Ductless heat pumps use less energy than oil or propane furnaces, and can be used to both heat and cool your home. 

Vermonters spend over $2 billion per year on fossil fuels, according to the Energy Action Network.  Fossil fuel prices can vary wildly, leading to unpredictable energy costs for the average homeowner.   Pollution from fossil fuel use degrades our air and water, and causes disasters such as larger storms and increased flooding.  The climate pollution created in Vermont is the highest per capita of any state in New England. Adding a heat pump or heat pump hot water heater to your home can help to stabilize and reduce your energy spending while reducing emissions.

Ductless heat pumps (aka mini splits) can be a great way to reduce the cost of your winter heat, and are an energy-efficient way of cooling your home in the summer months.  They use far less energy than baseboard heaters or systems that run on propane and oil.  Cold climate heat pumps can function in temperatures as low as -15 F.

Heat Pumps use a refrigerant to extract heat from outdoors and move it indoors during the winter months.  In the summer months, they do the opposite to move heat outside and cool your home.  Heat pump hot water heaters work on the same principle, but heat water instead of air.  The system absorbs warmth from the air and uses this to heat the water tank.  Heat pump hot water heaters can be 2-3 times more efficient than standard electric water heaters.

If you have a hot water heater that runs on your boiler, replacing it with a heat pump hot water heater can be a great way to reduce your oil consumption.  Rather than running your boiler through the summer months just for hot water, you will only be using it during the winter months to heat your home.  Heat pump hot water heaters dehumidify the space they are in, which is an added bonus for a basement space during humid summer months.

The energy burden (percentage of a household’s income spent on energy costs) is high for those in the low- and moderate-income categories.  It can be difficult to justify purchasing new appliances when the budget is tight.  Despite the current federal administration’s decision to end the Inflation Reduction Act and the tax rebates for clean energy, there are still programs that exist to help make the transition to green energy more affordable.

Sustainable Woodstock has grants available (up to $2000 per household) for those in the moderate-income category and below to help cover the cost of heat pumps, heat pump hot water heaters, pellet stoves, efficient wood stoves, and weatherization projects.  These grants can be combined with other programs, such as the rebates at Efficiency Vermont.  Efficiency Vermont will be offering $475 rebates for ductless heat pumps in 2026.  If you’d like to learn more, contact Heather Knoll, Sustainable Woodstock Program Coordinator at programs@sustainablewoodstock.org , 802.296.1595.

For those in the low-income category, Efficiency Vermont has a free appliance replacement program (while funding lasts) that includes the opportunity for a free ductless heat pump. To learn more about this program, contact Efficiency Vermont at 888.921.5990.