MCE Launches Emergency Water Heater Loaner Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 23, 2024
Press Contact:
Jenna Tenney | Manager of Communications and Community Engagement
(925) 378-6747 | communications@mceCleanEnergy.org
SAN RAFAEL and CONCORD, Calif. — Local clean electricity provider, MCE, is offering eligible contractors a $1,500 per-unit cash incentive for the installation of heat pump water heaters after installation of an emergency loaner. The new Emergency Water Heater Loaner Incentive Program encourages adoption of electric appliances as an alternative to polluting natural gas. Total funding for the program includes up to $145,000 in contractor incentives.
“As MCE and other community choice providers have made California’s electricity supply significantly cleaner, electrification is the next big step in our clean energy transition,” said Dawn Weisz, MCE CEO. “Gas water heating presents one of the biggest opportunities to electrify and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but is also the hardest because residents wait to replace their unit until it fails. This loaner program will help contractors empower homeowners to go electric.”
Heat pump water heaters can be more expensive than traditional gas units, but they increase the health and safety of residents by not producing harmful air pollutants. This program will also help smooth the transition when new regulations take effect beginning in 2027 when the sale of nitrous oxide emitting (gas) water heaters will be prohibited within the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s jurisdiction. Contractors who participate in this program can offer an emergency loaner water heater to residents to ensure they have hot water while the contractor makes any necessary upgrades and installs a new heat pump water heater, which can take longer than installing a gas water heater.
To receive the incentive contractors must:
- Be an active TECH Clean California participant
- Install a loaner water heater (gas or electric) which will temporarily provide hot water until a permanent heat pump water heater can be installed
- Replace the loaner with an approved heat pump water heater when available
The Heat Pump Water Heat Loaner Incentive Program will allow contractors and homeowners to proactively install clean, healthy, efficient and safe heat pump water heaters ahead of regulatory changes. Eligible contractors can get started online at mceCleanEnergy.org/heat-pump-water-heater-incentive.
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About MCE: MCE is a not-for-profit public agency and the preferred electricity provider for more than 585,000 customer accounts and 1.5 million residents and businesses across Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and Solano counties. Setting the standard for clean energy in California since 2010, MCE leads with 60-100% renewable, fossil-free power at stable rates, serving a 1400 MW peak load, significantly reducing greenhouse emissions, and reinvesting millions in local programs. For more information about MCE, visit mceCleanEnergy.org, or follow us on your preferred social platform @mceCleanEnergy.
