Case Study: Replacing Baseboard Heaters
Author: Bill Hoelzer / Read Time: Seven and a Half Minutes
Josh lives in a beautiful, mid-sized condo in Portland. He loves the condo and location, but over time, he noticed that his energy bills were running really high.
Josh knew two important things:
He had older electric baseboard heaters - one of the most expensive ways to heat a home.
Here in Oregon, we have huge cash incentives and tax credits to replace baseboard heaters with more efficient systems, like a heat pump or ductless heat pump.
In this article, we share more about Josh’s experience, including where he started, what he did, and what ended up happening with his sky-high heating bills.
If you’re interested in getting a proposal to replace your baseboard heaters in Portland or Bend, Oregon, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (541) 330-8767, or send us a message anytime.
How to Know if You Have Baseboard Heaters
Baseboard heaters are typically long, narrow units located along the base of walls, usually under windows. Here are some telltale signs you have baseboard heaters:
Location: They are often found on the exterior walls of rooms.
Shape and Size: These heaters are usually rectangular and run horizontally along the baseboards.
Control: Each unit may have its own thermostat or a dial to adjust the heat level.
How Baseboard Heaters Operate
Baseboard heaters work by using electric resistance to generate heat. When electricity flows through the heating element, it encounters resistance, which generates heat. This heat is then dispersed into the room through convection. Here’s a breakdown of the process:
Heating Element: Electricity passes through the heating element inside the baseboard unit.
Convection: The heat generated warms the air around the heater. This warm air rises and circulates through the room, while cooler air is drawn into the heater to be warmed.
Thermostat Control: Many baseboard heaters have individual thermostats that allow you to control the temperature in each room separately.
Why Baseboard Heaters Are Expensive to Operate
Baseboard heaters are one of the most expensive heating options for a few different reasons:
High Energy Consumption: Electric resistance heating is less efficient compared to other heating methods. It converts almost all the electricity into heat, but it consumes a lot of power in the process.
Constant Operation: Baseboard heaters often need to run continuously to maintain a consistent temperature, leading to higher energy use.
Limited Control: While baseboard heaters can have individual thermostats, they lack the advanced control and zoning capabilities of more modern heating systems like heat pumps.
Because baseboard heaters consume so much energy, the government and utilities have made lots of cash incentives and tax credits available to help homeowners upgrade to more efficient systems.
Best Options for Replacing Baseboard Heaters
When considering replacing your baseboard heaters, your two best options are ducted heat pumps and ductless heat pumps. Here’s a quick introduction to the two systems.
Ducted Heat Pump
A ducted heat pump is an electric system that provides both heating and cooling. The system has an indoor unit that typically replaces an existing gas or electric furnace. It also has an outdoor unit similar to an air conditioner.
The hot and cool air produced by the system is delivered to the rooms in your home through your existing ductwork – hence the name, ducted heat pump.
Energy Efficiency: Heat pumps can save up to 65% on energy bills compared to baseboard heaters while delivering a more consistent indoor temperature. Learn more about ducted heat pumps.
How It Works: Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity to move heat from a cool space to a warm space, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer. Because they move heat rather than generate it, heat pumps operate much more efficiently than conventional heating and cooling systems. When properly installed, a heat pump can deliver 1.5 to 3 times more heat energy to a home than the electrical energy it consumes.
Ductless Heat Pump
A ductless heat pump is also known as “mini split heat pump” or “ductless mini split” - all the same thing.
Unlike ducted systems, ductless heat pumps do not use your existing ducts to distribute hot and cold air throughout the home. This makes them ideal for replacing baseboard heaters, which also do not rely on ducts. Ductless heat pumps provide heating and cooling for a specific room or area of your home, giving you complete control over the temperature in that area.
Energy Efficiency: Highly efficient, with SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) ratings often exceeding 20. Learn more about ductless heat pumps in Portland and ductless heat pumps in Bend.
Installation: Less invasive installation compared to ducted systems, making them a great choice for older homes or condos.
We installed a ductless heat pump for Josh’s condo because he didn’t have ductwork and because we only needed to heat and cool the main area of the condo. Here are a few photos of Josh’s system.
Installation Costs, Cash Incentives, and Tax Credits
We want to give you a sense for the costs and cash incentives associated with replacing the baseboard heaters with a ductless heat pump, but please note that costs and cash incentives change. For the latest, please give us a call at (541) 330-8767,
Here’s a breakdown of Josh’s project:
Total Install Cost: $8,223
Mitsubishi Promotion Discount: - $600
Instant Utility Incentive: - $1,000
Federal Tax Credit: - $2,600
ETO Incentive for Electric Heated Homes: - $1,000
Total Net Investment: $4,023
Learn more about the available tax credits and cash incentives offered through the Energy Trust of Oregon. These tax credits and incentives significantly reduce the upfront cost, making the switch to a ductless heat pump more affordable than most people realize.
Operating Costs and Energy Savings
One of the main benefits of replacing baseboard heaters with a ductless heat pump is the reduction in operating costs.
Josh sent us an enthusiastic update after his heat pump installation:
““Hey GreenSavers! Just wanted to let you all know that my PGE usage has been down anywhere from 43-53% LOWER than the same months last year ever since my heat pump was installed in November! It even resulted in my equal pay being adjusted down so much that I received a $580 refund check from PGE last week and have new lower payments now. I even paid off the loan already thanks to the tax credits and savings! Thank you, Josh.””
Here’s Josh’s experience:
Energy Efficiency: The high HSPF rating of 11.7 and SEER rating of 21.6 mean the system uses less electricity to provide the same amount of heating or cooling, leading to lower energy bills. Learn more about the costs and savings of ductless heat pumps.
Lower Utility Bills: Josh saw a noticeable decrease in his monthly energy costs, thanks to the efficiency of the new system. His PGE usage dropped by 43-53% compared to the same months the previous year.
Financial Refund: The significant reduction in energy usage resulted in his equal pay being adjusted down, and he received a $580 refund check from PGE.
Loan Payoff: The tax credits and energy savings were so substantial that Josh was able to pay off the loan for the installation quickly.
Why Replace Electric Baseboard Heaters?
Josh’s experience highlights a few key benefits of replacing electric baseboard heaters with a high-efficiency ductless heat pump:
Energy Efficiency: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, today's heat pumps can reduce electricity use for heating by approximately 65% compared to electric resistance heating like baseboard heaters. High-efficiency heat pumps also dehumidify better than standard central air conditioners, resulting in less energy usage and more cooling comfort in the summer months.
Improved Comfort: Ductless systems provide even heating and cooling, eliminating hot and cold spots often associated with baseboard heaters.
Environmental Impact: Using less energy reduces the home’s carbon footprint. ENERGY STAR estimates that replacing an electric baseboard heater with a ductless heat pump avoids more than 4,500 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions over their lifespan of the system - the same weight as nine grand pianos.
Cost Savings: The initial cost to replace electric baseboard heaters with a heat pump is offset by available incentives, rebates, and long-term energy savings.
Conclusion
Josh’s project shows that you don't always need to do a major project to see significant savings on your energy bills. By replacing his electric baseboard heaters with a ductless heat pump, he cut his energy bills in half.
What's more, Josh used cash incentives and tax credits that offset more than half of the cost to install his ductless heat pump. The combination of energy savings, incentives, and tax credits make the decision a financial slam dunk. Josh recently got a $580 check from PGE after his equal pay was adjusted down.
If you have questions about a heat pump or ductless heat pump in Portland or Central Oregon, please feel free to give us a call anytime. We're here to help: (541)330.8767.
Learn More about Heat Pumps
Start by visiting our resource pages for homeowners in Portland, Oregon:
And our heat pump resource pages for homeowners in Bend, Oregon:
You can also keep reading our latest blog articles about heat pumps and ductless heat pumps.
