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North Carolina · checked October 21, 2026
Air-source heat pump rebates in North Carolina
1 program pays toward an air-source heat pump in North Carolina right now, with 2 separate offers between them. The largest stated amount is $8,000 (a maximum), from Energy Saver North Carolina: Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) (Below 80% of area median income). The federal 25C credit for this upgrade ended on December 31, 2025, so the state and utility money below is what is left.
What North Carolina pays for heat pumps
Energy Saver North Carolina: Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) Open
Run by NC Department of Environmental Quality, State Energy Office · statewide
- Below 80% of area median income: Up to 100% of project cost, up to $8,000 (heat pump for space heating and cooling) low income
- 80–150% of area median income: Up to 50% of project cost, up to $8,000 (heat pump for space heating and cooling) moderate income
Conditions on the program page: Household income below 150% of area median income; LIEAP or Medicaid enrollment can qualify a household without further income checks; Single-family owners, multifamily building owners, and tenants with landlord permission; From September 1, 2026, applications not yet at rebate reservation must follow the new guidance: no fuel switching, electric-to-electric upgrades only; insulation and air sealing may be required with a heat pump project; Registered contractor; self-installed projects do not qualify; not retroactive; “Total rebate cannot exceed actual project costs”; up to $14,000 per dwelling.
Also on the page: Electrical wiring: $2,000 in the page's rebate table but $2,500 in its FAQ; Heat pump clothes dryer: up to $840; Rolled out by county in phases; Phase 7 (Mecklenburg, Wake) from January 2026.
Source: NC DEQ: Energy Saver North Carolina; Energy Saver NC: HEAR updates and program changes. Last checked October 21, 2026. Official program page.
Worked example: one North Carolina home
Take a 3-ton air-source system (2 outdoor units) replacing electric baseboard or resistance heat. These are example inputs, not typical prices. Each program's own rule gives the amounts below; where one program has several tiers only the largest one counts, separate programs add up, and a percentage offer with no cost entered is shown at its ceiling.
| Utility | Not income-qualified | Moderate income | Low income | Replacing baseboard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any North Carolina utility (Energy Saver NC is statewide) | $0 | $8,000 max | $8,000 max | $0 |
For a household that is not income-qualified, the example comes to $0: none of the open offers is paid to a household above the income limits in this example. A household that meets a program's low-income definition gets $8,000 more in the same example, because 1 offer is paid at the income-qualified level.
Who can use these North Carolina offers
Every household in North Carolina covered by Energy Saver North Carolina can apply; the offers are not limited to one utility's territory. None of these program pages lists an end date, and each can change or stop while funds last.
Federal credit and state IRA rebates
The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (IRC §25C) paid 30% of cost, up to $2,000 a year (heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, biomass stoves and boilers combined). The IRS page says: “can claim the credit for improvements made through December 31, 2025.” Not allowed for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Source: IRS: Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, 26 U.S.C. §25C, as amended by Public Law 119-21 (July 4, 2025). See what the credit covered and when it ended.
Energy Saver North Carolina: Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR): Open. Launched January 16, 2025 and expected to run “until 2031 or until funds are depleted”, first come first served. After DOE's May 29, 2026 guidance, “Current and new HEAR applicants should continue applying”, but from September 1, 2026 “Fuel Switching Projects are NOT allowed” while “Electric-to-Electric Upgrades ARE allowed.” Source: NC DEQ: Energy Saver North Carolina.
How North Carolina compares
5 of the other 14 covered states list a larger top amount for heat pumps. Open elsewhere: Massachusetts $16,000; Rhode Island $11,500; Connecticut $10,000; New Hampshire $10,000; Maine $9,000; Vermont $4,000; California $3,000; Oregon $3,000; Arizona $1,125; Texas $950; Wisconsin $900; Michigan $350; Florida $200. No open, sourced offer is listed in 1 other covered state (Pennsylvania). Compare them on the air-source heat pump rebates by state page.
Other upgrades in North Carolina: heat pump water heater, insulation and air sealing, induction range or cooktop, electrical panel upgrade. Background: how rebates stack and the federal credit status.
Rebates are set by each program and can change or close without notice; the program's own page and application decide what is paid. This page is information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Amounts last checked October 21, 2026.