The questions you're going to ask anyway.

A heat pump water heater (HPWH) uses electricity to move heat from the surrounding air into the water tank, instead of generating heat directly. It's the same technology your refrigerator uses, run in reverse. A typical HPWH uses about a third of the electricity of a standard electric tank and pays back the upgrade cost in 4–6 years for most electric-tank households.

No. The federal §25C credit was terminated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA), signed July 2025, for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. If you installed in 2024 or 2025 and haven't filed yet, you can still claim it on Form 5695 with that year's return. Don't trust online calculators that still show this credit for 2026 installs — they're out of date.

The Texas HEAR rebate is a point-of-sale rebate funded by the federal Inflation Reduction Act and administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). For households below 80% of Area Median Income, it covers 100% of the install cost up to $1,750. For 80–150% AMI households, it covers 50% of cost up to $1,750. Above 150% AMI, the program doesn't apply. Eligibility requires income documentation and a HEAR-certified contractor.

Yes — landlords can assign the rebate to themselves provided the tenant's household income meets the AMI tier. Multifamily projects (2–4 units) follow the same logic per unit. We handle the documentation as part of our concierge service.

A Kettle runs at 45–50 decibels — quieter than a refrigerator (50 dB) and significantly quieter than a dishwasher (58 dB). First-generation HPWHs from a decade ago were noisy; modern units (Rheem ProTerra, AO Smith Voltex, Bradford White AeroTherm G2) are not. If yours is in a garage or utility closet, you won't hear it.

A heat pump water heater pulls about 1,200–2,000 BTU/hr of heat from the surrounding air while running. In a typical 400 sq ft Austin garage, that drops the ambient temperature by 1–3°F during a heating cycle, recovering quickly when the unit cycles off. In Texas summers, this is a feature, not a bug — your garage is cooler. In a cold-climate basement, the effect is more pronounced and worth thinking about.

Most integrated HPWHs (Rheem ProTerra, AO Smith Voltex, Bradford White AeroTherm) use a 240V/30A circuit — the same as a standard electric tank. If you're replacing an electric tank, the circuit is already there. If you're replacing a gas tank, you'll need to add the circuit; this typically costs $500–1,500 depending on panel proximity. The Rheem ProTerra Plug-In is a 120V/15A option if running new wiring isn't practical, but it's slightly less efficient.

About 30–40% of homes built before 2000 have 100A panels with limited spare slots. If your panel can't accommodate a 240V/30A circuit, you have three options: (1) install a Rheem ProTerra Plug-In on a 120V circuit (no panel work); (2) upgrade your panel to 200A (typically $1,500–4,500 in Austin); or (3) install a smart panel like Span that manages load dynamically. Our quote tool flags this for your specific install.

Most modern HPWHs are warrantied for 10 years on the tank and 6 years on the compressor. Real-world lifespan is typically 12–15 years — comparable to or slightly better than gas tanks. The compressor is the wear item; if it fails after warranty, replacement is usually 30–40% of a new install rather than a full replacement.

We're a brand and technology layer. Plumbers do the actual install — we handle the homeowner experience, the rebate paperwork, and the equipment supply. We earn an equipment markup, a per-install lead fee from the partner plumber, and a rebate-concierge fee. The plumber bills the homeowner for labor directly. This is the same model Sunrun pioneered for solar — brand + financing + paperwork on top of independent installers.

Austin first (78704 in Q2 2026, expanding through Austin metro by Q3). Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston follow in Q3 2026. NYC outer boroughs in Q1 2027. Phoenix and Atlanta in Q2 2027. Chicago in Q3 2027. If your metro isn't listed, get on the waitlist — we'll text you when we open.

Get whatever's on the truck. An emergency replacement is not the time to wait three weeks for a planned upgrade. We'd rather you have hot water tomorrow than a perfect rebate stack. When you're ready for the next replacement (typically 12 years from now, but stay on our list — we'll remind you at year 9), we'll do it right.

The quote is based on (1) your address (which determines utility territory and HEAR eligibility), (2) photos of your existing tank and electrical panel (which determine SKU compatibility and labor scope), and (3) your household size (which determines tank capacity). It's usually within 5–10% of the final invoice. The biggest variables are panel-upgrade requirements and any unexpected plumbing scope — we flag both before you commit.

You don't touch it. We file the HEAR reservation with TDHCA before your install, the utility rebate claim after, and any state-level forms in between. You get email updates as each rebate hits. The HEAR rebate is point-of-sale — your invoice already reflects the discount. Utility rebates typically arrive as a bill credit 6–8 weeks after install. The federal §25C credit is $0 for 2026 installs (OBBA repeal).

Honest answer: cold-climate gas tankless replacement at high income (no HEAR), and like-for-like HPWH replacement at high income. In both cases the savings don't cover the install in under 7 years. We tell you this upfront. If your tank isn't close to failing and your fuel rates are low, we'd rather you wait than sell you something that doesn't move your bill.