Home heating and cooling costs consume a large portion of our monthly energy budget – in most cases, almost 50 percent. Homeowners who want to decrease this ongoing expense have an effective choice in a geothermal heat pump. These units are highly efficient, and can reduce monthly home comfort costs by as much as 70 percent. If your utility bills are regularly hundreds of dollars a month, the savings offered by a geothermal heat pump will be noticed immediately.
Probably the biggest disadvantage of geothermal heat pumps is their initial cost. Investment in geothermal, or ground-source, heating and cooling can easily top $10,000, and can often rise to twice that. Monthly savings can seem less attractive when facing an installation bill that large.
However, the decision to install a geothermal heat pump should not be based solely on the unit’s initial cost. Geothermal units offer many benefits beyond monthly savings on utility bills, and these benefits should be evaluated along with their cost effectiveness.
- Federal income tax credits: Geothermal units qualify for federal credits you can apply directly to your personal income taxes. For an individual, the credit amounts to 30 percent of the unit’s cost with no upper limit. Credits are good until 2016. Check the Database of State Incentives for Renewals & Efficiency for information for other state or local incentive programs.
- High efficiency: Geothermal heat pumps are extremely efficient systems, wasting very little energy during operation.
- Benefit to the environment: Geothermal units are very clean and produce no greenhouse gases that can harm the environment. In addition, they operate very quietly and do not disturb you or your surroundings.
- Long-term savings: These heat pumps will usually last for 15 years or more. Over the life of the system, you will see substantial total savings. In many cases, a geothermal system can pay for itself by about the halfway point of its normal lifespan.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning is a trusted source of HVAC sales and services for customers in Lorain, Erie & Cuyahoga Counties. Contact us today for more information on geothermal heat pumps and their many benefits.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about geothermal heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Energy 1 Heating services the Lorain, OH area. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area