In response to devastating wildfires in Colorado and other climate change-driven extreme weather around the county, more and more Coloradans are asking, “what can we do to reduce our carbon footprint?” A good place to start is switching to an efficient electric heat pump to heat and cool the home. This switch would have a similar impact to switching from a gasoline-powered car or truck to an electric vehicle.
The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) just released an updated study of the benefits of heat pumps and heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) for Colorado homes, about 85% of which currently use gas for heating. Gas prices have increased significantly in the last six months, and as a result heat pumps and HPWHs are now much more cost-effective than they were only one or two years ago. In addition, heat pump and HPWH performance and availability have continued to improve.
