Homeowners see significant savings with geothermal heat

As the cost advantages of geothermal energy become clear, more and more homeowners are trading their conventional heating and cooling systems for one of these sustainable systems. Beyond energy efficiency, users can benefit from lower bills month after month – which adds up in the long run. Previously, the upfront costs may have discouraged residents from implementing these solutions, but many are now realizing that the return on investment makes geothermal heat well worth adopting.

Financial rewards
The Mille Lacs Messenger reported that one couple in Cedar Lake, Minn., Bruce and Becky Bogema, has already reaped the rewards of geothermal for a year. Bruce told the source that they were inspired to make the switch because they had wanted to avoid being hit with high utility bills every month. Using their geothermal system, their heating bill is typically between $70 and $80. As far as air conditioning goes, the highest bill they’ve seen so far was just $14. According to the news outlet, there are 16,200 foot long pipes underground beneath the Bogema’s property. The result? Every room in the Bogemas’ household is now kept at an even, comfortable 72 degrees.

“Our geothermal heat pump is one of my most fun pieces of conversation,” he told the Mille Lacs Messenger “We paid a lot for it, but I don’t regret it for a moment. It will also make our house very marketable someday.”

Endless incentives
Beyond the fact that bills are lower and little maintenance is required with these systems, users can also benefit from rebates from their utility companies. The Bogemas expect their investment to pay for itself in just 2 to 7 years. Bill Gravelle of Gravelle’s Plumbing and Heating is confident that more people are going to follow in the Bogemas’ footsteps. He noted that over the last five years, geothermal heat pumps have become increasingly popular.

In fact, one resident in Millville, Del., is taking advantage of geothermal for both her home and business, Good Earth Market. Delmavara Now reported that Sue Ryan made the decision to adopt green energy sources more than 10 years ago. She installed solar panels on her home, but admitted that they haven’t been as cost-effective as other clean energy solutions. Thanks to her geothermal heating system, the payback has been substantial: The bills for the 10-acre property are now less than $200 a month.

Steve Smith of Summer Hill Custom Homes, worked on Good Earth Market, and he claimed that a whopping 95 percent of his projects include geothermal heating. Why the big shift? Smith told the news outlet that a main reason so many people are embracing these systems is that they often come with more tax rebates than solar energy solutions, which the government seems to be scaling back on rewarding. In fact, Ryan noted that she has held off on installing solar panels on her business’ roof because she’s still waiting on a state incentive. Patrick Lynch, a resident of Bethany, Del., is another homeowner who emphasized energy efficiency when building his beach house. However, while he was previously receiving hundreds in solar credits, he now is only granted about $40 a credit. Meanwhile, Lynch explained that tax rebates covered half the cost of the installation of his geothermal system.

Tags: Residential Energy Efficiency, Solar energy