I appreciated Dan Rodricks' recent column on clean energy and had a similar experience as letter writer Suzanne Royer, who replaced her gas dryer with an electric one (“Rodricks is right. We need positivity about clean energy,” Jan. 25). My gas water heater suddenly developed a leak and I had to take immediate action to get a new one. But I had heard about electric heat pump water heaters and asked my HVAC company if they could quickly get one for me. That's what they did, and it's great.
And more good news: I applied for and received $500 toward the purchase through Maryland's EmPOWER program and will receive a 30 percent federal tax credit — that's a credit, not a deduction — on my 2023 taxes due to the Inflation Reduction Act . If you haven't heard about IRA electric vehicle switching tax credits, take a look. Rewiring America's website has a good guide to what's available and whether you qualify.
I feel much better about getting “gas” (methane) out of my house and being able to completely disconnect from the gas line that supplies it. I also save myself the high fee for “gas delivery”. So next let's look at the new heat pumps that work well even in very cold weather. Did you know that one in five people in Maine have electric heat pumps for heating and cooling? If it works in Maine, it will certainly work in Maryland.
—Cheryl Arney, Ellicott City
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