True or False?
Get the Facts on Electric Heat Pumps

Looking for a renewable energy solution for your home? You’ve probably heard about electric heat pumps. New York and other states in the Northeast are looking to convert homes to electric heat pumps to help reduce emissions. However, according to real-world data from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, heat pumps come with considerable financial and performance challenges.

Read this blog post to get the facts about electric heat pumps, if they are a viable renewable energy solution, and what other options you might have to reduce your carbon footprint in the most affordable and efficient manner.

Electric Heat Pumps:
True or False?

FALSE: Electric heat pumps are affordable to install.
The median cost for converting to an electric air-source heat pump is $21,572, making them essentially financially impossible for most low- and middle-income families.

TRUE: Switching to all-electric heat takes time and effort.
If your home has a liquid heating fuel system, storage tank, and duct system or radiant heat system, your entire property would have to undergo some major renovation to switch to using air-source electric heat pumps for primary heating. Not only is that an expensive undertaking, but it’s also a process that would affect your family’s daily routine for a while.

TRUE: If you switch to electric heat pumps, you’ll probably still need a supplementary heat source.
According to data from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, 92% of homeowners who installed heat pumps have kept their existing heat source or installed a supplemental heat source. This is because most electric heat pumps aren’t able to provide sufficient heat output under extreme winter weather conditions, which are very common in the Northeast and can even happen in warmer climates like the storms that swept through Texas this past spring.

FALSE: Electric heat pumps are the only real option to reduce emissions.
Electric heat pumps aren’t the only solution for a carbon-free future. Biodiesel and Bioheat® fuel provide consumers and businesses with a low-carbon heating option that doesn’t require extremely expensive conversions. Bioheat® fuel is actually the only fuel out there that can reduce its carbon content. When you compare that to the current electric grid that is far from renewable, Bioheat® fuel comes out as the best solution when you look at the long list of benefits:

• Low-carbon energy available right now
• Made from diverse renewable feedstocks
• No expensive conversion costs
• Ability to reduce carbon emissions
• Plans to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050
• Reliable heat performance in extreme cold
• Supports local jobs and the overall US economy
• Delivered by local businesses in your neighborhood

Get the Facts to Make the Best Choice for Your Home & Budget

The great news is that there are more renewable energy options available to homeowners today than ever before. Just remember that they are not all created equal and can’t be a one-size-fits-all solution to take action against climate change. Contact your local heating provider to ask if they deliver Bioheat® fuel or to learn more about its benefits.