SEVERAL low-income residents could be seeing some financial relief after new legislation went into effect allowing them to switch out their air conditioners for heat pumps.
Some families could qualify for up to $8,000 under the new anti-inflation rebate.
The money comes after President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act which allowed several states – including Arizona – to allocate funds that would allow homeowners to make more energy-efficient upgrades.
“This is especially beneficial for low-income households who may not otherwise be able to afford to repair or replace their current air conditioning systems, which is crucial given Arizona’s record temperatures,” Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek.
To qualify for the money, homeowners would be required to use heat pumps instead instead of air conditioning.
Heat pumps are considered more energy-efficient because instead of generating it, the pumps use electricity to transfer the heat outdoors during the warmer months and vice versa, per the US Department of Energy website.
Last week, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, announced the launch of Efficiency Arizona, a program to “increase energy efficiency, promote clean energy and combat climate change through various initiatives.”
“It’s not going to stop being hot here anytime soon, and cost should not be a barrier to keeping Arizonans safe and healthy,” Hobbs said per Newsweek.
The rebate is only currently available to those who reportedly only make below 80 percent of the area median income, according to Efficiency Arizona’s website.
Those who make between 80 and 150 percent are eligible for half of the rebate.
Any person making 150 percent above the area median income will not be eligible for the rebate.
Arizona’s heat pumps are only the first step in the state’s plan to use the money allocated by the bill.
According to the site, phase two will involve a home retrofit program with multiple energy-saving options state-wide.
Efficiency Arizona’s final phase, slated for 2025’s first quarter, would be a multifamily pilot program.
The site states that they plan on rolling out the brand-new pumps this Fall.
The U.S. Sun reached out to the Arizona Governor’s Office of Resiliency for comment.
Groups that are eligible to sign up for Arizona’s new rebate program
The new energy-saving progam, which launched last week, is hoping to save Arizona residents thousands of dollars when it comes heating and cooling.
Below, find out who is currently able to apply for Efficiency Arizona.
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Head Start
- Lifeline Support for Affordable Communications
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
- National School Lunch Program
- Housing Improvement Program
- Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS
- Supplemental Security Income
- Weatherization Assistance Program
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children
According to the program, the switch over to the heat pump would theoretically help prevent residents from suffering outages that leave them with no air conditioning during the hot summer months in addition to saving money.
“Few states have garnered headlines for rising temperatures more than Arizona, where it’s now routine to have new records each year for the most days an area has seen 100-degree days since data started being collected,” Alex Beene, a professor at the University of Tennessee, told the outlet.
“It only makes sense this latest round of rebates would target some of the lowest income taxpayers in the state that are more than likely unable to handle the rising costs associated with home maintenance, particularly when it comes to improving cooling systems to make temperatures more manageable in living areas.”
The US Department of Energy is slowly rolling out the rebates for everyone as state governments continue to set aside funding for qualifying residents.
Funds from the Inflation Reduction Act will be available to the state through 2031.
According to the outlet, Arizona expects 23,000 households to be affected by the legislation as well as a lower average energy costs by nearly $763 a year.
