Improved Insulation + Heat Pump HVAC Can Mean Big Savings

by Doug Anderson, 

ENERGY STAR Certified Products

(NAPSI)—Your home’s heating and cooling account for nearly half of your annual energy use—which, for the average American household, costs approximately $900 per year. Improving your heating and cooling efficiency can go a long way toward saving energy and money in the long run, and upgrading your HVAC to super-efficient heat pump technology is one of the most effective ways to achieve this. Heat pumps have become increasingly popular due to their superior efficiency, their ability to both heat and cool your home, and because numerous financial incentives make them more affordable. 

If you are thinking about upgrading your home’s heating and cooling system, consider an ENERGY STAR-certified heat pump. Heat pumps that have earned the ENERGY STAR label can save you hundreds of dollars per year on energy costs and are available in different types such as central heat pumps, mini-split heat pumps, and geothermal heat pumps. But, to get the most out of a new high-performance heat pump, you should think beyond the equipment you might install and consider the space you are trying to heat and cool. As it turns out, other factors affect your HVAC system’s performance and overall efficiency, such as your home’s insulation.

Insulation And Air Sealing Help—A Lot

If you improve the insulation in your home, a new heat pump won’t need to work as hard to regulate temperatures. Making these improvements at the same time helps keep your home more comfortable and increase your energy savings even more. The attic is the best place to start improving insulation levels. Since attics are often unfinished, sealing air leaks and adding insulation is typically easy and not very expensive. 

Warm air rises. If there are holes in the attic floor and low insulation levels, that warm air will rise right out of the top of the house. Sealing air leaks and adding insulation in the attic can hold that warm air in and block the cold outdoor air. In summer, the sun beats down on the roof, overheating the air in the attic. Adding insulation in the attic prevents that heat from getting into the house, which increases comfort and reduces cooling costs. 

Current Tax Credits and Rebates Make it Worth Doing Both!

There may never be a better time or reason to do these things together, with incentives to help pay for each part of the project. Tax credits and rebates are available for high-performance heat pump installations and for sealing and insulating attic floors. Incentives include Federal Income Tax credits of up to $2,000 for a heat pump and $1,200 for insulation. Many local utilities also offer rebates for these improvements, and some states offer rebates on home energy upgrades.

Learn More About  Upgrading Your Home

Upgrading to an ENERGY STAR heat pump and improving your attic insulation are two elements of an ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade—a set of six high-impact improvements designed to work together to deliver significant energy and cost savings. You can learn more about heat pumps, attic sealing, and insulation via the ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade Tool (energystar.gov/homeupgrade).

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On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)