The Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate Act (HEEHRA) allocates $4.5 billion to states to administer income-qualified rebates of up to $8,000 per household for heat pumps, plus additional amounts for electrical panels, wiring, induction ranges, and heat pump water heaters. Unlike the now-dead 25C federal tax credit, HEEHRA is state-administered — each state's energy office designs its own application portal, contractor certification program, and rebate timing. As of April 2026, HEEHRA rollout varies dramatically state by state.
Live and accepting applications
New York, Georgia, New Mexico, California, Hawaii, and Colorado are actively processing HEEHRA applications. New York's program (NYSERDA) and California's program (CEC) have the most mature contractor networks and online portals. Colorado launched in late 2025 and is moving quickly through its queue. Georgia runs through GEFA and prioritizes low- and moderate-income (LMI) households, with rebates disbursed at the point of sale through certified contractors. New Mexico and Hawaii both offer point-of-sale rebates, bypassing the tax-year delay that frustrated 25C claimants.
If you live in one of these states, the process is typically: (1) confirm income eligibility (under 80% AMI = max rebate; 80–150% AMI = reduced rebate); (2) choose a certified contractor; (3) contractor files the rebate paperwork and applies the discount at invoice. You pay the net-of-rebate amount.
New York (NYSERDA EmPower Plus + HEEHRA)
New York administers HEEHRA through NYSERDA's existing EmPower Plus infrastructure, which means the contractor certification pipeline was already in place when funds began flowing in late 2025. Typical application-to-approval turnaround is 10–14 business days, and point-of-sale discount hits the invoice at install.
Dollar caps follow the federal HEEHRA ceiling — $8,000 on heat pumps, $4,000 on panel upgrades, $2,500 on wiring, $1,750 on heat pump water heaters, $840 on induction ranges. Installations must use NYSERDA-listed participating contractors and equipment must appear on the NEEP Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pump List for any installation north of I-84. Anti-fraud is enforced through contractor license audits and post-install inspection on a percentage of projects.
California (CEC BUILD + HEEHRA)
California routes HEEHRA through the CEC Building Initiative for Low-Emissions Development (BUILD), layered on the statewide TECH Clean California contractor network. Turnaround runs 14–21 days once the contractor files. The portal is bilingual English/Spanish, reflecting CEC's environmental justice mandate.
California requires Title 24-compliant installations, meaning the heat pump must meet or exceed CEC's annual efficiency minimums (SEER2 16+, HSPF2 8.1+ for most climate zones). Bay Area and coastal applicants typically net $3,800–$5,200 on a 3-ton system after stacking HEEHRA with PG&E or SCE utility rebates. Anti-fraud enforcement includes contractor-license cross-checks against CSLB and mandatory post-install commissioning reports.
Colorado (CEO HEEHRA)
The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) launched HEEHRA in November 2025 and moved aggressively to process the initial queue. Turnaround is currently 7–10 days — the fastest of any live state — because CEO built the portal from scratch rather than retrofitting a legacy platform.
Dollar caps match federal ceilings. Colorado requires CEO-certified installers who have completed the state's Heat Pump Installer Training (HPIT) curriculum, which is distinct from NATE certification and specific to Colorado's cold-climate load profile. Anti-fraud includes random post-install inspections on roughly 8% of completed projects and mandatory M1 and D manual documentation at submission.
Georgia (GEFA HEEHRA)
The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) administers HEEHRA with strong LMI prioritization — households below 80% AMI are fast-tracked, and the portal is structured to discourage higher-income gaming. Turnaround runs 12–18 days.
Caps follow federal maximums. Contractors must complete GEFA's online certification and maintain active license with the Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board. Equipment must appear on the AHRI Directory and meet ENERGY STAR Cold Climate criteria for installations in the northern third of the state. Anti-fraud provisions include a mandatory 24-month ownership holdback — if the homeowner sells the property within two years, a prorated portion of the rebate is recaptured from sale proceeds.
New Mexico (EMNRD HEEHRA)
New Mexico's Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) runs a lean program with 10–15 day turnaround. The contractor pool is smaller than in California or New York — roughly 180 certified installers statewide as of April 2026 — which can mean longer install waits despite fast rebate processing.
Federal caps apply. EMNRD requires completed Manual J documentation at submission (not just at install), which is stricter than most states. Anti-fraud is enforced through a combination of contractor license audits and income verification via prior-year tax return cross-check.
Hawaii (HSEO HEEHRA)
Hawaii's State Energy Office runs the smallest live program by volume but the most generous effective stack — HEEHRA plus the Hawaii Energy utility rebate plus HECO's On-Bill Repayment program can net an installed 2-ton heat pump to under $2,800 for LMI households. Turnaround is 14–21 days.
Equipment specs emphasize coastal salt-air durability (titanium-coated coils preferred). Contractors must be HSEO-listed and carry current Hawaii C-1 or C-52 contractor licenses. Anti-fraud includes island-specific inspection teams — a practical necessity given inter-island logistics.
Pending launch (programs announced, portal not live)
Massachusetts, Minnesota, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, and Rhode Island have all accepted DOE HEEHRA funding but have not yet opened their consumer-facing rebate portals. State energy offices in each are finalizing contractor certification rules, anti-fraud provisions, and IT systems. Expected go-live dates cluster in mid-to-late 2026.
Homeowners in these states can still benefit from existing utility rebate programs in the meantime. For example, Massachusetts residents can stack Mass Save ConnectedSolutions ($10,000+) with future HEEHRA when it launches, provided they haven't already claimed HEEHRA-eligible equipment.
Massachusetts (DOER + Mass Save coordination)
The Department of Energy Resources (DOER) is targeting Q3 2026 go-live to coincide with the Mass Save program cycle. The delay is intentional — DOER wants to avoid double-dipping and is building a unified application portal that routes HEEHRA-eligible households through the federal rebate first and Mass Save second.
What's gating it: contractor certification reciprocity with Mass Save's HEAT Loan network, and integration with the utilities' shared customer database. Both are expected to resolve by late Q2 2026. Massachusetts homeowners buying a heat pump now should confirm their contractor is on the Mass Save HEAT Loan list — those contractors will be first-in-line for HEEHRA certification when the portal opens.
Minnesota (Department of Commerce HEEHRA)
Minnesota is tentatively targeting Q2-Q3 2026. The Department of Commerce is building on the existing Conservation Improvement Program (CIP) utility infrastructure, and the gating factor is contractor training — Minnesota requires MN-specific cold-climate certification (design temperatures run to -20°F in the northern counties), which is a more demanding curriculum than most states.
Homeowners should buy equipment now that meets the NEEP Cold Climate ASHP list and carries AHRI certification for 5°F minimum operation. That spec will qualify for HEEHRA the day the portal goes live.
Illinois (DCEO HEEHRA)
Illinois's Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is targeting Q2-Q3 2026. The gating factors are coordination with the Illinois Commerce Commission on utility rebate stacking rules and resolution of the state's contractor licensing reciprocity with Wisconsin and Indiana. DCEO has signaled that ComEd and Ameren service territories will go first.
Fully reserved — no new applications
Maine's Efficiency Maine program briefly opened HEEHRA applications in late 2025 and hit its full reservation ceiling within weeks. The program is paused while the state works through its queue and evaluates whether to request supplemental DOE funding. Vermont is in a similar position — early aggressive uptake consumed the initial tranche, and new applications are waitlisted.
Not yet engaged
A handful of states (mostly in the Great Plains and Deep South) have accepted funding but disclosed minimal public timeline. Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas are in various stages of program design. Residents in these states should monitor their state energy office website quarterly.
What to do now if your state is not engaged
Three practical moves while you wait.
Tap utility rebates immediately. Most electric and gas utilities offer $500–$3,500 instant rebates on qualifying heat pumps independent of any federal or state program. These stack with HEEHRA when it eventually launches, so claiming a utility rebate now does not disqualify a future HEEHRA claim on a different piece of equipment. Texas CoServ, Florida Duke Energy, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Entergy Louisiana all run active heat pump rebate programs.
Buy equipment that will qualify later. The HEEHRA-eligible equipment spec is converging on a common federal baseline: AHRI certified, ENERGY STAR, NEEP Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pump Product List for cold climates, and (in most states) a CEE Tier 2 minimum. If you install now to that spec, you cannot retroactively claim HEEHRA on already-placed equipment, but you preserve the option to claim HEEHRA on a future second piece — a heat pump water heater, panel upgrade, or mini-split add-on — once your state's portal opens.
Lock in a certified-ready contractor. Ask prospective installers directly whether they expect to seek HEEHRA certification in your state, and whether they already hold NATE certification (a common prerequisite). Contractors who say "we don't plan to participate" are signaling they'd rather not deal with rebate paperwork, which is itself useful information. Our installer selection checklist walks through the full screening process.
How to find your stack today
Our HEEHRA guide explains income qualification, equipment eligibility, and the full rebate stack. Our rebate stacking guide shows which programs combine and which are mutually exclusive. For a live list of every rebate in your ZIP — HEEHRA plus utility plus any remaining state programs — use the rebate finder on the homepage. The tool pulls from the Rewiring America Incentive API and refreshes daily, so newly-launched state programs appear within 24 hours.