Tips for Your Home

Going Electric at Home: Water Heating

Electrifying your home will bring big benefits to your family and the environment. But, what's the best way to electrify your water heater?

Water heating accounts for up to 20% of your home's energy use. Heat pump water heaters have lower energy costs than natural gas water heaters, and they last longer, too. To add to the savings, SWEPCO offers its residential customers a $1,150 rebate to help pay for the purchase and installation of an ENERGY STAR®-certified heat pump water heater. Homeowners can also take advantage of the federal tax credit covering 30% of the project cost up to $2,000.

Heat pump water heaters may sound high-tech, but they work like a refrigerator. A refrigerator moves heat out from its interior into the air in your home. A heat pump water heater moves heat from the air in your home into the water in your tank. On top of being more efficient, heat pumps have advanced digital controls, and many are smart home compatible, too.

When choosing a heat pump water heater, consider how much hot water your family needs. A 50-gallon tank might serve a family of four. A larger family might need a 60-gallon or 80-gallon tank. Don't forget to read the yellow Energy Guide label, which helps compare the efficiency and operating costs of similar models.

If you are planning on installing a geothermal heat pump for home heating and cooling, you can opt to add on water heating. Then, in the summer, instead of waste heat from your home being dumped into the ground, it heats your water for free. In winter, your water is heated by the super-efficient geothermal system.

Switching to a heat pump water heater can make living in your home, and on the planet, better every day.