Magnificent News: Climate Coach: Heat pump advice you've been waiting for

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Climate Coach: Heat pump advice you've been waiting for

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Down-to-earth advice for life on our changing planet.

Illustration by Emily Sabens/The Washington Post; iStock

By Michael J. Coren

Learning from my mistakes is a real theme here in the Climate Coach column. If you're thinking about getting a heat pump, strike while your furnace is hot. Waiting until it's cold will lead to tears. May my misfortune lead the way to your success.

After our furnace failed during a cold snap last year, my wife and I huddled in our condominium researching how to replace it with heat pumps.

The journey led to days of dead ends, confused contractors and wildly expensive quotes.

Wait times can stretch for months amid a shortage of machines and skilled contractors. These bottlenecks may worsen as more Americans rush to take advantage of rebates under the Inflation Reduction Act.

We finally surrendered to the status quo, installing the most efficient gas furnace we could find.

Learn from my mistakes. As the United States spends millions of dollars to incentivize new heat pumps, homeowners are asking: How do I install one?

Here's what you need to ask:

How old is your furnace? If it's old, start planning. Since heat pump systems are in such high demand, they're often unavailable on short notice.

Is your home well insulated? Without good insulation, your expensive heat pump investment will go out the window.

How much should I pay? The average cost is about $14,000 for an entire house — and much less for single-room units. But only looking at the price tag misses the main reason many people make the switch: comfort and health.

How do I find a good contractor? Check contractor lists put out by utilities, government agencies, nonprofit groups and even heat pump manufacturers. The Building Performance Institute has a list of contractors by Zip code who can perform home energy audits and other services.

Read more in this week's column.

And did you know I read all your emails? Be part of the Climate Coach community. Write with clever ideas, bad jokes and ways I can make this newsletter better at climatecoach@washpost.com.

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See you on Thursday,

Michael Coren, Climate Coach