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Heat Pump Advanced Controls Pilot

If you have an electric furnace, it may be turning on to warm up your home before your heat pump has a chance to work—adding to your heating costs. Heat pump advanced controls for your existing system could help prevent your furnace from turning on when it is not needed—saving up to 15 percent of the energy you use to heat your home and lowering heating costs without the expense of buying a new heat pump.

Advanced controls could help you save up to $95 on your annual heating costs, help maintain a comfortable temperature in your home and optimize the performance of your current heating system. Only 300 single-family incentives are available.

Details

Heat pump advanced controls
A new thermostat connected to a small outdoor temperature sensor will keep your furnace from turning on when the outdoor temperature is above 35-40° F. When it’s colder, the controls allow your furnace to turn on to support your heat pump. This helps your home to maintain an even, comfortable indoor temperature. Your contractor will teach you to set the advanced controls to achieve maximum efficiency, even when you are away from home.

Energy Trust of Oregon offers a limited number of $250 cash incentives to qualifying homeowners who install heat pump advanced controls.

Eligibility

Oregon homes primarily heated with electricity from Portland General Electric or Pacific Power are eligible to participate. If your heat pump was installed in the past four years, it may already have advanced controls.

You may be eligible for the Heat Pump Advanced Controls Pilot if:

  • Your home is heated with electricity from Portland General Electric or
    Pacific Power.
  • Your home is primarily heated by an electric heat pump and electric forced-air furnace.
  • Your home has no other source of heat, except a fireplace or plug-in heater. Heating stoves and gas furnaces do not qualify.
  • You live in a single-family, detached home on a permanent foundation.
  • You have lived in your home for at least one year and plan to live there for at least two more years.
  • You are not installing a new heat pump.

Steps to participate

  1. Establish your eligibility.
  2. Contact an Energy Trust pilot-certified contractor and have the work done. Energy Trust pilot-certified contractors are licensed, insured and trained on the latest energy-efficiency standards, Energy Trust incentives and pilot requirements. List of certified contractors.
  3. Submit your application within 90 days. Your pilot-certified contractor will complete the application at the time of installation. Submit the completed application and a copy of your contractor invoice—marked "paid in full"—to:

    Mail:
    Energy Trust of Oregon
    Existing Homes
    P.O. Box 40508
    Portland, OR 97240

    Fax: 1.866.516.7592

    Please allow six to eight weeks for incentive processing and payment.

    Questions? Call us at 1.866.311.1822.

Forms

Please mail or fax Heat Pump Advanced Controls Incentive Form 320HA (PDF | Doc) along with your contractor’s invoice marked "paid in full."