With the hottest summer on record behind us, many Washingtonians are thinking about adding air conditioning to their homes. This means it’s time to talk about heat pumps—the energy efficient appliance that provides both AC and heat while running on clean electricity instead of methane gas.

It wasn’t long ago that no one knew what heat pumps were. Now we hear from residents who are seeing them in their favorite coffee shops, local boutiques and more.

Spark Northwest is supporting communities across the region determine if heat pumps are right for them. In the past few years we partnered with cities—Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Mercer Island, and Redmond, to administer the Energy Smart Eastside Program. The goal of that program was to support residents in making the switch to heat pumps. From our experience in the design and implementation of this program, we have gleaned some clear-cut learnings. The first step in the Energy Smart Eastside program was to sign up for a free 1-hour community workshop, and we were overwhelmed with the turnout and interest. Over 500 people showed up.  

More recently we served to help do outreach and administration for King County’s Energize Program, which provided no-cost heat pumps to low income households, adult family homes and day care centers across King County.

See the work in action!

Watch this video to hear from one family who received a heat pump from Energize:

Featured in the Seattle Times: how Energize is making a difference in areas facing Extreme Heat

On KING 5: Energize for Adult Family Homes

Here’s a few things we’ve learned while helping communities go electric:

Firstly, everyone benefits from information, support and a little hand holding as they go through the process. Many folks sign up for our programs because of the financial benefits and assistance. However, we also have families who don’t need financial resources and instead want information and  the peace of mind of working with verified heat pump contractors and installers. We’ve found providing this basic guidance—free informational workshops and contractor connections—to be key. It’s the bridge for a family to go from wanting a heat pump to actually getting one.  

Second, more programs and funding to expand access for families living on low and moderate incomes is essential. The federal tax credits available that were available for heat pumps and other upgrades are very helpful, but households living on lower incomes that don’t benefit as much from tax credits need deep rebates that offset costs. This takes layering and packaging together multiple funding sources – local, state and federal. Managing these opportunities and their stipulations can be difficult for many even if the opportunity is there. For the Energy Smart Eastside campaign, we partnered with the King County Housing Authority to provide weatherization services and heat pump installations in 25 affordable housing units. This kind of work is an equity and environmental justice priority that demands far more resources, financial and relational, than the pilot project levels we’ve seen to date 

The demand is there, and Spark Northwest is poised to put heat pumps in the homes of Washingtonians all over the state. But we’re not going to get anywhere close without a lot more funding, especially at the state level, to support low- and middle-income families to make the switch. That financial support is needed this year, next year, and ongoing. With summer temperatures rising each year, let’s give Washingtonians what they want—comfort and safety in their homes.