Rebate stacking calculator

What the calculator does

The home electrification rebate landscape in 2026 has three layers, and most online calculators only show one or two of them. Ours stacks all three:

• Federal HEAR (Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates) — a $4.5 billion program funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, administered state-by-state. Income-tiered: ≤80% AMI households get 100% of project cost up to per-product caps; 80–150% AMI households get 50% up to the same caps. Maximum combined household rebate: $14,000.
• State-level credits and rebates — independent of federal HEAR. Colorado's $1,500 heat pump tax credit, New York's Clean Heat program, California's TECH Clean California incentive, Illinois Shines for solar, etc. Most state programs are not income-gated and stack on top of HEAR.
• Utility-level rebates — your local electric and gas utility almost certainly has its own rebate program. PG&E, Xcel Energy, Duke Energy, ConEd, and dozens of others run efficiency programs paying $200–$2,000 per qualifying upgrade. These stack on top of state and federal programs.

Most rebate-finder tools — including the dominant ones built around the now-expired federal Section 25C tax credit — don't show you which programs are actively open, which are fully reserved, and which haven't launched yet. The calculator above does. Status badges (Open, Waitlist, Fully reserved, Coming soon) reflect each program's latest publicly reported status.

How we estimate your AMI tier

Area Median Income (AMI) determines whether you qualify for HEAR's full benefit, partial benefit, or no benefit at all. We estimate your AMI percentage by taking your reported household income and dividing it by the median income for a household of your size in your state.

Household size matters because HUD adjusts the median up or down: a single-person household uses 70% of the four-person median; a six-person household uses 116%. So a $90,000 income for a single person in Colorado lands in a different AMI tier than the same $90,000 for a family of five.

Our estimate uses state-level median income. HUD's official figures use metro-area median income, which can be significantly different (especially in expensive metros like NYC or San Francisco, where the metro AMI is well above the state median). Before submitting a HEAR application, check your county or metro-specific AMI via HUD's official lookup. The state estimate is a directionally accurate first pass.

How payback period is calculated

Payback is your net cost (project cost minus all applicable rebates) divided by your annual savings compared to your current heating, cooling, or transportation setup. We use typical savings figures for each product type, then scale them by your state's average residential electricity rate compared to the national average (about 15.6¢/kWh in 2026).

This means a heat pump in California (30.5¢/kWh) shows a payback period roughly 1.95× different from the same install in Texas (14.5¢/kWh). Higher electric rates mean bigger savings per kWh avoided, but also higher operating costs on the new electric equipment — the relationship is complex and our scaling factor is a simplification.

Real-world payback varies based on your current heating fuel (natural gas vs oil vs electric resistance), your home's envelope (a leaky house wipes out heat pump efficiency gains), your usage patterns, and any time-of-use electric plan you're on. The number in the calculator is a reasonable midpoint, not a guarantee.

What the status badges mean

Each rebate program has one of five status states, reflecting the latest publicly reported information:

• ✓ Open — accepting applications, funding available, contractors enrolled.
• ⏳ Waitlist — accepting applications but funding is constrained; payouts may be delayed.
• 🔒 Fully reserved — all current funding has been allocated. Reapplication may open in a future funding cycle. California's single-family HEEHRA reached this status in February 2026.
• 📅 Launching soon — program is approved but not yet accepting applications. Many state HEAR rollouts are in this status as of mid-2026.
• ✕ Expired — program has ended and is not accepting new applications. The federal Section 25C, 25D, 30D, and 25E tax credits all moved to this status on January 1, 2026.

Status is refreshed weekly from state energy office pages, the ENERGY STAR HEAR tracker, and the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE). If you notice a status that's out of date, please let us know.

Why the calculator can't tell you everything

A few important caveats. The calculator gives you a directional answer, not a binding quote.

• Equipment specifics matter. Most rebate programs require the equipment to meet specific efficiency thresholds (SEER2, HSPF2, ENERGY STAR Cold Climate certification, etc.). The calculator assumes qualifying equipment; if you buy below-spec equipment, the rebates won't apply.
• Contractor enrollment is real. HEAR rebates require an installer enrolled with your state's HEAR program. State energy offices publish the registered contractor list. Always verify your installer is on it before signing.
• Stacking caps may apply. Some programs have lifetime household caps or stacking restrictions with other state and utility programs. The calculator stacks all matching programs; before applying for several at once, confirm stacking is allowed with the program administrator.
• Income verification happens at application time. Our AMI estimate is just an estimate. Actual HEAR eligibility verification requires submitting income documentation (typically last year's tax return) to your state's HEAR administrator.

Treat the calculator's output as a high-quality first pass for figuring out which programs to pursue and roughly how much money is on the table. Confirm the specific numbers with the program administrator or a registered contractor before making a purchase.