Kevin Lucy is a lifelong resident of Sebago, studying environmental studies at Bowdoin College.

Name something that makes your dad prouder than driving home from college to discuss the home heating system.

Over a recent weekend, I got the full tour. That’s right. Down the cellar we went, from the wood stove to the boiler, to the water tank, heck, he even showed me the furnace’s pilot light.

Now, of course, I had a motive.

I’ve heard all semester about how Maine leads the nation in heat pump adoption. Thinking of the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, I realized it might be especially important right now to find savings. It didn’t surprise me to find a report from the governor’s office from late March, stating that heating oil costs in Maine are up by 41%.

“Have you considered a heat pump water heater?” I asked my dad.

“Those ugly things on the sides of buildings?”

“Not quite,” I grinned — here was my soapbox moment on heating systems.

A heat pump water heater is an indoor unit that uses surrounding air to warm water. It plugs into a standard outlet. According to Efficiency Maine’s website, heat pump water heaters are the most efficient way to heat water and can save $250 to $500 a year.

Now, last year, our 19th-century farmhouse used 885 gallons of oil, which cost over $3,000. Combined with firewood and electricity, last year’s total energy bill was around $5,500.

With current oil prices, we could be looking at a 40% increase in our oil heating bill, bringing our energy bill to $6,700. A 40% price increase driven by conflict elsewhere. World leaders’ agreement on fossil fuel rights? Unlikely.

In 2019, however, the EPA reported its investment of $450 million for heat pump adoption in the Northeast. While Republicans in Congress eliminated the funding in 2025, the governor’s office renewed $43 million in funding for heat pump water heaters in late March, allowing anyone interested to get a rebate of over $1,000 for installing a heat pump right now. The transition enables homeowners to be less dependent on the ripple effects of an international economy.

“So what about the cold temperatures in Maine?”

Great question.

Heat pumps once struggled in cold weather, unable to extract enough heat. Thankfully, advances in recent years have made them more flexible and efficient. Our house is well insulated, and to maximize performance, the heat pump could even be placed near the woodstove.

To be sure, a heat pump water heater will not heat water when the power goes out. For us, that’s not a new advantage or disadvantage, as our current hot water system depends on electric pumps. Heat pump water heaters do, however, hold up to 80 gallons of hot water in their tanks even if the power goes out. Now, of course, solar panels might solve rural Maine’s power outage crazes.

I’ll save that for another op-ed.

Fortunately, Maine heat pump water heater installers are plentiful, and rates are competitive; within 25 miles of Sebago, there are over 20 installers. “A week out” is typical for scheduling.

We don’t need oil to heat water, and we can become more energy-independent with a heat pump water heater.

As for the heat pumps my dad finds ugly, those are similar to window AC units and offer heating, cooling and air filtration. They are very efficient and save money over time despite higher installation costs.

But, if you’re looking for a way to test out the waters — pun intended — start with a heat pump water heater.

“Yeah, I’ll think about it.”

That is just about as good an answer as I could expect from my dad. I’ll happily call it a win.