Heat Pump Campaign: Energy Smart Eastside
Have you been looking to replace or upgrade your heating system? Depending on what your old system is, a heat pump can help:
- Save energy
- Lower your carbon footprint (by using electricity instead of natural gas)
- Provide both heating AND cooling from the same equipment
- Improve indoor air quality (since all air is filtered and recirculated)
Heat pump technology has been around for decades, but has dramatically improved over the past 15 years, and is growing more popular nationwide. The average air-source heat pumps can be up to 4x more efficient than a gas furnace when heating, and they work in cold temperatures well below freezing (down to about 20F) and cold climate models can operate down to OF or lower. Heat pumps can also provide home cooling that is up to 2x more efficient than typical A/C systems. Because heat pumps filter and recirculate the indoor air, they also help improve your home's air quality, especially during summer wildfire smoke events.
Due to their high energy efficiency, heat pumps are included in the suite of home electrification recommended actions of the City's Climate Action Plan (adopted April 4, 2023), and they will be required statewide by code in new Commercial & Multi-Family buildings starting in July 2023.
The City of Mercer Island has partnered with four other Eastside cities (Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, and Redmond) and multiple community partners for the Energy Smart Eastside campaign to help our residents learn about and install energy-efficient heat pump technology in their homes. There are currently many rebates available for switching to heat pump that can help you save up to $6500!
To learn more about this campaign, and to see if you qualify for our additional $1500 discount, visit the campaign website!
Learn about home electrification in general from our recent webinar (Mar 8, 2023) with the King County Library System.
