BY Yale Climate Connections10 minute read For this month's edition of the Yale Climate Connections Editors' Corner, we got together to talk about the climate-friendly, energy-efficient, all-electric replacement for furnaces and air conditioners: the heat pump. Sara, who lives in North Carolina, is already the proud owner of a heat pump. In chilly Rhode Island, Pearl is dreaming of a heat pump water heater. And Sam, a renter in Wisconsin, plans to drop hints that her landlord should swap out her furnace for cold-climate heat pumps. This discussion has been edited and condensed. Sam: Heat pumps have been on our radar lately because we've been researching Vice President Harris's climate policies, and she called heat pumps "a piece of art." Also, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released information about Inflation Reduction Act tax credit uptake, and apparently, over 260,000 households have gotten heat pumps using the tax credits, and 100,000 have gotten heat pump water heaters with the tax credits. Subscribe to the Compass Newsletter. Fast Company's trending stories delivered to you daily Privacy Policy | Fast Company Newsletters Sara: Nice. Sam: Yes, and I also think it's a good time to talk about it while it's still warm because, despite their name, heat pumps are also air conditioners. I thought we'd start out with the question: What is a heat pump? Sara: What's most important for people to know is that if you need your house to have air-conditioning and heat, a heat pump is your one-stop shop. It can heat your home. It can cool your home. It's very efficient. It runs all on electricity, so you're not burning fossil fuels in your home. If you're a homeowner who is concerned about climate change, the next time your furnace breaks or your air-conditioning breaks, consider replacing it with a heat pump, because that is one of the most important ways to make your home more climate-friendly. Pearl: I have a question for both of you as the heat pump newbie in…