PORTLAND — After getting hit with a $1,300 heating oil bill a couple of winters ago, Nathan Wilcox decided it was time to try heat pumps.

Russia had just invaded Ukraine, driving up the cost of the fossil fuel.

“That was really the tipping point,” he said. “We just didn’t want to be susceptible to price fluctuations to that level and we decided to really aggressively start investigating heat pumps at that point.”

His 1913 home needed six of them, at a cost of about $20,000. The couple did not take advantage of federal tax credits but did receive a $1,200 rebate from Efficiency Maine. 

They also installed an electric car charger in their garage and are considering solar panels and a solar power battery storage system to help them reduce their electric use.

Wilcox is one of millions of Americans who have embraced green energy in recent years, according to an October report from the Environment America Research & Policy Center.

The center found that there were 5.8 million electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles on the roads at the end of 2024, a number that has tripled since 2020.

In addition, five million American households are powering their homes with solar energy. 

In Maine, which has made a major push to incentivize the use of heat pumps, the state’s reliance on heating oil has decreased nearly 20% since 2018. However, Maine continues to be the most heating fuel reliant state in the country, according to the Maine Office of the Public Advocate.

Wilcox said his heat pumps work well year-round, but that he would recommend insulating the basement and first floor floorboards if you are switching to heat pumps.

That’s because the furnace — which he kept in place for extremely cold days — isn’t putting off the same amount of heat as it did when they used it daily.

Johanna Neumann, a senior director at the Environment America policy center, said federal data shows that in 2023, 2.3 million Americans claimed the Energy Efficiency Home Improvement Credit and 1.2 million claimed the Residential Clean Energy Credit. 

Both credits will be terminated at the end of the year.

And while that’s likely to drive down the number of people who make the switch, Neumann said there’s still good reason to get away from old oil-fired furnaces.

“When you switch from an inefficient furnace to heat pumps and do some weatherization, you will see your costs go down,” she said.

The report listed Maine-specific data that shows more than 15,000 Mainers tap into solar power for their homes, more than 22,000 buy clean energy from their power provider and that 18,480 drive an electric vehicle. 

Despite waning support from the federal government, Neumann said state and local governments can take steps to encourage clean energy adoption by simplifying the approval process for new projects, particularly rooftop solar.

In 300 jurisdictions across the country, there’s something called “instant permitting” in which residents or contractors can plug their specifications into an online site and if they meet local codes, they get a permit.

“Currently in the U.S., the process for getting residential rooftop solar and battery storage is much more complicated than it needs to be,” she said.

For those who want to do something but don’t have a lot of cash, Neumann recommended simple steps like adding caulk and weather stripping to slow down heat loss. 

She suggested asking your bank or credit union if they have loan programs to help afford big ticket items like heat pumps and solar. Also, she said while it’s best to own your solar panels, there are companies who will lease your rooftop space and let you benefit from the energy generated.

“It’s true the sun shows up for free every day,” she said.

Neumann said the move toward cleaner energy is happening in all 50 states.

“This is fundamentally an optimistic and hopeful story,” she said. “We’re seeing millions participate in what is a quiet revolution. When they do, we all benefit.” 

To find out about rebates for a wide variety of energy-saving projects, go to efficiencymaine.com.