Submitted by smalltrader t3_zmz3k1 in massachusetts
Currently, my 1600sqft house is heated via an oil-fired boiler. I was looking to reduce my energy bill by having a heat pump installed. MassSave offers a 10k rebate on heat pump installs if the house has 14 inches of insulation in the attic already (this is essential to be a MassSave-certified house) . Currently, my attic has only 5 inches of insulation so they need to blow 9 more inches of insulation. The issue I am running into is the current insulation is under plywood flooring in attic.
Unfortunately, MassSave is saying they cannot simply blow insulation above the flooring. They need the insulation to be continuous and uninterrupted for it to be effective. The plywood creates a thermal break in the insulation, making all insulation above ineffective. Since none of their contractors is willing to remove the flooring I have to first find a handyman to remove the flooring on my own then reach out to them to blow more insulation on the attic. I will have to pay out of pocket for getting the flooring removed. Then my house will qualify for the whole house heat pump.
Without the extra insulation install I would only qualify for partial-home heat pump rebates of $1,250 per ton, up to $10,000.
My question is should I go ahead with removing the flooring and have insulation installed just to get the whole house heat pump rebate of $10k or go with the partial home heat pump (rebate per ton)?
Thanks for help
individual_328 t1_j0e2ngg wrote
Getting more than 5" of insulation is worth the cost even without any rebates. That alone will save you more money than anything a heat pump accomplishes, which honestly won't be much presently. Heat pumps are about getting AC and some supplemental heat right now, and being ready for a probably-not-too-distant future where fossil fuels are prohibitively expensive.
The fact that heat pumps are already cost-competitive with gas/oil is a good indicator of where things are heading, and they're heading there fast. But we're not quite there yet.