Recent data from RMI reveals that heat pumps are outselling gas furnaces.
By its count, heat pumps outpaced gas furnace sales by 32% in the United States in 2024, totalling 4.1 million units. RMI also estimated 43% of air conditioners sold were heat pumps and that 55% of water heaters sold were electric.
RMI also reported that annual heat pump sales have increased by 115% over the last 20 years, while gas furnace sales have gone down by 11%.
Heat pumps work a lot like air conditioners or refrigerators, except the direction of the heat transfer can be switched. A closed tube full of gas runs through a compressor. Compressing the gas gathers heat from one side of the system. It then travels through the tubing to the other side, where the gas condenses into a liquid and dumps all the heat it was holding. In summer, it takes heat from indoors and dumps it outdoors, and during winter, it gathers heat from outside and brings it in.
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The only thing demanding power in a heat pump is the compressor, and with higher-end variable speed models, even that draw can be dialed down to exactly what's needed. Heat pumps work well in just about any climate, even colder ones where there's less heat to gather from the outdoors.
According to RMI, heat pumps have outsold gas furnaces since 2021. There are several good reasons for that. For one, they're cheaper to run than gas furnaces. As utility bills continue to climb, homeowners are eager for efficient solutions. Though upfront installation costs can be high, there are rebates and credits available — provided they don't get clawed back through an act of Congress.
Secondly, heat pumps are better for your health. Gas appliances of all kinds crank out loads of harmful pollution into homes, which can exacerbate asthma and even cause cancer. In extreme situations, faulty furnaces can even be a safety issue.
Turning off the gas also reduces atmospheric pollution. Heating accounts for a large chunk of a home's pollution, so reducing that is good for the environment, which is good for everybody.
If you think you're ready to switch to a heat pump, it's much easier now than it was a decade or so ago, as many companies have built great tools for comparing licensed contractors in a given area. Anyone interested should do their own additional homework to feel sure about what works best for their situation, but EnergySage has an easy-to-use tool along those lines and is TCD's pick as a great place to start.
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