Electrifying your home’s heating system is critical—and more affordable than you know
Reducing our collective carbon intensity is a major topic for consideration for governments at the state, regional, and local levels. A major source of emissions in Sammamish is our use of natural gas to heat our homes, cook our food, and provide us with hot water, with home heating as the largest source of carbon dioxide (CO2)–a greenhouse gas (GHG). Transitioning away from gas furnaces to electric heat pumps offers a solution to household emissions and results in a large reduction in our personal carbon intensity.
Two years ago, the Sammamish City Council recognized that it was important to reduce our use of fossil fuels, so they established reduction goals with Resolution #2023-1000. The resolution also initiated a study to establish our community baseline emissions and GHG reduction goals going forward to 2050. A 2019 study funded by a grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce determined the city’s baseline carbon intensity to be 563,115 metric tons of CO₂ (MTCO₂e)–or 1.24 billion pounds.
As part of the resolution, the city also developed the Climate Action Plan (CAP), which was released in December of 2023. The CAP maps the projected reductions in emissions going forward to 2050. The CAP identifies natural gas as the most difficult source of GHG to reduce, representing 41% of the total. Without a transition to heat pumps for home heating, it is projected that by 2030, we will only see a very modest reduction, followed by an increase in natural gas use in 2040 and 2050. So what’s stopping us from making the switch to electric heat pumps?
Homeowner concerns around heat pump efficiency in cold weather, vulnerability during power outages, and overall cost stem from common misconceptions. Technological advancements and incentive programs aim to address these concerns.
Heat pumps once had a reputation for being inefficient in low ambient temperatures, but in 2021 the US Department of Energy challenged manufacturers to improve. Now, heat manufacturers are delivering cold climate heat pumps that can operate as low as -15°F.
Heat pumps rely on a source of electricity, so what about power outages? Whether you have a heat pump or a gas furnace, power outages are disruptive to your home heating system. At least with a heat pump, you can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 91% compared to gas. Additionally, because heat pumps are so efficient, you can lower your energy bills by using less energy to produce the same amount of heat. As a bonus, you also get air conditioning with the heat pump!
It’s no secret that heat pumps are more expensive than gas furnaces. The good news is that there are monetary incentives available to help with conversion to a heat pump–namely the Energy Smart Eastside heat pump program. Residents can also stack incentives from Puget Sound Energy with tax credits and special program rebates, with potential savings up to full coverage for eligible homeowners. A sample breakdown of stacked incentives totalling $8,600 for eligible homeowners is as follows:
- Up to $6,000 Fuel Switch Rebate
- $1,000 manufacturer rebate if applicable
- $300–$600 Puget Sound Energy rebate
- $2,000 federal tax credit
- Additional coverage (100%) for eligible low-income homes via the Energy Smart Eastside Boost Program
I implore you to consider the part you play in reducing your carbon footprint and make the switch to electric heat pumps now.
I’m reminded of a quote from Saul Griffith, author of “Electrify – An Optimist’s Playbook for Our Clean Energy Future:” “The next time you retire a machine that burns fossil fuels, it should be replaced with a solution that doesn’t emit GHGs.”
Steve Christensen is a 38-year Sammamish resident and a retired Aerospace Materials Engineer. His path forward is to address his carbon footprint and influence others to do the same. Influence can come as encouragement of our community to actively promote electrification through education.
