It’s time for some straight talk about heating equipment – specifically electric heat pumps. We believe that heat pumps should be part of a clean energy future, but only a part. While heat pumps work well to control the temperature of individual rooms, home additions, basements or dormers, there are drawbacks to using them exclusively to heat an entire home, especially in the colder climates of the northeastern U.S.
On the other hand, Bioheat® fuel powered boilers and furnaces have reliably and efficiently kept homes warm and comfortable no matter how cold it gets outside! That’s one of the reasons liquid fuels have been the preferred heat source for generations.
Things to consider before going “all electric” with heat pumps:
- Most homes will need more than one heat pump. The cost to convert a small single-story home with two heat pumps, electric panel upgrades, and a heat pump water heater will be about $18,500.1
- Larger homes, needing an additional heat pump, upgrades to maintain preferred temperature levels, and other system modifications could cost more than $40,000.2
- As outdoor temperatures reach freezing or below, heat pumps need to run through defrost cycles to clear the outdoor coil. The system will run in reverse whenever the coil temperature reaches 32° F, as often as every 30 minutes and for up to 15 minutes at a time.
- Only 15% of heat pumps are installed for whole-home heating. Most are used to control the temperature in individual rooms or extensions or solely for air conditioning.
- Only about 6% of new homes in New England are built with whole-home heat pumps, and the majority of these have a back-up heating system installed as well.3
- The Northeast power infrastructure is not in place to provide enough electricity to meet the demand of an “all electric” winter, and the majority of the electricity that can be delivered will be coming from coal and natural gas-powered generators, not renewable energy.
- Electric power plants produced 1.7 billion tons of carbon emissions in 2021.4 That’s the equivalent of driving more than 366 million gasoline-powered cars.5 Where’s the clean energy in that?
Save with Bioheat® Fuel High Efficiency Home Heating Equipment
- The oil-fueled heating system in your home right now can use low-carbon Bioheat® fuel, without any expensive system modifications.
- If you are thinking about upgrading, new equipment is already rated for up to B20 blends, and systems for B100 fuels are anticipated within the next few years.
- A new, higher efficiency system can reduce your fuel needs by 18%-20% on average, and as much as 40% in some cases. That can cut your personal GHG emissions by over one ton of carbon emissions per year.
- You can get to net-zero carbon emissions by using B100 fuel and offsetting any emissions with solar panels.
- Upgrading your boiler or furnace for higher efficiency, lower emissions and lower fuel costs will cost you much less than installing heat pumps.
- The federal government has recognized Bioheat® fuel equipment as part of our clean energy future. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act includes $600 tax credits for new, high efficiency heating installations.
- More rebates may be available through your local heating provider. Contact them to learn more.
- Don’t forget – annual tune ups can reduce heating costs by up to 10% and could cost you nothing if you have a service agreement. Your heating retailer may also offer price protection, loyalty rewards, budget plans and other savings and discounts to help you control heating costs.
There’s really no comparison. You can enjoy clean, renewable, and reliable home comfort with a Bioheat® fuel powered boiler or furnace; or you can install so-called “efficient” heat pumps that will need to rely on a back-up heating system as it defrosts every half-hour in winter weather.
