Across the United States, rising energy costs and concerns about efficiency continue to be top of mind for homeowners. As a result, many homeowners are increasingly making energy-efficient upgrades to save money on energy bills and personal comfort. It’s no wonder heat pump shipments have outpaced conventional gas-fired HVAC systems every year since 2021.

Several contractors installing Mitsubishi Electric solutions weigh in on the top drivers specific to all-electric, all-climate heat pump adoption in the regions they serve.

The ‘why’ behind the all-climate heat pump system purchase

“Customers in our region like all-climate heat pumps because they’re more energy-efficient than conventional HVAC systems,” said Erica Estes, owner of Southern Heating & Cooling in northeastern Alabama.

In fact, 70% to 80% of the HVAC systems the company installs are all-climate heat pumps. The company has spent considerable time and resources educating homeowners about the benefits of these solutions, including their energy efficiency, as well as utility savings, financing options, and incentives.

“The financing options and incentives are especially important in our rural area where wages are typically lower than other areas of the country,” said Estes. “People may think they can’t afford an all-climate heat pump system, but our team shows them that it is affordable.”

Thousands of miles northeast of Alabama, homeowners in Maine have been rapidly adopting all-climate heat pumps as well. Like homeowners in the South, they are also interested in how energy-efficient the systems are. However, other factors are also driving adoption.

“People come to us because they want to make the switch to clean energy, including all-climate heat pumps,” said Rachele Leonard, co-founder of SolarLogix of Belfast, Maine.

Although clean energy is a contributing influence for all-climate heat pump adoption in Maine, so are rising summer temperatures.

“Air conditioning is becoming a need, not a want,” said Leonard. “In the past, air conditioning was rarely necessary in Maine. We were installing all-climate heat pumps for heat, and people thought air conditioning was just a nice little side benefit. Now, with the extreme heat coming more frequently, air conditioning is starting to be seen as a must and even as a potential life-safety issue.”

Keene, N.H.-based Bergeron Mechanical Systems is a green option for homeowners seeking all-climate heat pump installations. The company serves residential HVAC needs in southern New Hampshire and Vermont.

Though incentives in New Hampshire and Vermont are driving all-climate heat pump awareness, Kim Bergeron, owner and manager of Bergeron Mechanical Systems, said that because the area he serves is affluent, incentives aren’t always a deciding factor. Rather, people choose all-climate heat pumps for their energy efficiency and sustainability.

“They’re super-efficient, have the lowest carbon footprint of any HVAC system, are comfortable, safe, and save homeowners, including me, money,” he said.

All-climate heat pumps serve as the entry point for home electrification

All-climate heat pumps are so well-received by homeowners that they often adopt and implement other systems to make their homes more energy-efficient and eco-friendly, while simultaneously lowering their bills. Other systems include solar panels and all-electric appliances like stoves, dryers, and heat pump water heaters.

“People up here in Belfast are starting to switch over to electric solutions,” said Leonard.

She added that customers frequently start with all-climate heat pumps and then want solar panels to help cleanly power these all-electric, energy-efficient solutions. After they see how well the systems work together, they often install other electric solutions like heat pump water heaters and even EV chargers for their electric cars.

Solar Smart Living founder and owner Larry Perea, whose company is based in Santa Teresa, N.M., often sells and installs all-climate heat pump and solar pairings to homeowners.

“After researching the best technology to integrate with our solar panel systems, all-climate heat pump solutions were the perfect match,” said Perea.

Perea has seen homeowners with such pairings rely less on the power grid, reduce their energy bills, and lower their carbon footprint, especially when they invest in other energy-saving solutions.

All-climate heat pump specialists are seeing business boom

All-climate heat pumps have become so prevalent that HVAC contractors often choose to offer them exclusively.

Scott Libby, owner of Royal River Heat Pumps in Maine, considers himself fortunate enough to have built a prosperous business based on his philosophy of installing and maintaining only all-climate heat pumps.

Libby stands behind the belief that all-climate heat pumps are more energy-efficient and climate-friendly than conventional systems, are highly cost-effective, and can adequately heat and cool indoor spaces even in Maine’s extreme temperatures.

“Every year, I exceed business projections and profitability goals by installing the most energy-efficient product I know,” said Libby.

Bergeron, an engineer, is also sold on all-climate heat pumps exclusively. All-climate heat pumps transfer heat energy from one space to another using a refrigerant cycle. They provide precise refrigerant flow to deliver the right amount of heating or cooling – no more or no less − to a homeowner’s comfort level.

According to Leonard, whose company does not sell conventional HVAC systems, “We have a proven track record with heat pumps, even during extreme cold snaps, thanks to us offering Hyper-Heating INVERTER® models that can deal with those temperatures. We rarely get a ‘no heat’ service call.”