A new partnership could make one of the most effective home energy upgrades much easier to afford. Smart heat pump company Quilt is teaming up with Palmetto to give homeowners a way to install high-efficiency HVAC without facing a large upfront bill.
As detailed in an announcement, Quilt's ductless heat pump systems are now available through Palmetto's Comfort Plan, a leasing option designed to eliminate the steep upfront cost that often keeps homeowners from upgrading. Instead of paying $15,000 or more at installation, depending on home size, customers can make fixed monthly payments for the heating and cooling combo system.
Those payments cover the equipment, installation, routine maintenance, and covered repairs, which can make budgeting easier and reduce the risk of surprise HVAC costs. The program is available in all of Quilt's current markets.
Heating and cooling make up a major share of home energy use in the United States. Quilt says its systems use variable-speed technology, room-by-room zoning, and occupancy sensing to avoid wasting energy in empty spaces. The company also says its units are quieter than rainfall and receive remote software updates over time.
Energy bills are getting harder to manage for many households. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, residential electricity prices were up 7.4% in February 2026 compared with a year earlier. Meanwhile, more than 30% of household electricity use went toward heating and cooling in 2020, the latest year with available EIA data.
That strain is showing up in family budgets. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association has reported that more than 21 million U.S. households are behind on their energy bills, according to the partnership announcement. At the same time, Gallup found that 71% of Americans worry at least a fair amount about energy affordability and availability.
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Heat pumps are among the most efficient home heating and cooling options on the market. They can reach efficiency levels three to five times higher than gas furnaces, and the Department of Energy found in 2024 that heat pumps could lower bills for most Americans. That can mean a more comfortable home, fewer non-renewable energy sources burned, and lower energy costs over time.
Financing is now part of the comparison-shopping process, not just the equipment itself.
Comfort Plan is an HVAC lease designed to avoid the initial cost of a new system.
Efficient electric appliances can also be paired with solar panels to lower utility bills.
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As electricity prices rise and millions of households struggle to keep up with bills, spreading out the cost of a heat pump could make the upgrade possible for more families.
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