Last reviewed: September 2026 · By the HVAC Brief Editorial Team · Our sourcing and editorial standards
The federal producer price index that covers fluorocarbon gases stood at 353.1 in August 2026, 61% above its 2019 average and 8.6% above a year earlier. Consumer prices rose about 31% over the same period.
One qualification matters. This BLS index is “Other industrial gases (including fluorocarbon and acetylene)”, series WPU06790312. It is the closest federal price series to HVAC refrigerant, but it is not a refrigerant price. No federal agency publishes a price for R-410A, R-454B or R-32.
The index, year by year
The rise has been steady rather than a single spike, and 2026 is running well above every earlier year in the series.
| Year | Average index | Change vs 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 219.4 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 208.2 | -5.1% |
| 2021 | 217.6 | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 273.2 | +24.5% |
| 2023 | 270.4 | +23.2% |
| 2024 | 283.0 | +29.0% |
| 2025 | 318.8 | +45.3% |
| 2026 (Jan to Aug) | 346.8 | +58.1% |
The series high was 358.287 in July 2026; August 2026 came in slightly lower at 353.087.
Why a proxy is the best federal data there is
HVAC refrigerant prices are set in a supply chain that federal price programmes do not break out. Producers sell to distributors, distributors to contractors, and the refrigerant a homeowner pays for is billed inside a repair invoice.
The BLS index captures producer prices for a product group that includes fluorocarbon gases, which is the chemical family HFC refrigerants belong to, alongside other industrial gases such as acetylene. Treat it as direction and scale, not as a price per pound. Anyone quoting a federal refrigerant price is quoting something else.
Two federal policies bear directly on the refrigerants in American homes. The HFC phasedown under 40 CFR 84.7 cuts allowances to 30% of baseline from 2029, which squeezes high global warming potential refrigerants like R-410A hardest; see the phasedown schedule. And antidumping duties on R-32 from China, continued in August 2026, affect a component of both R-410A and R-454B; see the R-32 order.
How this shows up on a repair bill
A leak repair on an older system is where refrigerant cost is most visible, because the charge is billed by the pound. As R-410A supply tightens, the refrigerant line of that invoice becomes a larger share of the repair, which changes the repair-or-replace arithmetic.
- Ask what refrigerant the system uses and how many pounds it holds.
- Ask for refrigerant billed separately from labour.
- Remember that a system that needs refrigerant has a leak; topping up without repair repeats the cost. See what a recharge really means.
Against equipment prices
Refrigerant is one input; the machines themselves have risen too. The BLS producer price index for HVAC equipment manufacturing is also around 60% above its 2019 average, as tracked in our August equipment price report. Both measure producer prices, not what contractors charge.
Frequently asked questions
How much have refrigerant prices gone up?
No federal series prices HVAC refrigerant directly. The closest is the BLS producer price index for other industrial gases including fluorocarbons, series WPU06790312, which was 353.1 in August 2026, 61% above its 2019 average and 8.6% above a year earlier.
Is there a government price for R-410A?
No. No federal agency publishes prices for R-410A, R-454B or R-32. Published per-pound figures come from distributors or contractors. The BLS industrial gases index gives direction and scale for a product group that includes fluorocarbons, not a refrigerant price.
Why is refrigerant getting more expensive?
For HVAC refrigerants the documented federal drivers are the HFC phasedown, which cuts production and import allowances to 30% of baseline from 2029, and antidumping duties on R-32 from China, which the US continued in August 2026. Producer prices for the broader gas group are 61% above 2019.
Will refrigerant keep getting more expensive?
We do not forecast prices. What is scheduled is supply: federal HFC allowances step down to 30% of baseline in 2029. That applies most pressure to high global warming potential refrigerants such as R-410A, which newer A2L systems do not use.
Methodology and limitations
Index values are BLS series WPU06790312, not seasonally adjusted, retrieved from the BLS public data API in September 2026. Consumer prices are CUUR0000SA0. Annual figures are simple averages of available months.
- The index covers a product group broader than HVAC refrigerants and includes acetylene and other industrial gases.
- Producer prices are not distributor, contractor or retail prices.
- Recent months are preliminary and may be revised.
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Producer Price Index, series WPU06790312, other industrial gases including fluorocarbon and acetylene.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index, series CUUR0000SA0.
- Code of Federal Regulations, 40 CFR 84.7, HFC production and consumption baseline and phasedown schedule.
The HVAC Brief is an independent trade publication. We do not sell equipment, take manufacturer advertising, or accept payment for placement in our research. Corrections welcome.
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