Heat pumps in Minnesota

Minneapolis has the second-coldest reference winter on this site at 9°F, and Minnesota sits at 2.0% of homes heating primarily with a heat pump. Cold-climate units are rated for this weather — the state's own rebate design assumes it — but the installed base is still tiny.

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MN

Heat pump adoption

EIA RECS 2020 microdata ↗

2% of Minnesota homes use a heat pump as their main heat

Goal: every home

Central heat pumps and ductless mini-splits combined, counted as the home's main heating equipment. A further 0.5% of Minnesota homes run a mini-split as secondary heat alongside propane or natural gas.

Episodes

Recorded in Minnesota

Homeowners and contractors in MN, in their own words.

Money and next steps

What Minnesota pays toward one

  • Save Energy Minnesota

    The Department of Commerce umbrella for the federal HOMES and HEAR rebates plus a state heat pump top-up. As of mid-2026 it had not launched and was still awaiting federal approval, so check its status before budgeting around it. Utility programs from Xcel and CenterPoint are running now.

    Program details →

  • Federal Home Energy Rebates

    The IRA rebate programs (HEAR and HOMES) survived the 2025 tax changes — they were grants to states, not tax credits. Each state runs its own, and they are at different stages: some open, some already out of money, some yet to launch. Check where Minnesota stands before you count on it.

    Program details →

The federal 25C tax credit — 30% back, up to $2,000 on a heat pump — ended for systems placed in service after 31 December 2025. If you had one installed in 2025 or earlier you can still claim it; there is no successor credit. Incentives move fast, so check DSIRE for what is current in Minnesota. Last checked September 2026.

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The numbers

What a heat pump here has to cover

  • 9°F

    Coldest month average low

    Minneapolis · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

  • 83°F

    Warmest month average high

    Minneapolis · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Coldest month, average low Warmest month, average high

Winters here are genuinely severe, and that is the whole ballgame. A cold-climate heat pump is rated to hold useful output well below zero, but the rating only matters if the unit was picked for it. Ask any installer what happens on the coldest night of the year, and what the backup is when it arrives.