Yes, definitely. Heat pumps are literally and figuratively cool. And without a doubt, the best time to consider installing a heat pump is when your AC (or furnace) dies.

Heat pumps do double duty, providing both heating and cooling. They offer significant savings and improved comfort -- which I confirmed first hand after my old outdoor air conditioner compressor died. Replacing both my old AC and gas furnace with a heat pump was one of the best home improvements I’ve ever made. The system operates almost silently, has better temperature control throughout my house, and my heating and cooling bills are down significantly.

New heat pump models use inverter-based variable speed compressors with efficiencies in excess of 350%. These high system efficiencies mean that your total heating and cooling costs will almost always be lower with a heat pump than an ordinary AC and gas furnace. And from a comfort standpoint, with mini-split models you can even heat/cool individual rooms in your house!

Sure, a basic AC replacement might seem cheaper initially. But keep in mind, federal tax credits and state rebates (part of the Inflation Reduction Act) will bring down the cost of your heat pump installation by $2k-$10k. So in most cases it makes sense to price out a heat pump when your AC fails in the summer, or your furnace fails in the winter.

Want to learn more? Tune in to the full podcast at EnergyShow.Biz and discover why heat pumps are the smart choice when your AC can longer stand the heat.

Since our worldwide economy depends on a steady supply of fossil fuels — oil, gasoline, natural gas, LNG, jet fuel — even the mere threat of disruption can cause a large and long-term increase in energy costs. Especially energy that is generated from burning hydrocarbon molecules, which have to be physically transported in pipelines and tankers. But not so much for energy that is generated from photons (I bet you know where I’m going with this).

During the first two weeks in March, 2026, Iranian drones set ablaze four oil tankers with a combined total of about 750,000 barrels of petroleum products. That’s less than 1% of the world’s daily petroleum consumption. Nevertheless, the price of oil went up by 40%. Not because of a real supply shock, but because of the new uncertainty about future oil supplies and prices.

No one really knows how long Iran will be able to threaten shipping and energy production throughout the Persian Gulf. Until there is peace in that region there will be uncertainty about fossil fuel energy prices. But there are ways to reduce this uncertainty and avoid energy price spikes.

In this episode:

• Why U.S. fuel prices rise in the U.S. even when we are the biggest oil producer in the world. Hint: the solar and battery tax credits (still available) were a quid pro quo for fossil fuel exports.

• How global oil and natural gas markets determine prices — not political jawboning.

• How rising natural gas prices affect electricity and food costs.

• Why solar, batteries, and electric vehicles reduce exposure to fossil fuel volatility.

To cap it all off, we’ll explain what you can do to isolate your home and business from skyrocketing energy costs.

In this week’s episode of The Energy Show, Barry Cinnamon talks with Sean Gallagher (Senior VP of Policy, SEIA) about the new market reality after recent federal changes. As well as the financing tools, state policies, and grid programs that can help homeowners and installers move forward.

In this episode:

• How installers are adapting to the end of the residential tax credit with leases, PPAs, and newer financing structures

• What to ask a financing provider before you sign (risk, Fair Market Value, payment timing, working capital, Approved Vendors List)

• Why state-level policies are now the biggest lever: permitting automation, interconnection streamlining, and VPP/DPP programs

• The real promise of plug-in / balcony solar — and the UL standards challenge

• Data centers + electrification: why local solar + storage is the fastest and cheapest way to meet data center power demands

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