Livermore, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/07/2022 --Hybrid water heaters are, for the time being, thousands of dollars more affordable than they used to be. In California, state government is offering large rebates for households to invest in hybrid water heaters. After doubling the funding offered in this rebate program, with the express purpose of making hybrid water heaters as affordable as comparable gas models, California has forty million dollars for hybrid water heaters up for grabs.

Hybrid water heaters use heat pump technology to raise the temperature of water. Basically, they work like a refrigerator, but in reverse. A fridge takes heat out of its interior and releases it outside. A heat pump water heater takes heat from an air or ground source and releases it into your home's water.

The big downside of heat pump water heaters is that they take longer to replenish their hot water supplies than typical water heaters, but hybrid water heaters also offer electric heating systems as a back-up. This ensures the unit can still keep up when your home's demand for hot water is higher than usual. The combination of these two systems can put the price range for these units out of a typical household's reach.

The state of California, recognizing that hybrid pump water heaters are a big leap forward in water heating technology that can help households meaningfully reduce their energy usage, is offering significant rebates for new installations.

"No one should be priced out of a more sustainable water heating option," argues Phil Barnett of Barnett Plumbing & Water Heaters. His company has been helping members of the community get access to the rebate program and get their hybrid water heater installed.

It's a sustainable choice for the state, to reduce demand on the energy grid, but its also great for the homeowners who invest it in. As heat pump technology moves heat, instead of making it, the heater uses considerably less energy to make the same amount of hot water as gas or electric water heaters.

"Thanks to the rebate program, you don't have to be rich to afford the latest technology and reduce your monthly heating costs," Barnett says. "We've even had customers replace typical water heaters that were less than a year old because they didn't want to miss out."

In fact, even the average household can save thousands on the upfront cost of these hybrid water heaters through California's rebate program. Average single-family residential buyers of hybrid water heaters may qualify for $3,800. Low-income families may qualify for $4,885. This typically makes the cost of installation comparable to installing a typical gas or electric water heater. It's also significantly less expensive than installing a tankless water heater, making hybrid water heaters a clear winner.