Farmer’s Almanac Predicts Harsh Winter: Make It the Last One You Heat With Fossil Fuels

As we start to prepare for the holiday season in a few weeks, homeowners can sense the start of winter returning in full force. 

After a relatively moderate winter in 2022, The Farmers’ Almanac believes that “winter weather is making a comeback” in 2023, predicting cold, snowy conditions throughout the Northeast. 

While kids may be dreaming of a white Christmas, many homeowners are thinking about the cash they will have to shell out to heat their homes, an increasingly unpredictable and onerous expense in the Northeast. 

Low Temperatures Come With High Costs to Homeowners

Heating oil and propane, two of the most common heating sources throughout the Northeast, have steadily become more expensive, a trend that could produce the highest home heating costs on record. 

The New York Times recently reported, “A cold winter combined with a diesel shortage could hit the Northeast particularly hard.” Similarly, Axios noted that locations heavily reliant on heating oil “will especially see the burden of a higher bill.”

Specifically, heating oil costs are expected to increase by 27 percent year-over-year, while natural gas and propane prices are estimated to rise by 28 percent and 5 percent, respectively. However, even with electricity prices rising by 10 percent, the overall cost of heating with electricity ($1,359) is still significantly less for the average homeowner compared to heating with oil ($2,354) or propane ($1,668). 

Of course, the costs are just the beginning of the home heating burden for households. Even the most high-efficiency furnaces and boilers are not 100 percent efficient. They also release unburned compounds as emissions and air pollutants. 

According to the American Lung Association, combustion pollutants and their health effects include: 

• Carbon monoxide, which interferes with the body’s ability to carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. 
• Nitrogen oxides, which cause airway inflammation, coughing, wheezing, and increased asthma attacks. 
• Particulate matter, which affects multiple body systems and increases the risk of premature death. 
• Air toxins, like ammonia, formaldehyde, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds, which can cause cancer, birth defects, and other serious health harms.

The presence of carbon monoxide sensors in homes and concerns about infants’ safety during sleep arise from the combustion of fuels occurring in the basement. 

The climate implications are similarly problematic. Residential and commercial emissions account for 13 percent of total U.S. global warming emissions, primarily from burning natural gas and heating oil.

With climate change playing an increasingly prominent role in extreme weather events, regions are experiencing hotter temperatures in the summer and colder temperatures in the winter, requiring homeowners to run their air conditioners and heating units more frequently than ever before.

Together, these realities underscore the impetus for homeowners looking to enhance sustainability at home, making Dandelion Energy’s geothermal the right solution at the right time and at the right price.

Switching to a Cleaner, Cheaper Alternative Has Never Been More Attainable 

While heating your home with heating oil and propane presents cost, health, and safety burdens for homeowners, geothermal ground source heat pumps are the most affordable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly way to keep your home warm this winter. 

The science is simple: Whether it’s a winter cold snap or a summer scorcher, the ground five feet below the surface maintains a constant temperature year-round. This constant earth temperature is higher than average winter temperatures and lower than average summer temperatures.

Geothermal systems use this difference in temperature to transfer heat between your home and the earth.

Technological advancements have significantly reduced the cost of installation, while federal and state financial incentives are further reducing costs for many people. Most notably, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 extends the Energy Investment Tax Credit, providing a 30 percent credit for geothermal heat pump projects enacted before January 1, 2033. This credit falls to 26 percent in 2033 and 22 percent in 2034, meaning there is no better time to act than right now.

It also offers a tax credit for energy-efficiency home improvements, allocating $2,000 for heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. In addition to the tax credits, all homeowners will be eligible for rebates of up to $4,000 for energy efficiency improvements, including geothermal heat pumps. 

For homeowners earning less than 150 percent of the Area Median Income, rebates could be even higher – up to $8,000.

When coupled with state and local incentives, it’s never been easier for homeowners to outfit a new or existing home with geothermal heating solutions.

Eco-Friendly Warmth Awaits with Dandelion Heating 

Winter’s chill doesn’t have to leave you out in the cold or financially strained. While conventional heating methods are becoming more expensive and less eco-friendly, geothermal energy offers a promising, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative. 

Dandelion’s ground source geothermal solutions harness the earth’s natural warmth to keep your home comfortable, reduce emissions, and slash your heating bills.

Here’s the really great news! You can get started today. 

Take our survey now to see if your home qualifies for Dandelion ground source geothermal or connect with the dedicated Dandelion team. We’re here to guide you every step of the way.