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This week, let’s look at a different kind of heat pump: a water heater.
Last week, we introduced you to government programs that can help you fund converting your home to a heat pump air conditioner and heater.
This week, let’s look at a different kind of heat pump: a water heater.
What’s a heat pump water heater?
“Heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) are similar to heat pumps for space heating, except they produce hot water instead of hot air. In other words, HPWHs use electricity to pull heat from the surrounding air and transfer it into a hot water tank.” – Rewiring America
Heat pumps have a number of benefits:
“HPWHs transfer heat instead of creating it, and they don’t combust fossil fuels. As a result, they are 2-3 times more efficient than most current hot water systems. These efficiency gains translate to hundreds of dollars per year in savings for an average household.” – Rewiring America
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides savings if you decide to purchase a heat pump:
- A 30 percent nonrefundable tax credit for traditional heat pumps and heat pump water heaters, capped at $2,000 per year.
- A 30 percent nonrefundable tax credit up to $600 for an electrical panel upgrade, but only if it’s upgraded in conjunction with another upgrade covered by the IRA (like a heat pump).
Wait. What’s a tax credit?
“A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar amount taxpayers claim on their tax return to reduce the income tax they owe.
If a taxpayer’s tax bill is less than the amount of a refundable credit, they can get the difference back in their refund. For nonrefundable tax credits, once a taxpayer’s liability is zero, the taxpayer won’t get any leftover amount back as a refund.” – IRS.gov
And, if your income is low to moderate, the IRA will cover 50 percent of your HPWH costs up to $1,750. Check out Rewiring America’s calculator to see if you qualify for a rebate.
In addition to these benefits from the IRA, you can also take advantage of PSE&G’s rebates on the purchase of efficient HPWHs. Check out their site to see which models qualify. EnergyStar’s site can also help you compare models to choose the best one for you.
Most of our old SOMA houses have gas-powered water heaters—so as with heat pump air conditioning and heating, you’ll want to find a knowledgeable service provider to help you with your conversion to a HPWH. EnergyStar’s provider listings can help you find someone qualified.
To claim your heat pump water heater benefits:
- Connect with a qualified service provider to plan your HPWH conversion.
- Use Rewiring America’s calculator to understand whether you qualify for income-dependent rebates.
- Check out PSE&G’s site to find HPWH models that qualify for rebates.
- Select your heat pump and work with your contractor to install it.
- Save your receipts.
- Follow the IRS’s instructions when you file your 2023 taxes.
These resources provide lots of info about IRA and PSE&G HPWH discounts, and how to take advantage of them:
- Rewiring America: Heat Pump Water Heater
- Sealed: Heat Pump Water Heater Ultimate Guide
- PSE&G’s Heat Pump Water Heater Rebate Program
- EnergyStar Certified Water Heaters
- EnergyStar Heat Pump Water Heater Installers for New Jersey
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That’s a wrap for this summer’s Green Savings for South Orange series! We hope our posts have given you the information you need to make your home more efficient and claim government incentives.
Additional home clean energy rebates will become available later in 2023, and we’ll be back then to walk you through them. Stay subscribed to our emails, Facebook, and Instagram to be the first to know about these new types of savings.