Closing the Loop: Lifecycle Refrigerant Management for Vermont’s Residential Heat Pumps
Refrigerant management in residential heat pumps is an often-overlooked climate risk. Although these systems make up only a small share of Vermont’s total refrigerant inventory, the roughly 80,000 heat pumps installed statewide (as of 2025) contain refrigerant gases with a high global warming potential (GWP). These gases could become potent drivers of climate change if mismanaged. While the transition to lower GWP refrigerants is underway for new equipment, this does not address the climate liability locked into the heat pumps already installed across Vermont.
Efficiency Vermont undertook research focusing on two stages of the heat pump lifecycle with the highest climate risk: operational leaks, which often remain unnoticed until performance declines, and end-of-life venting, which is illegal yet still common when equipment is removed without proper refrigerant recovery. With Vermont’s earliest heat pump installations nearing retirement, the state could face increased venting without strategic intervention.
This whitepaper emphasizes that nothing should slow heating electrification, and that heat pumps provide substantial greenhouse gas benefits. Refrigerant management strengthens those benefits. The research also highlights the need for consumer education, as many households underuse their heat pumps, thereby reducing fossil fuel displacement. When low utilization overlaps with refrigerant leaks, climate gains can erode.
In addition to its climate benefits, strong refrigerant management also supports affordability, comfort, and grid stability. Centering HVAC contractors as key partners and drawing on interviews, survey data, and a literature review, this paper identifies strategies to reduce barriers, align incentives, improve outcomes, and support best practices for refrigerant management across Vermont’s growing heat pump market.