If you read our blog often, you may have heard us mention the HEAR program in the past and it’s for a good reason. The HEAR program exists because getting homes off gas is good for everyone, not just the people who live in the home with the heat pump. Plus having cleaner air, a stronger grid, and lower bills doesn’t hurt.
So instead of asking homeowners to foot that bill alone, the government sets aside federal money specifically to reward people who decide to make the switch to electric. You do the thing that’s better for your own home AND your community? The government basically pays you to do it.
But like any pot of money, it doesn’t last forever. The people who move on it get thousands off their project. The people who wait risk losing out on this incredible opportunity
David was one of those people that didn’t get caught waiting and it saved him a LOT of money.
The Home
David’s 2200 square foot home was already an energy efficient home – he had solar and a heat pump water heater – but he wanted to take it up a notch, and what better way to do that, then with a heat pump. When we did our Manual J reading, Tom, one of our in-home auditors and designers was surprised at how low the reading came in at. A low Manual J number means the home doesn’t need much heating and cooling; it loses very little heat in winter and gains very little in summer.
We compared our Manual J reading against a competitor’s and both readings were very similar, which validates our design accuracy. David decided to go with us because we were local, easy to reach, and efficiency-focused, which perfectly matched with his goals. It was time to get to work.
David’s Home (Before) Photos
A few shots of David’s home and situation before we installed
What Was The Install Like?
Because of the efficiency of David’s home, he only needed a small heat pump. We originally planned to set him up with an LG unit, but after some more calculations and conversations with him, we decided to install a Mitsubishi 2-ton, SUZ unit, rather than something big. A perfect fit for David’s home.
When we removed his old gas furnace, we also removed the gas flue (the exhaust pipe), and that left a gap in the utility room. Instead of leaving it, we made sure to do the extra drywall work to patch and finish it. It might seem like a small thing, but it’s important that we are always leaving homes better than we find them.
A lot of companies might rip out the old equipment and leave you with a hole to deal with. We finish the job all the way down to the drywall. This is also a way we truly close up any last trace of the gas system and truly help people get the gas out of their home.
David’s (After) Install Photos
The Mitsubishi systems and indoor air handler
The Payoff
David and his grandchild now can sleep comfortably in their home knowing it is energy efficient and the gas is now just an after thought. Plus with the rebates he received from the HEAR program, Xcel, and the state tax credit, he can focus on what matters most, his family.
In total, David got nearly $5,500 in Xcel Energy and Heat Pump Tax Credit rebates, and $9,000 in HEAR rebates (no longer available unfortunately). He also received all of these because we as heat pump installers make sure to meet all the requirements to be able to offer these.
We love working with people like David, and would be happy to work with you, if getting gas out of your home and making it more energy efficient is something that is important to you.
Book a discovery call here or call 303.525.HEAT.
