and more accessible, people with heat pumps will be reducing their carbon footprint even more. Solar panels can be placed directly onto a home, and provide electricity for that home. Your electrical utility company can credit that electricity back to you, and remove the electricity you gathered yourself from your electric bill each month. In conjunction with your reduced gas bills thanks to a heat pump, this will have a massive impact on your monthly utilities.
The use of solar panels on your house can reduce the cost to run your heat pump by almost 40% over the course of a year. Heat pumps are already about 50% less expensive than traditional gas heat, so the savings really start to stack up when you involve solar panels. In addition to the savings, you become less dependent on outside energy. Over time, as heat pumps and solar panels both become more efficient, homes will be able to become almost entirely self-sufficient when it comes to energy!
IS IT POSSIBLE TO USE ONLY A HEAT PUMP?
In some climates, people can get away with using a heat pump system as their only source of heating and cooling. Mild climates like the one in the Pacific Northwest certainly make that more possible. As technology advances, it will get even more plausible to use a heat pump as the only source of temperature control for a home.
Some people still may want to have a secondary source of heat for extremely frigid days, or for periods where there are several cold days in a row. During such periods, heat pumps can have a hard time keeping up with the loss of heat. If you feel more comfortable with a backup source of heat, natural gas is still one of the better choices for low fuel costs and relatively low carbon emissions.
Heat pump technology can also provide hot water. Heat pump water heaters use the same kind of technology as your mini-split ductless heat pump, and they use the collection and movement of warm air to heat water. Heat pump water heaters are extremely efficient, and they hold heat well. A family of four people with normal water use can generally get by for less than $15 a month in operating costs from a ductless water heater.
FIND AN EPA-CERTIFIED HVAC TECHNICIAN IN OREGON
The Heat Pump Store is your local source for effective, eco-friendly, and innovative heating and cooling. Our EPA-certified technicians are dedicated to making your specific home as efficient as possible and then keeping it that way. We can perform full installations, make repairs, and provide any other heat pump service you need. Contact us today to take the next step towards a more efficient home, reduced environmental impact, and lower utility bills.
