Heat pumps in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has the lowest heat pump adoption of any state in the Midwest — 1.3% of homes, fifth-lowest in the country. That is not a climate problem; colder states do better. It is a gas and propane story, in a state where the alternative has always been cheap and already installed.

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WI

Heat pump adoption

EIA RECS 2020 microdata ↗

1.3% of Wisconsin 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.

Episodes

Recorded in Wisconsin

Homeowners and contractors in WI, in their own words.

Money and next steps

What Wisconsin pays toward one

  • Focus on Energy

    Wisconsin's statewide efficiency program, funded by all the state's utilities and genuinely live. Rebates for cold-climate air source and geothermal heat pumps, with larger amounts for income-qualified households.

    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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin. Last checked September 2026.

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The numbers

What a heat pump here has to cover

  • 17°F

    Coldest month average low

    Milwaukee · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

  • 82°F

    Warmest month average high

    Milwaukee · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Coldest month, average low Warmest month, average high

Cold-climate heat pumps are rated to hold full output well below zero. The question here is not whether one works, it is whether yours was sized and installed for the coldest night of the year rather than the average one.