Concord rebate plan turns up heat on utility competitors

CONCORD, N.C. --

CONCORD, N.C. -- In an effort to be more competitive with other utility providers, Concord will now offer rebates for customers who install high efficiency heat pumps in their homes.

Concord City Council members approved the rebate program unanimously at their meeting on Thursday, following some debate over the programs merits. Concord will offer a rebate of $400 per unit for efficient heat pumps installed in new or existing homes.

The cost of power has been going up, said Electric Systems Director Bob Pate. People have been seeing increases. Were not unlike Duke and co-ops and Electricities. They have heat pump programs.

The program rebate resembles what Power Agency cities such as Monroe, High Point, and Gastonia are offering their customers, according to Concord officials. Union Power does not offer a rebate but they offer to finance the total replacement cost of a more energy efficient heat pump. Duke Energy offers a rebate program for higher efficiency heating and cooling equipment.

The program is a way to help lower the customers cost with an added benefit of helping to lower the citys peak demand during the summer, city officials said.

Approximately 56 percent of the energy use in a typical American home can be attributed to heating and cooling, making it the largest energy expense in the home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Heat pumps are considered a good energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners for climates with moderate heating and cooling needs, according to the Department of Energy.

Heat pumps use electricity to move heat from a cool space into a warm, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer.

They move heat rather than generate it. The most common type of heat pump is an air-source heat pump, which transfers heat between your house and the outside air. Households that heat with electricity can reduce their electricity use by 30 to 40 percent by using a heat pump, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. High efficiency pumps also dehumidify better than standard central air conditioners, lowering energy use while increasing cooling.

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Concord rebate plan turns up heat on utility competitors