Households that transition to a heat pump can avoid 10,000 gallons of expensive and polluting heating oil. We’re excited to share that more than 2,000 households have transitioned from oil heat to electric heat pumps through the City’s Clean Heat Program! This marks a major environmental, affordability, and housing milestone for Seattle as we make steady progress toward the City’s goal of no more oil-heated homes by 2030.
With this milestone, Seattle’s Clean Heat Program has eliminated the need for 20 million gallons of heating oil. That’s nearly 700 train tankers full of oil that won’t need to come through the city. If lined up, those 700 train cars would stretch across Seattle from Discovery Park all the way east to Lake Washington! Individual households can avoid 10,000 gallons of oil over the life of a heat pump.
Oil is one of the most polluting and expensive ways to heat homes. Burning fossil fuels like oil worsens indoor and outdoor air quality and contributes to climate change, which negatively impacts our land, water, and community health.
Alternatively, heat pumps are powered by clean electricity, have lower heating costs, and provide year-round comfort. Getting 2,000 homes off oil will save Seattleites $45 million on their heating bills over the next 20 years!
Our progress so far has avoided 200,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from polluting the air. That’s like taking 42,000 gas-powered cars, or 9% of the cars in Seattle, off the road for a year. These benefits are concentrated in neighborhoods, directly improving health outcomes and quality of life for kids and families.
Roughly 6,000 oil-heated households remain in Seattle, and Seattle’s Clean Heat Program offers instant rebates to help households transition off oil heat. Currently, Seattle households can save up to $6,000 on a qualified heat pump through our program. Households in need of additional affordability may qualify for a free heat pump through Seattle’s Office of Housing.
Oil tanks come with other hidden risks. Because people have to get oil delivered to their homes, many households store hundreds of gallons of oil under or in their yard. As these tanks get older, they can develop cracks or holes that leak oil into the home, soil, and waterways. Learn more about oil tank risks and how to safely remove your tank on our blog.
Heat pumps are the preferred heating solution in Seattle and nationwide thanks to their many benefits. In addition to heating, heat pumps provide air conditioning and filtration, which are important safety features as climate change causes hotter summers, more extreme heat events, and an increased risk of wildfire and smoke.
Heat pumps are three to four times as energy efficient as gas and oil furnaces. Households that switch from oil heat typically save more than 50% on their heating bills, or approximately $1,100 per year. The appliances also eliminate the need to purchase temporary and less powerful cooling systems like portable AC units in the summer.
“I like everything! I loved the AC during the summer. It keeps the house warmer than the oil furnace in the winter. I have noticed improved indoor air quality, and it is much quieter. It is also great not worrying about forgetting to schedule heating oil deliveries,” said a resident in Broadview after converting to a heat pump.
This milestone shows steady progress toward Seattle’s goal of no more oil heat in the city by 2030, one household at a time. When our program started in 2017, there were about 18,000 oil-heated homes in Seattle. Seattle’s rebates and free conversions have helped drive a market transformation that has steadily reduced that number and is helping low-to-moderate income households afford this long-term investment.
If you’re one of the remaining 6,000 oil-heated homes left in Seattle, contact our team and check out the City’s Clean Heat Program to see how we can help you transition to a heat pump. We’re dedicated to helping households lower their energy bills and improve the comfort, safety, and health of their homes.