Our most-read stories of February

With two months down, here’s a look at our five most-read stories from February:

Trump administration halts efficiency mandates for ACs

“The Department of Energy will postpone efficiency mandates for central air conditioners, gas water heaters, commercial refrigeration equipment, and four other appliance categories, per a statement.” 

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HVAC imports from Mexico face 25% tariff

“This marks the second tariff decision affecting the HVAC industry in the past year, following the Biden administration’s September hikes on certain steel and aluminum products from China, including heat exchangers.”

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“We’ve hit the turn”: Service Nation founder on replacements, tariffs, and AI

“I’m highly skeptical about the ‘earth-changing’ potential of AI in the industry. I think it’s going to make some changes, affect some office staff, and make some efficiencies and optimizations, but in the end, it’s butts in trucks and trucks to homes — and AI can’t change that.”

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ChatGPT’s parent company eyes home services

“Called ‘Operator’ and built into ChatGPT Pro, the tool can ‘complete tasks’ for consumers like ordering groceries and hiring contractors… The company has struck early partnerships for the feature, with Thumbtack being the sole home services partner.”

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Mixed signals: The HVAC consumer in 2025

“To understand how Americans are actually doing, economically, here are seven indicators tracked from December 2019 to December 2024 (the latest available data), painting a picture of consumers’ ability to afford repairs and replacements.”

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