Why Should I Upgrade to a Heat Pump Water Heater?

Tens of thousands of Mainers own heat pump water heaters. They’re popular because they produce lots of hot water, dehumidify, and can save more than $5,000 over their 10-year life.* Efficiency Maine offers an incentive on heat pump water heaters for Mainers of any income and a free heat pump water heater, including installation, to eligible low-income Mainers.** By using Efficiency Maine’s $950 instant discount, homeowners can pay as little for a heat pump water heater as they might for a traditional electric resistance water heater.

Homeowners across the state are upgrading to heat pump water heaters for their comfort and energy savings. According to Phil B., a homeowner in Falmouth, he has “plenty of water and [is] saving hundreds of dollars a year” since upgrading to a heat pump water heater. 

“We also like the fact that it dehumidifies,” he adds. “The basement used to have a musty smell, but since we installed a heat pump water heater, the smell has gone away.” 

Heat pump water heaters work like air conditioners, but rather than moving heat from a room to the outdoors, they move heat from a room into the water tank. This is the same technology that heat pumps use to heat homes and other buildings. Heat pump water heaters are sometimes called “hybrids” because in addition to a heat pump, they have traditional electric resistance heating elements for times when demand exceeds what the heat pump can produce.

To determine if a heat pump water heater is a good fit for your home or business, we suggest you consider a few factors before you buy one: 

• Because of their noise and cooling effect, heat pump water heaters are better suited to basements than living spaces, especially if there is extra heat available from a boiler. 
• Heat pump water heaters complement, but do not replace, dehumidifiers because they operate based on hot water demand instead of humidity levels. If you need to dehumidify your basement, using a dehumidifier in addition to a heat pump water heater is a good idea. 
• For optimum efficiency, we recommend that you install heat pump water heaters in 10’ x 10’ or larger rooms with temperatures above 35°F. 

Heat pump water heaters can also save you money. For example, a heat pump water heater could potentially save you more than $500 a year in electricity costs and pay for itself in seven years. Click here to calculate your savings.

Once you are ready to purchase and install a heat pump water heater, we recommend downloading Efficiency Maine’s list of the best heat pump water heater prices in Maine.  Efficiency Maine updates this list to reflect the current lowest price for heat pump water heaters at participating retailers. We work with these retailers to offer an instant discount on heat pump water heaters, which means that the rebate will be deducted from the retail price when you check out. Alternatively, you can choose to purchase a heat pump water heater without Efficiency Maine’s instant discount and instead use our mail-in rebate process to obtain your rebate. Mainers who choose to install their heat pump water heater themselves are still eligible for a rebate. 

Consider upgrading to a heat pump water heater and enjoying energy savings and increased comfort for years to come.

Efficiency Maine offers rebates for homeowners and businesses interested in installing heat pump water heaters. If you are interested in purchasing a heat pump water heater, go to efficiencymaine.com/at-home/heat-pump-water-heater-program/ for more information on how to apply for rebates, review eligibility and terms and conditions, and more. Also consider watching our video on heat pump water heaters. And to estimate your water heating costs, consider using our Water Heating Costs calculator. 

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*Compared to an electric resistance water heater as shown on Efficiency Maine’s Compare Water Heating Costs calculator as of 11/22/2022. Your results may differ.
** Rebate amount as of 10/24/2022. Visit efficiencymaine.com/at-home/heat-pump-water-heater-program/ for the most current rebate amount.