Make Heat Pumps Work for You
Heat Pumps are the most common and efficient form of electric heating in moderate climates like ours. Heat pumps use refrigerant to absorb heat from the air outside (yes, even when it’s cold!) to warm your home instead of “making” heat like traditional furnaces or baseboard heaters.
With cold weather looming, these useful tips may help you save energy and money on your bills as you make the switch to heating your home.
- Set your thermostat to 68°F when you’re home and turn it down at night or when you’re out. A programmable thermostat can help you manage these adjustments. Remember, because heat pumps are using outside air, you will use more energy as the gap between the outside temps and your thermostat setting widens.
- Turn up your heat gradually – no more than two degrees at a time – to keep your heat pump’s auxiliary heat, or “heat strips”, from coming on. Auxiliary heat costs three times as much to operate, but keep in mind auxiliary heat will automatically come on as temperatures reach freezing and below.
- If your heat pump is more than 10 years old, consider replacing it with an ENERGY STAR® certified system. PWC electric customers can take advantage of our HVAC incentive program and earn up to $400 in bill credits for installing an ENERGY STAR heat pump, plus additional credits for replacing duct work and/or improving insulation.
