Heat Pumps Are Winning—Here’s How We Make Them Even Better
By
Kiana Kazemi
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Heat Pumps Are Winning—Here’s How We Make Them Even Better
A study from the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) confirms what we’ve always known at Harvest: heat pumps are the future of home heating. They’re already cost-effective for 65 million U.S. homes—about 60% of the country—even before factoring in government incentives. And no matter where you live, switching to a heat pump will cut carbon emissions.
But heat pumps alone aren’t enough. To maximize savings and efficiency, you need smart technology that optimizes when and how they run. That’s where Harvest comes in.
Heat Pumps Cut Emissions—Everywhere.
Even in states with dirtier grids, heat pumps lower emissions today. Over 16 years, the average home could cut 2.5 to 4.4 tons of carbon, and in fossil-fuel-heavy states like Maine, the savings can be as high as 11 tons per year. That’s a climate win.
If you heat with propane, fuel oil, or electric resistance, a heat pump will almost always lower your bills. But for homes on natural gas, it’s more complicated. The key to savings is a high-efficiency heat pump paired with smart controls.
While 86% of homes would save on utility bills with a heat pump, upfront costs remain a barrier. While lower-performing heat pumps are cheaper than furnaces for 43% of homes, high-efficiency models cost $8,000–$13,000 more before subsidies. This is why getting the most out of your heat pump matters—because when it runs smarter, you save more. The smarter the system, generally, the quicker your payback period is vs a lower upfront-cost system that uses fossil fuels.
Distribution of energy bill savings, upgrade costs, and unsubsidized net present value, relative to a reference equipment replacement scenario, using energy prices from winter 2021 to 2022
Why Harvest Makes Heat Pumps Better
At Harvest, we take heat pump efficiency to the next level. Our system pairs a heat pump with a thermal battery, storing energy when it’s cheapest and delivering heat on demand. This results in more savings (up to 30% lower energy bills vs gas), more comfort, and even lower emissions (up to 90% lower vs gas).
The future of heating isn’t just heat pumps—it’s heat pumps made smarter. And we’re building that future today.
For the full breakdown, check out Heatmap’s in-depth coverage HERE.
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