Adin Maynard makes a powerful case that energy codes do not conflict with building much needed affordable housing [“Energy codes aren’t the enemy of affordable housing,” Recorder, April 7]. It is not correct that electricity is “wildly more” expensive than other fossil fuel-based sources of energy. The efficiency heat pumps deliver combined with new housing models that retain heat and require less energy to keep warm combine to make heat pumps the preferable energy source for western Massachusetts homeowners.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, across the country, heat pumps are saving families hundreds of dollars on energy costs. Savings for installing heat pumps on average range from $300 to $1,500 annually for homes in cold climates. Energy from heat pumps limits reliance on gas and oil, sources that are deadly for the planet and are experiencing wild price swings due to a volatile geopolitical environment.
It is time to stop viewing renewable energy as expensive and unreliable. Advances in renewable technology have made it the most efficient, least costly and cleanest energy source at our disposal.
Marvin Berkowitz
Needham