PE-owned HVAC firms accused of price hikes, rental programs, and less technical training

The guest reports that private-equity-acquired HVAC firms increase install prices, push new systems onto rental programs that cost homeowners 3-4x, place liens on homes, and shift from technical training to sales training, diminishing field value.

“the focus turns to not only selling, but increasing prices of installs to force the consumer to buy a new system. And that new system is now put on a rental program because on the rental program, it's, it's like leasing a car or financing a car. It is cheap, it's affordable, it's attractive, but at the end of the day, they're paying three or four times the amount for that install at the end of that.”

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