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Electrek spoke with Heidi Gehring, associate director, cooling product marketing at Carrier HVAC, about the five essential things to know about this energy-efficient, cost-effective way to heat and cool a home.

Electrek: What’s a heat pump and how does it work?

Heidi Gehring: A heat pump is often mistaken for an air conditioner at first glance. What makes it different from an air conditioner is that it can both heat and cool your home using electricity and refrigerant.

In cooler months, heat is pulled from the outdoor air and transferred indoors; in warmer months, the system pulls heat out of the indoor air. Heat pumps have both an indoor and outdoor component. Each unit contains a fan and coil that operates either as a condenser (in cooling mode) or an evaporator (in heating mode). The fan moves the air across the coil and throughout the ducts in the home.

Electrek: Do heat pumps save you money, and what kinds of cost savings can be expected?

Heidi Gehring: Because heat pumps are more energy efficient, they can save you money on your heating and cooling bills. Your savings will vary based on the model you select.

Heat pumps are rated by their Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF2) – which is a measure of a heat pump’s overall energy efficiency during the heating season – their Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER2), and their Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER2). The higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the system. 

Additionally, the US government’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 includes incentives for the installation of high-efficiency home heating and cooling products, including up to a $2,000 tax credit for high-efficiency heat pumps and up to 30% for geothermal heat pump systems placed in service between 2022 and 2032. Look into local and state programs, too, as many utilities and local governments offer heat pump rebates.

Electrek: Why is a heat pump better for the environment?

Heidi Gehring: Heat pumps rely on electricity rather than fossil fuels, making them a much greener choice. Improvements in technology in recent years also mean that heat pumps are more efficient than ever, requiring less electricity than older heaters, furnaces, and air conditioners.

Geothermal heat pumps are also available – they pull energy directly from the earth to heat or cool your home and can result in up to 70% savings on your energy bill.

Electrek: What features should you consider when comparing different models?

Heidi Gehring: Heat pumps vary in the number of stages or speeds they offer. Different speeds or stages can affect your comfort and the consistency of indoor temperature. Humidity plays a major role but is often overlooked. Two-stage and variable-speed offer better control because they operate for a longer period of time at lower speeds and use less energy. These pull more humidity out of the air than models with a single-stage compressor.

Variable-speed and two-stage models are generally quieter than single-stage models, and because they run longer, that means the air is run through the filter more, so it has less chance of becoming stagnant.

Electrek: When is the best time of year to install a heat pump?

Heidi Gehring: Usually in the spring or fall. During the coldest winter months and hottest summer months, demand for systems and technicians increases, so you may experience longer wait times and higher prices. Make sure you hire a professional. HVAC systems of any kind require expert knowledge for installation and are not a good DIY project.

If you’re switching from a traditional HVAC system to a heat pump, you may also need electrical upgrades. A professional HVAC installer can help you with that as well.

Read more: This award-winning apartment heat pump can fit under a kitchen sink

Photo: Carrier HVAC


Heidi Gehring is the associate director, cooling product marketing at Carrier HVAC. She joined Bryant in 2017 as the quality manager for warranty, data analytics, and field service technology. In 2019, she moved into product marketing. She holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison and an MBA from Purdue Global.


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Bluetti camping-ready power stations get up to 56% exclusive savings from $209, Heybike Tyson uni-body e-bike at new $999 low, more

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Bluetti camping-ready power stations get up to 56% exclusive savings from 9, Heybike Tyson uni-body e-bike at new 9 low, more

Leading our Green Deals today is Bluetti’s camping and outdoor-ready Halloween Sale offers with exclusive savings starting from $209. The extra discount for our readers is seeing plenty of new low prices, like the Elite 100 V2 Portable Power Station with a 200W solar panel at $626, among many others. We also have a clearance sale on Heybike’s Tyson Uni-Body Folding e-bike at a new $999 low, as well as Govee’s Matter Outdoor Garden lights 2-Pack at its $130 low for the second time ever, a one-day-only Greenworks snow blower kit, and more of our favorite ongoing deals that will be ending in the coming days. And don’t forget about the hangover deals from last week that are collected together at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 power station launch deals, the $1,116 early Black Friday Tenways e-bike savings, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Exclusively save up to 56% on Bluetti power stations for outdoor adventures starting from $209 for Halloween Sale

As part of Bluetti’s ongoing Halloween Sale, which gave us new and exclusive low prices on the Apex 300 Versatile Power Station and bundles, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the brand’s other camping-ready and appliance backup deals – all with exclusive savings! You’ll find options like the Elite 100 v2 Portable Power Station bundled with a 200W solar panel for $626.05 shippedafter using the exclusive code 9TO5TOYS5OFF at checkout for an extra 5% savings. Normally carrying a $1,299 full price tag here and going for as much as $1,399 at Amazon and other marketplaces, we’ve seen discounts since its release in June take the price as low as $659 in previous sales, including during Prime Day three weeks ago. With the exclusive code being used, you can now score it even lower at a total $673 markdown that gives you the best new price we have tracked. Head below to browse the full lineup of deals we’ve collected for you.

Mimicking much of the same upgrades we’ve seen from the Elite 200 V2 model, Bluetti’s newer Elite 100 V2 power station comes as a smaller option with a 1,024Wh LiFePO4 battery for your campsite and traveling power needs. Your devices and small appliances can receive up to 1,800W of steady power (surging as high as 2,700W) when connected to any of its 11 output ports. Those include four ACs, two USB-Cs, two USB-As, two DCs, and a car port – plus, everything is rated for up to 4,000+ charging cycles, which should last you for years and years to come.

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Plugging the station into an AC outlet can get it back to an 80% battery in 45 minutes or you can wait a little longer for 70 minutes to reach full. The bundle here gives you 200W of its max 1,000W solar input for charging in the sunlight, with options to plug into your car’s auxiliary port, a generator, and even utilizing an AC outlet and solar panels together.

***Note: None of the prices below have had the exclusive savings factored in, so be sure to use the code 9TO5TOYS5OFF at checkout to score the best prices during Bluetti’s Halloween Sale!

Bluetti’s Outdoor adventuring Halloween Sale deals:

Bluetti’s campsite/tailgate Halloween Sale deals:

As I previously mentioned, we also have exclusive savings on Bluetti’s Apex 300 versatile power station and its bundles that hit new lows starting from $1,349 during this Halloween Sale. And don’t forget about the brand’s latest release, with the new Pioneer Na(Sodium) power station and bundles having launched two weeks ago with exclusive savings starting from $735.

man riding heybike tyson e-bike down beach near water

Heybike is clearing stock of its Tyson uni-body folding e-bike with an $800 price cut to a new $999 low

Running alongside its ongoing Halloween e-bike Sale, Heybike is now offering a special clearance sale on its Tyson Uni-Body Folding e-bike for $999 shipped. This model has normally gone for $1,799 at full price, with discounts regularly dropping the costs between $1,399 and $1,599 over the year, with occasional falls to the $1,299 low. This model has been left out of many of the most recent sales, though, and now we’re seeing the brand clearing out its stock by dropping it lower than ever with the $800 markdown here, landing it at a new all-time low price.

If you want to learn more about this uni-body e-bike, be sure to check out our original coverage of this clearance sale here.

flower beds illuminated with govee outdoor garden lights

Govee’s Matter Outdoor Garden Lights 2-pack drops $70 back to its $130 low for the second time

Through the official Govee Amazon storefront, we’re getting a return to the best pricing on the brand’s Outdoor Garden Light 2-Pack at $129.99 shipped. This new lighting device has been on the market since June and carries a full $200 price tag outside of discounts, which we saw keeping above $140 until three weeks ago when Prime Day gave us the first drop to the $130 low. Things have kept above $150 in the weeks since, with that low price returning here today. You’ll be getting a $70 markdown while the deal lasts, landing it back at the lowest price we have tracked.

If you want to learn more about these outdoor lighting options, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

man clearing snow with Greenworks 80V 20-inch cordless snow blower

This 80V Greenworks 20-inch cordless snow blower kit drops to its $250 low (Today only)

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the best rate on the Greenworks 80V 20-inch Cordless Snow Blower with 4.0Ah battery and rapid charger at $249.99 shipped. Normally, this handy winter machine fetches $450 at full price here, with the closest match we could find on Amazon being the kit that gives you a 2.0Ah battery and standard charger sitting at a full rate of $499. This is only the second time this year we’ve spotted this particular package getting a discount, with February having offered this same rate and 2024 having seen the price taken as low as $300 before that. For the rest of the day, you can pick it up with a $200 markdown that lands it back at an all-time low price.

If you want to learn more about this snow-blowing kit, be sure to check out our original coverage of this one-day-only deal here.

man and woman riding rad power radster trail e-bikes through forest
jackery power stations with spooky pumpkin and bats
woman carries Anker powercore reserve power station towards car near lake

Best Fall EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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More Trump auto job losses as GM blames 3,300 layoffs on regulatory changes

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More Trump auto job losses as GM blames 3,300 layoffs on regulatory changes

GM is laying off a total of 3,300 workers at three separate manufacturing sites in Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, and it directly cites government actions as the reason.

The republican party has claimed that one of its primary goals in the current political environment is to bring manufacturing jobs back to America. However, as is the case with many of its claimed goals, the policy it implements acts directly against those goals.

In this case, republicans have been in the process of an all-out assault on American manufacturing – working to reduce investment in America, slow development of new manufacturing projects, make enemies out of countries and companies that had been our former allies, and directly stop efforts to boost America’s manufacturing base and prepare the country for the future.

And today, the effects of the republican party’s recent $4 trillion giveaway to wealthy elites are being felt by one of America’s largest historical manufacturing employers: General Motors.

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GM cites “evolving regulatory environment” as it fires thousands

GM announced that it would lay off 1,200 workers in in “Factory Zero” plant in Detroit and 550 in Ohio at its Ultium battery plant, along with 850 additional temporary layoffs in Ohio and another 700 temporary layoffs at its Ultium plant in Tennessee. That’s a total of 3,300 jobs lost in today’s announcement.

Both Ultium plants will be temporarily idled at the start of 2026, resuming sometime in the middle of the year, with upgrades occurring during the pause.

GM made a statement directly tying the layoffs to “an evolving regulatory environment” which has caused “slower near-term EV adoption.”

Companies have falsely claimed for around two years now that EV demand is down, despite that it has increased for that entire time. However, there was a spike in EV demand last month as the US EV tax credit ended, causing a pull-forward of demand that is likely to result in a period of lower EV sales in the US in the coming months, even as EV sales will continue to rise globally.

While GM is one of the better-selling EV brands in the US, and has quite an extensive stable of options, it has also recently unwisely pulled back on its EV ambitions, offering an opening for its domestic and foreign rivals to fill the gap created by its intransigence. And these are not the only policy-related layoffs GM has announced – it already fired thousands of workers last month.

GM recently said it will lose $1.6 billion this quarter alone as a result of these changes in policy, including rollbacks in clean air regulation from the EPA and DoT, which GM lobbied for through its membership in the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. That’s a lot of money to lose (especially after literally asking for it), so firings were basically inevitable.

Biden brought auto jobs to the US; republicans send them to China instead

The EV tax credit was implemented in 2022 by President Biden and Congressional Democrats, as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, a collection of manufacturing and climate-related reforms intended to boost America’s domestic manufacturing competitiveness. Part of the bill included domestic sourcing provisions for EVs and battery materials, which led to hundreds of billions of dollars in investment and hundreds of thousands of jobs.

The bill also led to trade deals that would help to wrest control of raw materials from China, the country that currently has most of the world’s supply and refining capacity, such as a US-Japan free-trade deal for battery minerals.

But as soon as this unquestionably good thing happened for America, republicans had to stop it. Their huge giveaway to the rich also included provisions to reverse most of the positive reforms in the Inflation Reduction Act, with the goal of stopping the boom in American manufacturing that happened under President Biden (because, of course, it threatens their oil masters).

In total, the republicans’ efforts to harm US manufacturing and make your air dirtier will likely result in 2 million job losses for America. GM’s 3,300 today are just one small story among many others – a wider retreat in American auto and clean energy manufacturing that is a direct result of the republican party’s actions.

Already, $24 billion in clean energy investments have been lost. These investments would have driven manufacturing growth and created not just those manufacturing jobs, but associated supply and service jobs to fund American communities.

Many of these lost investments are simply a result of making the US less attractive, but some are due to direct government intervention in a specific project. Take, for example, the high-profile ICE raid at a Hyundai plant in construction in Georgia, which saw South Korean businessmen with visas detained and resulted in delayed construction on the plant and a swift popular pushback against US products in Korea.

And the imposition of unwise tariffs is reversing the potential positive impacts of President Biden’s battery trade deals, making the US an island and pushing other countries into the arms of China. Mr. Trump’s tariffs led to immediate job losses in the US and Canada and resulted in Canada, our closest ally with which we share the longest border on Earth, considering a deeper relationship with China (nevermind that the US president can’t impose tariffs on his own… or that Trump himself is barred from holding any office in the US).

And finally, the country that is most likely to benefit from this retreat in US manufacturing is China. China is currently experiencing a boom in EV manufacturing, and recently became the largest auto exporting country in the world due to Western refusal to take high-tech manufacturing seriously. The more the US retreats from manufacturing the vehicles that the whole world wants, the more China will be happy to pick up the slack. And if we stick to this unwise direction, today’s firings will only be a fraction of the misery brought upon America by republican actions.


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Honda’s adorable electric hot hatch may be small, but it promises to pack a punch

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Honda's adorable electric hot hatch may be small, but it promises to pack a punch

The Super-ONE may be Honda’s smallest and most affordable EV, but with new features like Boost Mode, this electric hot hatch punches well above its weight.

Meet Honda’s new electric hot hatch, the Super-ONE

Honda revealed the Super-ONE prototype at the Japan Mobility Show on Wednesday, claiming it will offer a new type of driving experience.

I know, I know. We’ve heard it so many times from different brands that their latest concept will be a game-changer, but this one is real. And it will begin rolling out next year.

Honda said the electric hot hatch has already undergone “extensive testing” under various conditions in Japan, the UK, and other parts of Asia.

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We actually caught a glimpse of it in July at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Super EV Concept, as it was called at the time, took part in the hill climb event, debuting a funky new look.

The EV hot hatch is based on the N-One, Honda’s retro-looking electric kei car. Honda gave the compact EV a bold new look, adding a body kit that makes it look much bigger than it actually is. The Super-ONE offers much more than that the company promises.

Honda's-electric-hot-hatch-front
The Honda Super-ONE (Source: Honda)

Honda said the name Super-ONE represents its aspirations to create an EV that “transcends conventional norms and standards (“super”) and delivers customer value unique only to Honda (“one and only”).

One of the coolest features is the new Boost Mode, which Honda exclusively designed for the electric hot hatch. When activated, it simulates the jerking and sounds of a gas engine with a simulated 7-speed transmission and an added Active Sound Control system.

Honda's-electric-hot-hatch
The Honda Super-ONE (Source: Honda)

Similar to Hyundai’s N Grin Boost on the IONIQ 5 N, Honda said the Boost Mode feature unlocks the vehicle’s full power output. To top it off, Honda included dedicated features, such as a triple-gauge cluster and unique lighting, that activate during Boost Mode.

Honda's-electric-hot-hatch-interior
The interior of the Honda Super-ONE (Source: Honda)

Inside, the Super-ONE features sports seats exclusively designed for the model and a new horizontal instrument panel.

Starting in 2026, Honda will launch the production model in Japan, followed by other regions where demand for compact EVs is on the rise, such as the UK and Asia.

Honda has yet to reveal specific details, but given the N-One is 3,395 mm (133.7″) long, you can expect the new model to arrive roughly the same size.

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