Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine May 2026

HVACR NewsMagazine May 2026

State National Chapter News

announcement provided information and opportunity for competitors to raise their prices as well. It does not appear that the steel and metal price increases as justifications were included in the filings. You can read the full text of the Contracting Business articles in the following links. HVAC Manufacturers Hit with Three Additional Price Fixing Lawsuits | Contracting Business Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Price Fixing by Major HVAC Manufacturers Since 2020 | Contracting Business

AAON, Bosch, Carrier Daikin, Lennox, Trane Rheem, and Watsco Accused of Price Fixing Recent articles in Contracting Business by Nicole Krawcke revealed recent lawsuits against AAON, Bosch, Carrier, Daikin, Rheem, Trane, and Watsco for alleged price fixing. These companies control 90% of the North American market for HVAC equipment. The complaint alleges that manufacturers used COVID-19, new SEER2 standards, and the HFC phasedown as justifications for price increases. Also included in the complaint are AHRI and ACHR News. Manufacturers conspired through coordinated announcements and information sharing. • Price increases outpaced inflation • HVAC equipment prices rose by over 53% since January 2020. There are four lawsuits all filed in the Eastern District of Michigan even though the plaintiffs include companies in North Dakota, Florida, and New York. One of the cases has applied for class action status. Obviously, this has the attention of the accused and the industry. Defendants have denied the allegations. One interesting accusation is that the defendants announced their upcoming price increases in the ACHR News. This The allegations include: •

• You are in a meeting and another dealer asks, “What do you charge for a 3 ton system? • You call up a friend in the business and say, “Man , everything is getting so high. How much are you going up on your labor rate? • You ask to see a competitor ’ s service contract schedule. What is included and how much do they charge.

These may be illegal