Peaks Island Heat Pump Purchase Process

  • An informational meeting is held with good publicity. The presenter should be very knowledgable about heat pumps, neutral and not a contractor.
  • A “no obligation” sign-up sheet is provided at the meeting.
  • An email is sent out to the island list, describing the interest at the meeting and inviting more participation. “Don’t miss out on taking advantage of group purchase install prices!” Or some such…
  • We make a determination about how many and which contractors we want to work with. No more than three of four.
  • We run the request for proposals by the chosen contractors to get a reality check on what we are asking for from them.
  • We provide only those contractors with our Request for Proposals.
  • Our RFP invites pricing on:
  • Three power levels of Fujitsu and Mitsubishi minisplits, to be installed at one home
  • The cost per unit for the installation of eight units by the same contractor at up to eight homes.
  • It is specified in the RFP that customers may well have situations that require a departure from the named units, and that prices will vary commensurately.
  • The heat pump group will not represent individual customers. Each individual customer or group of customers will deal directly with the contractor they select.
  • We explain to contractors that they need only provide prices for the particular heat pumps they are prepared to service and install (Mitsubishi or Fujitsu). Some may opt not to provide pricing for both brands.
  • We explain that group members will not be constrained to work with any particular contractor, but that there may well be a financial incentive to join a group consisting of ten or more customers. This has worked well for us – both the customers and the contractors like this flexibility.
  • The contractors return their proposals, and they are distributed via email to the members of the heat pump group.
  • A Saturday or Sunday meeting is set up for our heat pump group and its selected contractors at the Community Center. Each contractor is invited to attend only for her/his twenty minute “presentation segment”. This will give group members an opportunity to ask questions and gauge competence of each installing company separately.
  • At the conclusion of this meeting, group members will discuss what they’ve heard and have the option of forming into groups who will work with a particular contractor (knowing that a group of 10 or more will likely be able to land a lower overall price). A summary of the customers’ choices made will be sent via email to those unable to attend the meeting and a deadline established for them to report back if they wish to participate.
  • After the deadline, each contractor is sent a list of the people ready to pursue a heat pump installation with her/his particular company.
  • From then on the “heat pump group” ceases to function and all arrangements are made between the contractors and the customers who have selected them.