Updates

May 25, 2026 · Site structure

• • Retired 40 state pages and 240 state × product cross pages that had "coming soon" content but not deep coverage. Site now surfaces the 11 states with full editorial + curated rebate data. Stub states will return as their data gets fleshed out.
• • Added editor bio and methodology detail across the site.
• • Published this updates page and the methodology page.

May 23, 2026 · Utility rebates

• • Added 28 utility-specific rebate entries across PG&E, SCE, Xcel Colorado, Duke Energy Carolinas, DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, Con Edison, Georgia Power, ComEd, AEP Ohio, PECO, Oncor, and FPL.
• • Calculator now filters utility rebates by the utility your ZIP resolves to, so results reflect what you can actually stack.

May 21, 2026 · Illinois

• • Confirmed Illinois Shines block status via IPA portal — block 4 remains open, block 5 has limited capacity remaining. Illinois state page updated to reflect current block availability.
• • ComEd Hourly Pricing enrollment details verified against ComEd's current onboarding docs; state page copy adjusted for accuracy.

May 19, 2026 · North Carolina

• • NC Energy Office registered-contractor list refreshed. Coverage in the Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham metros continues to grow; Asheville is thinner.
• • Duke Energy Smart $aver rebate amounts unchanged from prior cycle; confirmed via Duke's residential rebate page.

May 17, 2026 · California

• • Reconfirmed California HEEHRA single-family remains fully reserved (status: closed). CEC's residential rebate program page continues to indicate no reopen date.
• • TECH Clean California rebate tiers checked against tech.cleanca portal — no changes in current cycle.
• • Added a callout to the state guide clarifying multifamily HEEHRA is still accepting applications while single-family is closed.

May 14, 2026 · Site launch

• • PaybackZIP goes live. Initial coverage: 11 US states with deep rebate program data + 6 product categories (heat pump, heat pump water heater, EV, solar, induction stove, weatherization).
• • 49 rebate programs seeded across federal + state + utility layers.
• • Interactive rebate stacking calculator with AMI tier estimation, program status filtering, and payback-period math.
• • 3 pillar guides published: "Federal energy tax credits expired 2026," "Is a heat pump worth it in 2026?" and "How to electrify your home in the right order."

May 13, 2026 · Content

• • Editorial for the 11 deep-coverage state pages (California, Colorado, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan) written and reviewed.
• • Editorial for the 6 product pages written. Each includes ~600 words of guidance + a 5-question FAQ block.

May 11, 2026 · Data — federal HEAR

• • Federal HEAR maximum rebate schedule cross-referenced against ENERGY STAR's HEAR program summary: $8,000 heat pump, $1,750 HPWH, $840 induction stove, $1,600 weatherization, $4,000 electrical panel, $2,500 wiring. Total household cap $14,000.
• • AMI tier logic implemented: ≤80% AMI receives 100% of project cost up to cap; 80–150% AMI receives 50%.

May 9, 2026 · Data — state programs

• • Initial pass through DSIRE for 11 seed states. State-level rebate and tax credit programs cataloged, cross-referenced against state energy office pages.
• • HEAR launch status set for each state based on ENERGY STAR tracker: California (closed as of Feb 2026), Colorado (open), Georgia (open), Michigan (open), North Carolina (open), Illinois (coming soon), Ohio (coming soon), Pennsylvania (coming soon), New York (coming soon), Florida (coming soon), Texas (coming soon).

May 7, 2026 · Data — state median income

• • State median household income (four-person basis) sourced from US Census ACS 5-year + HUD state-level income limits vintage 2024–2025.
• • HUD household-size adjustment factors implemented (0.70 for 1 person up to 1.32 for 8 people).

May 4, 2026 · Data — electricity rates

• • State-averaged residential electricity rates pulled from EIA monthly electricity report. Rates range from Idaho at 11.1¢/kWh to Hawaii at 41.8¢/kWh.
• • Rate scaling factor implemented in payback math (state rate ÷ national average of 15.6¢/kWh).

April 30, 2026 · Project start

• • Project scoped. Repository initialized. Data schema for rebates, states, products, and utilities designed.
• • Content plan approved: 11 deep-coverage states + 6 product categories + 3 pillar guides + About/Privacy/Contact.