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Heating Systems
& Rebates
Heating System
Rebates
Heat Pumps
Geothermal Heating
Systems
Water Heater
Program
FREE water heater
Water heater
rebates
Why an electric
water heater?
Water heater
switches
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Need a new heating system?
The Energy Adviser at your REMC can help you choose a high-quality
and high-efficiency heating system. It’s a free service
and we hope you will take advantage of it.
To encourage the installation
of high efficiency electric heating systems, Wabash County
REMC offers the following heating system rebates:
When you install a new or replacement all-electric heat pump,
the rebate is $600. The rebate is limited to one rebate per
house.
While we do not require a specific
efficiency level for the new heat pump, it is our suggestion
that it have a 14 SEER or higher efficiency rating.
When you install a new or replacement Geothermal heating system,
the rebate is $600. The rebate is limited to one rebate per
house.
While there are several brands
of Geothermal available, we recommend you choose the high-end
model with a 2-stage compressor.
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An air-source heat pump works like
any central air conditioner in the summer. If you walk up
to the heat pump, it will look exactly like a central air
conditioner. And like any air conditioner, it removes heat
from the home and releases it outdoors, using the refrigeration
system.
In the summer there is
no difference in operation from any other central air conditioner.
The difference is in the winter, when the heat pump reverses
itself and becomes a heating system.
When you change the room
thermostat from cooling to heating, the refrigeration system
simply reverses itself and extracts heat from the outdoor
air and releases that heat inside the home. In very basic
terms, the cooling system is now heating your home.
What makes a heat pump
different is its ability to extract heat from the outdoor
air, which is why it is called an air-source heat pump, or
more commonly called a heat pump.
The cooling coils located
inside the furnace become cooling and heating coils, when
a heat pump is installed. The outdoor heat pump or compressor
section is what does the lion’s share of the heating,
as it compresses and transfers (pumps) the heat into the furnace
coil. Air blowing across the coil, is heated by the hot coils.
The furnace fan blows or distributes the heated air throughout
your home, like any other forced air heating system.
 A
heat pump is a combination of the outdoor compressor section,
plus the indoor electric furnace and coil. In the extreme
cold weather, some supplemental heat is needed to maintain
the desired room temperature. The indoor thermostat will automatically
sense the need for this supplemental heat and activate the
electric furnace when needed.
Because it is cheaper to transfer
heat from the outdoor air, than it is to produce that heat
from burning gas, the heat pump is much cheaper to operate.
It is important not confuse the need for supplemental heat
with its efficiency. Yes, the heat pump may need some supplemental
heat to maintain the desired room temperature, but even during
those times, the heat being produced by the heat pump is very,
very low cost. Even at zero degrees, the heat pump is still
operating at over 200% efficiency.
Just like any other heating
system, heat pumps are sold in various efficiency levels.
The rating to look for is called the SEER number. That
stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The lowest
efficiency model manufactured today is 13 SEER, which
is the cheap builders model. At the high end of the
range, some units now reach up to 17 or even 18 SEER.
It’s our recommendation
that you install a 14 SEER (or higher) model. In addition
to lowering the cost of heating, a 14 SEER heat pump will
lower the cooling cost by as much as 40%. Since the heat pump
is both a heating and cooling system, the small increase in
installation cost will be recovered quickly from lower heating
and cooling cost.
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For the absolute lowest heating, cooling
and water heating cost, you can move up to a Geothermal heating
system. Geothermal heating uses water as the heat source or
heat sink. It works by removing heat from water passing through
it. The refrigeration system in the Geothermal unit uses the
heat removed from the water to heat your home. In the summer,
the same refrigeration system in the Geothermal unit removes
the heat from your home and transfers it to the water flowing
through it.
Because the ground and its water supply
is always warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than
the outdoor air, the Geothermal system is always able to heat
and cool a home for much less cost.
Open Loop Vs. Closed Loop
The water flowing through the Geothermal system can be well
water (open-loop), or it can be from a system of buried pipe
outside your home that circulates the same water over and
over (closed-loop).
The vast majority of Geothermal systems
in this area use well water (open-loop systems). We are blessed
to have an abundance of well water available. The only question
is … do you have a place for the well water to flow
into, such as a ditch, field tile or pond? If so, you are
most fortunate. When the return of water is easy, a standard
open-loop Geothermal system is the preferred choice.
If you install an open-loop Geothermal system,
the water well you already have for you home is the source
of heating and cooling. A water line connected to the Geothermal
unit, much like a water faucet would be connected. When the
Geothermal unit is heating or cooling, an automatic valve
is opened to allow well water to flow through the Geothermal
unit. In the winter, the Geothermal unit extracts heat from
the water to heat the home. In the summer, the Geothermal
extracts heat from the home and transfers it to the well water
flowing through the Geothermal unit.
 However
if your home is located where there is no natural drain, a
closed-loop system can be installed to circulate the same
water over and over. This closed-loop is a system of buried
pipe in your yard. This pipe can be laid horizontal or drilled
vertically in the earth, or it can be laid in the bottom of
a lake. In either case the water flows through the buried
pipe, to be warmed and cooled by the earth’s temperature.
In the winter the Geothermal system extracts heat from the
loop water as it passes through. Much like the air-source
heat pump, the refrigeration extracts heat from the water,
which in turn heats your home. The loop water then flows back
outside to be reheated by the ground or lake water. With the
water flowing in a circle, that same water returns to the
house again and again, to provide additional heat.
In the summer the Geothermal system transfer
heat in your home to the loop water flowing through the Geothermal
system. The closed-loop takes the heated water outdoors, where
the ground absorbs the heat. The loop water then returns to
the Geothermal system to capture more heat from the home.
Both the open-loop and closed-loop Geothermal
heating system actually use the earth’s constant temperature
as a source of heating and cooling. The stable temperature
of the earth is the very reason a Geothermal system will heat
and cool a home for much less cost.
It’s important to understand the closed-loop
and open-loop well water system is transferring heat from
the earth to the home, however the Geothermal unit transfers
that heating and cooling to a standard duct system, thus the
Geothermal heating system is a forced-air heating system.
Both closed-loop and open-loop work equally
well and will heat and cool your home for the same cost. Since
the closed-loop will add approximately $3,000 to the installation
cost, open loop is the preferred choice.
A Geothermal system is a wise investment.
In fact if you will think of Geothermal as an investment,
any added installation cost will soon be returned in lower
heating, cooling and water heating cost. Geothermal is the
one heating system that will pay dividends year after year.
Heating Cost
Comparison
A simple bar graph is an easy way to compare the cost of heating
with a heat pump, Geothermal heating system and gas heating
system. The chart shows the cost to produce one million BTU
of heat. .
Notice the savings is not just a few pennies.
This comparison shows it’s 3 to 4 times more costly
to heat a home with a gas furnace.
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To encourage the installation of more electric water heaters,
Wabash County REMC will give you a 50-gallon water heater
at NO-Cost! The FREE offer is for water heaters that are installed
in a residence only. Water heaters for other buildings must
be purchased.
• Receive a FREE 50-gallon electric water heater for
your home when one or more of the following conditions are
met:
1. Installed in new home construction
2. Replaces a gas water heater
3. Replaces an existing water heater that is leaking or non-repairable
4. Replaces an existing water heater that is over twenty (20)
years old, regardless of its working condition
• Note: Installation of a Load Management switch is
required.
The FREE water heater must be picked up at Wabash County REMC’s
headquarters. Once the new water heater has been installed,
one of our representatives will verify the tank is in place
and install a load management switch.
The radio-controlled load management switch gives us the ability
to reduce the load on our substations, which then lowers our
power cost. The result is a savings for both the REMC and
the customer. After the switch has been installed, the customer
shares in the savings when they begin receiving a $1.50 credit
on their monthly electric bill.
If your home was delivered with an electric water heater already
installed or you purchase an electric water from another source,
Wabash County REMC offers a cash rebate of $100. To receive
the rebate, give us a call.
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If you did not get a FREE water heater from us, your REMC
still offers a $100 cash rebate for a new electric water heater
that is installed in your home. For instance if you purchased
a new electric water heater from another source, or if your
new home was delivered with an electric water heater already
installed, you are eligible for a $100 cash rebate.
To receive the rebate, give us a call.
Note:
• Water heaters installed in non-residential applications
do not qualify for a rebate.
• Mobile home park accounts are not eligible for this
rebate.
• Tank size must be 40 gallon or larger
• Installation of load management switch is required.
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Approximately 15% of the energy used in your home is attributed
to the water heater. The water heater that’s hidden
in your basement or closet provides hot water for showers
and baths, laundry, dishwashing and everyday cleaning chores.
When choosing a new water heater, you should compare: safety,
versatility and affordability and efficienty. Clearly an electric
water heater is your best choice, and here is why:
Safety -- With an electric water heater, there is no need
for a chimney, flue or venting since it’s all-electric.
There is no danger of gas leaks, fires or explosions. In fact,
the National Fire Protection Association states a gas water
heater is 7 times more likely to cause a fire.
Versatility -- Without the need for a vent or flue, an electric
water can be located at various points around the home. That
means you can place an electric water heater closer to the
point you use hot water, instead of waiting several minutes
for the hot water to arrive.
Affordability -- There is no better deal than a FREE
water heater. If you are replacing a gas or electric water
heater, or building a new home, ask how you can get your FREE
water heater!
And let’s not forget efficiency. The typical gas water
heater has an Energy Factor of .58, meaning it’s 58%
efficient. An electric water heater has an Energy Factor of
.90 or greater, which means it’s 90% efficient or greater.
Higher efficiency means lower water heating cost.
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 The
water heater switch program was started more than 25 years
ago, as a way of reducing the wholesale power cost to the
REMC. If you ask, “why should I worry about the cost
of power to the REMC?" Just remember, your monthly electric
bill is dependent on the cost of power to the REMC. A reduction
of wholesale power cost benefits you and all of your neighbors.
The water heater switch is a radio-controlled switch that
is installed at NO Cost To You on your water heater. When
the REMC and its power supplier reach a high electrical load
at the substations, a radio signal is sent to this switch.
During a control period, the switch will cycle power on and
off to the water heater for just a few minutes, you should
not notice its effect and should not run out of hot water.
At the time the signal is sent, the water heater is full
of hot water. Since the tank is very well insulated, the water
stays hot throughout the control period.
This short term interruption will not cause an inconvenience
to you. You will still have hot water.
When the peak load is reduced, the wholesale power cost to
the REMC is reduced. Part of the savings goes to the program
participants in the form of a $1.50 per month bill reduction.
The remaining savings helps offset other expenses of the REMC,
thus benefiting all of the members.
With more than 1,500 switches installed, the impact and the
savings each month is significant. If you have not enrolled
in our water heater switch program, now is the time. A simple
phone call will get the switch installed on your water heater,
and the savings will begin.
Your satisfaction is guaranteed! If you are not completely
satisfied with the water heater switch, it will be removed
at once. After all, we want to help you, not hurt you!
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at
(260) 563-2146
or 800-563-2146
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