Short read. This is a ~300-word brief based on the full analysis at Househeating Pulse. For the interactive charts, brand-level data, and source tables, open the original.
R290 is still the outlier in the 2026 EPREL snapshot: just 537 listings, or 0.88% of the 60,989-model corpus, versus 13,935 R32 listings at 22.85%. That 26x gap matters more than the usual refrigerant debate, because it means the propane segment is still a niche slice of the EU catalog, not a broad replacement for the mainstream HFC lineup.
This companion post mirrors the full analysis at https://househeating-pulse.com/guides/2026-eu-heat-pump-price-vs-efficiency-r290-r32-by-brand, but the key technical finding is that the dataset does not actually support the headline price-vs-efficiency comparison many buyers expect. The Househeating Pulse Market Index v1, built from the EPREL Public API, includes an overall average SCOP of 4.55, yet it does not expose refrigerant-level SCOP averages or any model-level list-price field. In other words: the corpus can show market structure, but not a defensible R290 premium or efficiency premium.
That absence is the story. R290 is lower-GWP propane with GWP 0 and A3 flammability; R32 is an HFC with GWP 771, A2L classification, and a 2027-01-01 phase-out date in the reference table. Policy pressure is pushing the market toward natural refrigerants, but the live registry still shows R32 dominating by volume, while natural refrigerants as a group reach only 3.27% of listings.
Brand-level aggregation adds context, not a refrigerant-specific verdict. Bosch Thermotechnik GmbH posts an average SCOP of 4.69 across 3,602 models, and Ariston SpA reaches 4.66 across 2,618 models, both above the market mean. Daikin Europe N.V. remains the biggest vendor at 14,668 models, but its portfolio average SCOP is 4.44, below the market baseline.
If you want the data model, slice criteria, and source attribution behind those numbers, read the full analysis with live data: https://househeating-pulse.com/guides/2026-eu-heat-pump-price-vs-efficiency-r290-r32-by-brand
Househeating Pulse aggregates 60,000+ EPREL-registered heat-pump models across Europe — efficiency rankings, refrigerant trends, country-level installed prices and subsidies. Data from EPREL, Eurostat, NASA POWER. Full analysis at https://househeating-pulse.com/guides/2026-eu-heat-pump-price-vs-efficiency-r290-r32-by-brand.
