Past Clean Heat program participant, Seattle resident Henry Thompson, appreciates that heat pumps provide air-conditioning during Seattle’s increasingly hot summers. Seattle, summer is officially here, and our changing climate means hotter temperatures. Just in time, we are extending bonus rebates for clean, electric heat pumps! Households transitioning off oil heat can save up to $8,000 on heat pumps that provide heating, cooling, and air-filtration.
The total $8,000 in savings is made up of Seattle’s $2,000 base instant rebate for households of any income and $4,000 bonus rebate for moderate-income households, as well as a $2,000 federal tax credit. Bonus rebates are available through May 2027 or until funds run out, whichever comes first.
Heat Pump Benefits: Why You Should Make the Switch from Oil
The benefits of heat pumps are threefold — they lower your bills, improve your health, and protect our environment.
Lowering Your Bills
Heat pumps are three to four times as energy efficient as gas and oil furnaces, and they eliminate the need to buy more temporary cooling systems like portable AC units. Households that switch from oil heat typically save more than 50% on their heating bills, or approximately $1,100 per year.
Improving Your Health
As global temperatures rise due to climate change, Seattle residents need air conditioning now more than ever. By providing AC, heat pumps help families and vulnerable community members including elderly adults, kids, and people with medical conditions stay safe during increasingly common heat waves.
Hot days often come with wildfires and smoke, and heat worsens air pollution by trapping smoke and other emissions from industrial activities and transportation. Heat pumps filter indoor air to make it healthier and safer to breathe, especially for people with respiratory conditions like asthma.
Protecting Our Environment
Heat pumps not only make people more comfortable amid extreme weather and climate change impacts — they are also better for our environment. Gas and oil furnaces heat homes by burning fossil fuels which pollute indoor and outdoor air. By contrast, heat pumps are powered by Seattle’s own carbon neutral electricity, nearly eliminating climate pollution.
Furnaces fueled by dirty oil or fracked gas also require infrastructure such as oil storage tanks and gas piping. Oil tanks can leak and dangerously pollute your yard, your neighbor’s yard, and Seattle’s water (if you believe you have an oil leak, visit Washington State’s website for assistance).
How to Get Started
Ready to make the switch from oil heat? Take these steps to save up to $8,000 through Seattle’s Clean Heat program:
- Find a participating contractor at NoMoreOilHeat.com. Your contractor will work with you to apply rebates to your bill.
- Fill out the Homeowner Participation Form, give it to your contractor, and install your equipment. Your contractor will apply up to $6,000 in instant rebates directly to your invoice.
- Decommission your oil tank per Seattle Fire Department requirements so oil does not sit unused and leak from the tank.
- Apply for a federal tax credit when you file your taxes the following year.
If OSE’s Clean Heat program isn’t the right fit for your household, check out other City of Seattle home affordability resources:
- Weatherization Program: You could qualify for a free heat pump and energy efficiency upgrades to your home, like insulation, through the City of Seattle Office of Housing.
- Home Energy Solutions: Seattle City Light provides rebates on a variety of products for your home.
- Check out the City of Seattle’s Discounts and Assistance webpage for more.
The City of Seattle’s Clean Heat program bonus rebates are supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA). The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.