Heat pumps in Washington
Washington sits at 13.1% of homes on a heat pump, and Seattle has the mildest summer of any reference city here — a 77°F average high in the warmest month. That used to mean air conditioning was optional. Recent heat waves have changed the conversation, and a heat pump is how most people are answering it.
Heat pump adoption
EIA RECS 2020 microdata ↗13.1% of Washington 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 1% of Washington homes run a mini-split as secondary heat alongside natural gas or wood.
Episodes
Recorded in Washington
Homeowners and contractors in WA, in their own words.
Money and next steps
What Washington pays toward one
Washington State Department of Commerce — Energy
Coordinates the state's federal rebate programmes and weatherisation. The substantial residential rebates come from your utility — Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light and Avista all run heat pump offerings.
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 Washington 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 Washington. Last checked September 2026.
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Tell us about your home and we'll connect you with installers who work in Washington — and who we'd let near our own houses.
The numbers
What a heat pump here has to cover
36°F
Coldest month average low
Seattle · NOAA 1991–2020 normals
77°F
Warmest month average high
Seattle · NOAA 1991–2020 normals
Both loads matter here — cold snaps are real, and so are the summers. A system sized only for heating will short-cycle in August; one sized only for cooling will lean on backup heat in January. Getting the balance right is the job.