Cold-Climate Heat Pumps
Heat Pump Installation in Laconia, Gilford and the Lakes Region
One system that heats through a New Hampshire January and cools through an August heatwave. Sized for your house, installed by a Mitsubishi Diamond Contractor, with the rebate paperwork handled for you.
Built for This Climate, Not a Milder One
Diamond
Mitsubishi Contractor status
5°F
Full rated heating capacity
45+ Years
Serving the Lakes Region
20 Techs
Certified, full-time
one system, both seasons
A Heat Pump Is Not a Backup Plan Anymore
For years the advice in New Hampshire was that a heat pump could take the shoulder seasons and something else had to carry January. Cold-climate equipment changed that. Modern systems are engineered for the Northeast and hold their rated heating output well below freezing.
What has not changed is that a heat pump only performs as well as its installation. Sizing, line set, refrigerant charge and controls all decide whether you get the efficiency on the label or a system that struggles. That is the part we are obsessive about.
how it actually performs here
What Cold-Climate Really Means
A heat pump does not burn fuel. It moves heat — pulling warmth out of outdoor air even when that air feels frigid, and reversing in summer to pull heat out of your house. The question in New Hampshire has always been how far down it keeps working.
Full Capacity in Real Cold
Cold-climate systems are rated to deliver 100% of their heating capacity at 5°F and continue producing heat well below zero. That is the specification that separates them from a standard heat pump, and it is the one worth asking any contractor to show you.
Two Machines in One
The same equipment that heats you through February cools you through August. You maintain one system instead of two, and you free up whatever the old air conditioner was occupying.
Efficiency You Can Feel in the Bill
Because it moves heat rather than making it, a heat pump delivers more heating energy than the electrical energy it consumes. How that compares to your current fuel depends on your house, and we will run the numbers before you commit.
ducted, ductless or both
Which Configuration Fits Your House?
The right answer depends almost entirely on what your home already has. A house with sound ductwork has options a 19th-century Victorian does not, and a home with an aging oil furnace has options a well-insulated new build does not need.
We look at the building before we look at a catalog. That means walking the house, checking the ductwork if there is any, and running a real load calculation.
Three Ways to Do This
moving off oil or propane
Thinking About Getting Off the Fuel Truck?
This is the conversation we have most often now. Homeowners heating with oil or propane watch the delivery bill every winter and wonder whether there is a better arrangement.
Often there is — and sometimes there is not, because the honest answer depends on your insulation, your electrical service, and what you are actually paying per gallon. We will show you the comparison for your house rather than a national average, and we will tell you plainly if staying put is the smarter move this year.
rebates and incentives
The Incentive Picture Changed. Here Is Where It Stands.
The federal energy tax credits homeowners relied on for years, Sections 25C and 25D, expired on December 31, 2025. If a contractor is still telling you about a federal tax credit for a heat pump, that information is out of date.
What remains is NHSaves, the rebate program funded through New Hampshire utilities and delivered by Eversource, Liberty Utilities, New Hampshire Electric Cooperative and Unitil. It is unaffected by the federal expiration and is now the primary incentive here.
Three Ways to Lose Your Rebate
Eversource, Liberty and Unitil
For residential electric customers of these utilities.
New Hampshire Electric Cooperative
NHEC serves much of the Lakes Region — check your bill.
Rebates are based on tonnage (AHRI cooling capacity divided by 12,000) and are available while funding lasts. Amounts and eligibility can change at any time. Instant point-of-sale incentives may also be available through the New England Heat Pump Accelerator, a regional initiative not administered by the NHSaves utility partners — ask us and we will check what is current for your project.
Program details verified against NHSaves published materials in August 2026. We share what we know, but rebates are administered by NHSaves and its utility partners — qualifying and applying is the homeowner’s responsibility.
Find Out What Your House Actually Needs
We will walk the building, run the load calculation, lay out the configurations that fit, and tell you what the incentives look like for your utility. No obligation, and no pressure to buy something the house does not need.
frequently asked questions
Heat Pump Questions From Lakes Region Homeowners
Do heat pumps actually work in New Hampshire winters?
Cold-climate models do. They are rated to deliver full heating capacity at 5°F and keep producing heat well below zero. A standard heat pump built for a milder region is a different product entirely, which is where most of the bad stories come from.
Will I still need my furnace or boiler?
Not necessarily. Many Lakes Region homes now run a cold-climate heat pump as the primary heat source. Some homeowners prefer a hybrid setup that keeps the existing system as backup for the coldest nights, and that is a perfectly good choice too.
Is a federal tax credit still available for a heat pump?
No. The federal Section 25C and 25D credits expired on December 31, 2025 and do not apply to installations in 2026. NHSaves utility rebates are unaffected and remain the main incentive for New Hampshire homeowners.
What is the difference between a heat pump and a mini-split?
A ductless mini-split is a type of heat pump — one that delivers air directly into rooms instead of through ducts. A ducted heat pump uses the ductwork you already have. Both move heat the same way; they differ in how that heat gets into the room.
Does the size of the system really matter that much?
Yes, more than almost anything else. An oversized system short-cycles, wears itself out and leaves the house feeling uneven. We run a heat-loss calculation on your actual home — square footage, insulation, windows, ceiling height — rather than estimating from a rule of thumb.
How long does an installation take?
It depends entirely on the configuration and how many zones are involved. We give you a realistic timeline with your written quote, before any work is scheduled, so you are not guessing about how long your house is disrupted.
what else we can help with
Related Services
Ductless Mini-Splits
Room-by-room zoning for historic homes, additions and lakeside cottages without ductwork.
Gas Furnaces and Heating
High-efficiency gas furnace repair and replacement when a heat pump is not the right fit.
Oil Furnaces and Boilers
Service and repair for the oil and hydronic systems still heating much of the Lakes Region.
let’s get started
One System, Both Seasons. Book Your Free Assessment.
Serving Laconia, Gilford, Meredith, Belmont, Sanbornton, Tilton, Weirs Beach and the surrounding Lakes Region.