About The HVAC Standard

The HVAC Standard is an independent publication about heating and cooling, written for homeowners and HVAC professionals. For homeowners, it reports what systems cost, which rebates and tax credits apply, what federal rules require, and how equipment fits the climate where you live. For people who run HVAC companies, it covers pay, licensing, rules, marketing and growth.

What we cover

• Cooling and heating: central air, heat pumps, ductless mini-splits, furnaces, dual-fuel systems and water heaters.
• Rebates and rules: the federal 25C tax credit, utility rebates, the move away from R-410A refrigerant and SEER2 efficiency minimums.
• Air quality: filters, indoor humidity and wildfire smoke.
• For HVAC business owners: the Pro section covers technician pay, licensing, the A2L refrigerant change and selling a business. The Owner's Desk covers marketing, search and AI visibility, paid ads, reviews, operations, budgets, franchising and exit planning.
• Calculators: three live tools, for heat pump and furnace operating cost, SEER2 upgrade savings and utility rebates.
• Local coverage: five U.S. metros, each following its federal metropolitan area boundary:
  • Phoenix (Maricopa and Pinal counties)
  • Seattle–Tacoma (King, Pierce and Snohomish counties)
  • Austin (five Central Texas counties)
  • Jacksonville (five Northeast Florida counties)
  • Columbus, Ohio (ten Central Ohio counties)

Each metro page shows the state's average residential electricity price from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), climate normals from NOAA, the area's utilities and the questions local homeowners ask.

Top-Rated recognition in the Awards section opens in 2027. The Data section has degree-day normals for all five metros; the site does not publish its own cost indexes yet.

How we work

Articles are built from primary sources: federal and state agencies, utilities and standards bodies. Every article lists its sources and the date we accessed each one. An automated check of those sources is scheduled every week.

• The editorial standards set the rules.
• The editorial team page explains how each article is made.
• The methodology page explains the source check, the data and the calculators.
• The Sources page lists every source we track.

Who publishes it

The HVAC Standard is published by Joel Keith, who also runs a marketing agency; some companies featured here work with it. The ownership page has the details.

To report an error, see Corrections. To reach the editor, see Contact.