Fix First Home › Virginia › Virginia Home Energy Rebates (HOMES and HEAR)
Virginia Home Energy Rebates (HOMES and HEAR) not launched
Administered by Virginia Energy (the Virginia Department of Energy).
Virginia holds $188 million in federal home energy rebate money and has opened neither program; Virginia Energy says it cannot estimate a launch date. It is rewriting its plan for the U.S. Department of Energy's May 2026 notices, under which the appliance rebate will pay only to replace electric equipment with more efficient electric equipment, not to replace gas, oil or propane.
source · verified 2 October 2026 · amounts in US dollars
What it pays
| Rebate | Up to |
|---|---|
| Home Efficiency Rebate (HOMES): a retrofit saving at least 15% measured or 20% projected | $8,000 |
| High Efficiency Appliance Rebate (HEAR): heat pump for heating and cooling | $8,000 |
| HEAR: electrical panel (load service center) | $4,000 |
| HEAR: electric wiring | $2,500 |
| HEAR: heat pump water heater | $1,750 |
| HEAR: insulation, air sealing and ventilation | $1,600 |
| HEAR: electric stove, cooktop, range or oven | $840 |
| HEAR: heat pump clothes dryer or washer-dryer | $840 |
| HEAR: most per household | $14,000 |
| Program | Award |
|---|---|
| Home Efficiency Rebates | $94,347,205 |
| High Efficiency Appliance Rebates | $93,987,430 |
| Total | $188,334,635 |
Who is eligible
- income
- HEAR is limited by federal law to households up to 150% of area median income; Virginia has not published its detailed criteria.
- what HEAR will cover
- Only upgrades from existing electric equipment to more efficient electric equipment, Virginia Energy says, citing federal law.
- homes
- Owners and tenants (with written landlord permission) of single-family and affordable multifamily buildings; manufactured and mobile homes are eligible; new construction is not eligible for HOMES.
- retroactive
- HEAR cannot be paid retroactively; HOMES's rules are not yet defined.
Where the application goes
Nothing to apply for yet. Virginia Energy points to weatherization, the utilities' programs and its Virginia Energy Connect hub.
| If this is you | Apply here |
|---|---|
| Status | energy.virginia.gov |
| [email protected] |
The thing most pages get wrong
The $8,000 heat pump figure quoted for Virginia comes with a condition rebate summaries leave out. Virginia Energy's FAQ, updated for the May 2026 federal notices, says the appliance rebate is 'only from existing electric equipment to more efficient electric equipment', so a gas, oil or propane furnace replaced by a heat pump would not qualify for it.
Back to the drawing board
Virginia Energy finished submitting its application documents in June 2025. It is now updating them to conform to the Department of Energy's 29 May 2026 program documents, and will then wait for federal review and approval.
Two rebates, one household
A household will be able to use both rebates and weatherization, but not two of them for the same purchase: one could pay toward a heat pump and another toward insulation.
Sources
- https://www.energy.virginia.gov/energy-efficiency/HomeEnergyRebatesFrequentlyAskedQuestions.shtml — primary source, read 2 October 2026