Get the right heat pump in 2025

Two generations of heat pumps will be on the market simultaneously in 2025; consumers would be well-advised to make sure that they install the latest generation. Discuss with your HVAC contractor whether the product that they are offering meets the latest standards. Otherwise, you may end up with a heat pump installation that is a net negative environmentally.

Refrigerants are the fluids that circulate between the indoor and outdoor components of heat pumps and convey heat. The refrigerants used in older generation heat pumps are potent greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming when they leak to the atmosphere. Heat pumps are evolving under regulatory pressure towards new refrigerants that are less harmful to the environment. As of January 1, 2025, it is already illegal to manufacture or import heat pumps that use the old generation of refrigerants. However, they can be sold through January 1, 2026, hence the possibility that consumers may may be encouraged to help distributors liquidate their stock of the older products during calendar 2025.

Some people install heat pumps as efficient air conditioners, but the primary motivation for many people installing heat pumps is to lower their carbon footprint by replacing fossil fuel heating systems. All too often, heat pumps do leak refrigerants. If a heat pump is relatively lightly used and so does not save much fossil fuel, the harms from the leaks may outweigh the benefits of using the heat pump. This can happen for example, when a heat pump is mainly used for air conditioning or when a home is very well insulated. Putting aside the reduced environmental harms from leaks, the newer generation heat pumps produce heat more efficiently than the old.

The most common older generation refrigerant is R-410A, a mix which includes R-125, the PFAS pentafluoroethane, which is a very potent greenhouse gas. R-32 is the other component of R-410A; it is a more efficient refrigerant than R-125 and has a more modest global warming effect. However, R-32 is somewhat flammable and so R-125 is been mixed in with it as a flame retardant. Newer heat pumps long on the market in other countries and emerging in the U.S. use straight R-32 (or other chemicals with similar properties) and take other precautions to limit flammability risks.

Our existing building code prohibits refrigerants with any level of flammability. Because the building code was not scheduled for an update before 2025, the legislature had to override it to allow the new refrigerants. Section 45 of our latest climate bill adds a new section to the General Laws governing building codes:

Section 101. Notwithstanding any provision of the state building code, specialized code or any other general or special law to the contrary, refrigerants identified as an alternative for use in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 7671k shall be acceptable for use in the commonwealth.

New Section 101 of Chapter 143, as added by Chapter 239 of the acts of 2024.

This building code issue highlights a second issue for consumers — consumers would do well to make sure that their installer understands the necessary precautions to take when installing systems using the new mildly flammable refrigerants.

Heat pumps can only use the refrigerants that they are designed for. As the older refrigerants are phased out, they may become harder to get. So people with older generation heat pumps may be encouraged to retire them prematurely. This is a commercial benefit for HVAC installers which the HVAC industry press has taken note of. Even if the older generation pumps are less expensive during 2025, their possibly reduced life-time may offset their reduced costs.

Every consumer should make their own decisions with the advice of trusted professionals, but from my own research and experience, I would advise any friend to avoid the older generation of heat pumps in 2025. If they can’t get the newer products immediately, I would advise them to delay their installation if possible — the greater efficiency of the newer pumps and lower environmental harms from leaks will easily offset possible fuel savings from moving more quickly.

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Published by Will Brownsberger

Will Brownsberger is State Senator from the Second Suffolk and Middlesex District.

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9 Comments

  1. Good info.

    I do love my heat pumps, as added shoulder season heat but mostly for AC.

    Though I do wonder, since the majority of electricity in Massachusetts is produced using natural gas, how are these really helping our carbon footprint??

    The state (i.e. the taxpayers) have been giving property owners $15,000 to rip their natural gas heating system out of their homes, and replace them with the older less efficient heat pumps?

    Seems like the state moved a little too quickly on this one.

    1. Because heat pumps are more than 100% efficient at heating air (theoretically up to 400% efficient, though, in practice more like 300% efficient) even at the lowest temperatures whereas your gas boiler is ~80% efficient or your high efficiency gas boiler is up to 97% efficient (with the remaining energy released as heat out your flue.) Why is this? Because heat pumps move heat from one location another via a physical reaction that condenses and evaporates the refrigerant in a closed loop rather than creating heat via a chemical reaction (by combustion [burning]) like in fossil fuel powered systems. So, assuming electricity originating from natural gas fired power plants is ~80% efficient (including loss via delivery), heat pumps are 80-240% efficient so at even the coldest temperatures they are as, or more, efficient than regular boilers and at higher temperatures are 3x+ more efficient than even the most efficient gas boilers. On top of that, Massachusetts mandates a certain percent of electricity be generated by renewables (~24% at this point, iirc) and many of us pay extra for 100% renewable energy.

      Regardless, what Will is highlighting is progress in this technology, which is a good thing! (To other commenters saying “why should anyone bother if the technology is still not perfected?!?!” I say, “Do you have a cell phone? A car? A washing machine? A microwave? A mattress? All of those, plus everything else, is technology that has yet to be perfected.”)

      To be clear, no one is claiming (or at least no one should be claiming) that heat pumps will be LESS EXPENSIVE to install, own, or operate than traditional, fossil fuel burning heating sources. Partly because electricity in MA is just so darn expensive! (At least outside of municipalities with publicly owed utilities. hmm…requiring profits raises costs…) But it is what MA has decided is the right course of action, and Will and many of us constituents support this as a priority.

      1. Thank you. This is very helpful information on the comparative efficiencies of heat pumps and gas systems. The key concept is that, since it is a pump, a heat pump is just moving heat, which requires much less energy than generating a similar amount of heat by other means. Even with high electricity rates, this can be less expensive and have a smaller carbon footprint than burning fossil fuel.

  2. I am really getting negative over the push to install heat pumps.
    1. I do not think they are the best they can be yet, so any installation you do now has the risk of being outdated or deemed inefficient. Most installations are just a few years old–so these are all going to have to be replaced because they are now deemed inefficient? With the “efficient” fluid replacement that is flammable?
    2. I don’t think people have talked enough about how dry the heat is from heat pumps. The first time I tried to sleep with one on at a friend’s, I had to turn it off within 10 minutes because I couldn’t breathe. Another friend got bloody noses. Humidifiers need to be built into them. I’m sure that will be another upgrade to reinstall for, if you have the money. Or just run additional small humidifier units in every room–that’s efficient.
    3. The older housing stock that exists in this area may require upgrades to electrical service, which is another expense even before you think about installing heat pumps. Woe to you if you still have knob and tube in your walls (more $$ to remove).
    4. You can get free insulation from MassSave, but we are all paying for this with higher rates, so it’s really not “free”. And then you have to be careful with some of the MassSave contractors. Not all of them are good, and there is little oversight.
    5. There is little oversight with heat pump installers–how do you know if they are installing the right-sized equipment for your home? I really don’t want to become an HVAC expert myself just to be sure I’m getting a good install.
    6. Most people are going to keep their gas backup system, not sure how that solves anyone’s climate issues.
    7. No one I have talked to has had an easy time getting rebates. And with the dismantling of our federal government, those are going to be available on the winds of political change only.
    8. I have had heat pump enthusiasts tell me how gas will go up and electricity rates will go down. I think they are deluded. Electricity rates have never gone down in my long lifetime. And once they have the monopoly on its generation and distribution, there will be no stopping the rate hikes. (Remember when deregulation was touted as the answer to rate hikes? You know, all that competition. All it did is make it impossible to understand what you are buying for the average consumer; rates certainly did not go down). Just give people the truth.
    9. I am disappointed that innovation in heat generation seems so slow in this country. I just read about small solar panels being used on balconies in Germany and other European countries that are cheap to install and connect to the grid. They said some of these small systems can offset 20-30% of the bill. Not here. Why don’t we have window unit heat pumps for the consumer yet? We seem way behind. I was discouraged from putting solar on my roof, because we have one small dormer on the south side of our 25×50′ roof. Nothing gets done small scale here because no one wants to not make big bucks.

    I am afraid of nuclear power still, although the smaller units are interesting. But there is still what to do with the waste. We can’t keep kicking that can down the road.
    I do think that geothermal has great potential. I think we should all be hearing more about the installation in Framingham and other areas. The idea that the electric/gas companies can shoulder the initial expense and consumers can pay for it across the board over years is good. They have the money for investment. The recent bill that was passed that allows these companies to replace their systems instead of spending millions to maintain current gas and fossil fuel-generation is a great idea–if it is understood and pushed.
    Solar is great, again if you can afford the initial investment or wait for rebates.
    I would love to be net zero, but I am not getting rid of my gas steam heat anytime soon.

  3. I just had a conversation with my neighbor who has a heat pump. His last month’s electricity bill was $800, even as he’s keeping his house at 67F. That’s notably more than the sum of my electric and gas bills for a larger dwelling. Ironically, he has a “new” heat pump. It’s just that you can’t beat physics. If it’s cold outside, the efficiency of heat pumps per dollar spent is poor.
    Also, keep in mind that the new-generation refrigerant is less efficient (read – needs more electricity) than the old one in heat exchange.
    Also, as far as I remember, much of MA electricity is generated by burning gas. So the whole efficiency of the transition to heat pumps from direct heating by burning gas is highly questionable.

    1. So true. My 10 yo home used natural gas for hear , hot water & heat. I began converting to more efficient options in 2023. First , installed a 8 mwh/year solar system . Out of pocket cost $8,900. Next replaced a leaky HWH with electric & 24 hour timer. Off 16 hours/day.
      Eliminated $2,300/year electric bill. Safe $400/year natural gas. Next evaluated heat pump for heating. Calculations estimated power consumption would far exceed the solar system output and cost $4000/yr. Natural gas heat cost $1,300/year. No go
      Next evaluated a EV. The solar system provides 90% of the power. I save $1000/year on oil changes & gasoline

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