19 Nov A Tip from Always Affordable Plumbing: Sacramento-Area Residents Can Get a Rebate for a Water Heater Upgrade
SMUD Will Pay You to Convert Your Electric or Gas Water Heater to a Heat Pump
Affordable Plumbing Sacramento | SMUD Water Heater Rebate
Hot water on demand may be one of the best things about the world today. Certainly, modern medicine is important. In addition, electricity, personal vehicles, and the Internet are admittedly awesome. But hot water whenever you want it? Without having to start a fire first? In short: It’s amazing.
What can make it even better? Always Affordable Plumbing in Sacramento is alerting local residents to a rebate program from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). The SMUD water heater rebate program will pay you to update your old water heater. The goal is to get water users to convert their old hot water heaters into modern, more efficient heat pumps.
How Big of a Rebate Are We Talking About Here?
First of all, hot water heaters are not the cheapest items to buy for your home. They are certainly important, but they can be pricey. Likewise, heat pumps are expensive—even more than hot water heaters.
Depending on the heater, the price tag can range from several hundred to a couple thousand dollars. Heat pumps, on the other hand, typically start around $4,000 and go up from there.
If you want to convert a natural gas water heater to a heat pump, the rebate is $3,000. An electric water heater conversion, however, carries a $1,000 rebate.
If you take advantage of this program, you will get a check in the mail for the appropriate amount. To clarify, the account holder will get the rebate check.
What’s the Difference Between a Water Heater and Heat Pump?
Hot water heaters use electricity or natural gas to raise water’s temperature. This hot water then sits in a tank, where the appliance maintains its heat. When you turn on a hot water tap, the hot water flows from the tank to the faucet.
Heat pumps, however, pull heat from the air to raise water’s temperature. Basically, they move heat instead of generating it. This method can cut a home’s water-heating electricity use by 60 percent. Moreover, this method also works to cool the surrounding area. That means if your heat pump is in your garage, you can lower the garage’s temperature. Why not put unwanted heat to good use?
The number of consecutive hot showers a heat pump can produce is comparable to an electric tank hot water heater. Furthermore, it delivers the same amount of hot water in its first hour of use. And it does so considerably more efficiently.
To top it off, heat pumps have leak detection and a 10-year warranty.
What Are the Rebate Rules?
Naturally, SMUD has some requirements for anyone interested in a heat pump rebate. The full list is available at the SMUD website. That said, the basics are simple:
• The residence must be in SMUD’s service territory and be individually metered by SMUD. Furthermore, the customer must have an active SMUD account.
• Residents are responsible for any permits and inspections.
• The residence has to have a permanent foundation.
• You must submit pre- and post-installation photos, as well as copies of all receipts, permits, etc.
In addition to these rules, the rebate is limited to one per address per year. Read about more requirements on SMUD’s own appliance rebate page. There are also other rebates available, such as for a new clothes washer.
Want to Take Advantage of This Opportunity?
Always Affordable Plumbing is a registered and SMUD-approved contractor participating in the rebate program. Call (916) 970-0099 to learn more about heat pumps, necessary paperwork, the rebate program, and more.
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Affordable Plumbing Sacramento | SMUD Water Heater Rebate