CanaryMedia: "Heat pumps may soon outsell air conditioners in US," by Dan McCarthy.
Over the last 4 yrs heat pumps have outsold gas furnaces in the US—now the superefficient appliances are coming for conventional air conditioners, too. "A decade ago, two conventional air-conditioning systems were sold for every one heat pump." Now, heat pumps are on the verge of outselling standard ACs. In 2025, sales of the appliances were basically tied—and heat pumps even beat air conditioners in September, a first.
Through April of this year, the already-slim gap has narrowed further. Compared with same period last year, heat pump sales are up by about 1%, while AC sales are down by nearly 8%, according to data from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute [AHRI], a trade group.
Heat pumps are essentially reversible ACs: The same unit can either heat or cool a space. Long popular in more moderate climates, like the southern US, but in recent years their cold-weather performance has improved, + they’ve caught on in more frigid regions, too. Heating is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions in the country, + heat pumps, which are 2 to 4 times more efficient than fossil-fueled systems, offer a much cleaner way to keep a space warm. The fact that they also cool homes is a climate benefit, as extreme heat makes air-conditioning a necessity rather than a luxury.
Many states, municipalities, + utilities have incentivized the adoption of the energy-efficient, zero-emissions technology. Sometimes these incentives come in the form of direct rebates. Other times they manifest in wonkier places, like pro-electric building codes or preferential electricity rates for homes with heat pumps. Some states, like cold + snowy Maine, have even set—and exceeded—explicit adoption targets. The federal government also subsidized heat pumps for several yrs, but as feared, in 2025 Trump + congressional Republicans repealed that support.
Someone should tell them that from 100,000 to 200,000 Americans die from FF-associated air pollution annually. And that tax subsidies for oil, gas + coal development reduced federal revenue by $12.9 billion from 2022 to 2026. So, get pumped.
