A Reddit user was left stunned by how drastically a heat pump water heater reduced a home's energy bills. The poster shared images of the bill, the new appliance, and the one it replaced on r/Hawaii. "Consider upgrading to a heat pump water heater. $1,000+ energy bill to <$100!" they wrote.
One comment expressed surprise over the extremely high cost of the old bills: "Damn your old water heater must've been wildly inefficient." The original poster clarified that it was a "volunteer family," and the old heater was wasting "hundreds of dollars."
A heat pump water heater is a highly efficient home appliance that essentially works like a fridge running in reverse. It moves heat from the air into the tank, unlike a traditional water heater that converts fuel into heat. The heat pump water heater uses much less energy, has no emissions, and, as the thread has shown, is a good deal cheaper.
They're about three to four times more efficient than a standard water heater, per Energy Star, but some go even further. Cala's intelligent heat pump water heaters can achieve up to 500% efficiency by using predictive technology to heat water at the most optimal times. It's just one of several sustainable home improvements that can save money and help the environment.
A heat pump works similarly in that it reroutes heat from one place to another. In the winter, it extracts heat from the air; in the summer, it absorbs heat and sends it back out. It's much more efficient than a traditional HVAC.
Solar panels are another huge money-saver in the long run. The only stumbling block for most is the upfront cost and confusion over the incentives that can lead to big savings. EnergySage has some useful tools to help homeowners get started with the process.
The original poster mentioned they took advantage of the incentives to lower the costs:
"IRA will rebate these units up to $1,750! I am guessing they are going to peg this to income but this could be a crazy good deal for families here. $8740 for heat pump dryers are also in the IRA."
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Because the incentives offered under the Inflation Reduction Act have an uncertain future, it would be wise to take advantage of them while they're still available.
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