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Illinois: the federal rebates have not launched, and your utility decides the rest.
Illinois holds $263 million in federal home energy rebate money and has launched neither program. What is paying now comes from the utilities’ efficiency plans for 2026 to 2029, and they split oddly: ComEd pays up to $2,000 toward a heat pump but nothing for insulation above 80% of area median income, Ameren Illinois pays for insulation at any income, and the gas utilities pay only to replace gas with gas. Below the income lines most of the work is free. Here is all of it, read off each administrator’s own pages.
Updated . The state programs, ComEd, Ameren Illinois, MidAmerican, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas, Springfield and Naperville, with the co-ops and two more city utilities in a table; see “Not covered yet” for the rest.
The short version
In ComEd country, heat pumps from ComEd and insulation from the gas company
ComEd takes up to $2,000 off a ducted heat pump at any income, but pays no insulation rebate above 80% of area median income. That money comes from Nicor Gas and Peoples Gas, for gas-heated homes, through approved contractors. What ComEd pays.
source · verified 27 September 2026
The federal rebates have not launched
HOMES is pending federal approval for a pilot, and HEAR has not been processed. Rebate sites that say otherwise, or that tell you to keep receipts for a retroactive claim, are wrong: Illinois says nothing done before launch will be paid. Where they stand.
source · verified 27 September 2026
Below 80% of area median income, most of it is free
ComEd’s Home Energy Savings insulates for free and Whole Home Electric installs a free heat pump, though its 2026 money for gas-heated homes is spent. Ameren pays 90% of the work up to 300% of the poverty line. The state weatherization program does up to $20,000 of work below 200% of the poverty line.
source · verified 27 September 2026
Statewide
The state’s weatherization, the federal rebates, and the solar incentives.
Weatherization Assistance
free, up to $20,000
Air sealing, insulation and furnace work at or below 200% of the poverty line; owners and renters.
Income limits →
HOMES and HEAR
not launched
$263 million, waiting on federal approval; up to $16,000 per home when it opens, lower incomes first.
Where it stands →
Illinois Solar for All
no upfront cost
Solar below 80% of area median income through an Approved Vendor. The 2026-27 window closed on 25 September.
Who qualifies →
Illinois Shines
paid to the installer
Renewable energy credits bought from small solar systems, plus the utilities’ smart inverter rebates.
How it works →
Your electric utility
Heat pump money comes from the utility that delivers your power. ComEd and Ameren cover most of the state; a few cities run their own.
| Utility | Ducted heat pump | Heat pump water heater | Insulation at any income | Lower incomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ComEd | Up to $2,000 (+$75 thermostat) | $750 | None | Free: Home Energy Savings, Whole Home Electric |
| Ameren Illinois | $900 | $1,150 installed, $800 yourself | $1.10 a sq ft, attic and walls | Free to 200% of poverty, 90% to 300% |
| MidAmerican (Quad Cities) | $300 to $713 | $225 | None listed | Assessments in selected neighborhoods |
| CWLP (Springfield) | $300 a ton (form); $200 (web page) | $400 | None | Helping Homes, 2025 season shown |
| Naperville | $900 to $1,800 | — | Up to $2,500; 2026 money spent | — |
| Winnetka | $1,200 to $1,600; ductless $1,000 | $500 | — | — |
| Rochelle | None | — | 50% of attic insulation, up to $350 | — |
ComEd and Ameren discounts come off the contractor’s invoice; the city utilities pay a bill credit. Winnetka lets you install the heat pump yourself. Geneva offers no rebates.
source · verified 27 September 2026
ComEd heat pumps and appliances
up to $2,000
Off the contractor’s invoice at any income; $6,000 for geothermal, $750 for a water heater.
What it pays →
ComEd Whole Home Electric
free
A heat pump, water heater, stove and dryer under 80% of area median income. Gas-heated homes wait for 2027.
Who qualifies →
Home Energy Savings
free
Assessment, insulation and air sealing under 80% of area median income, with the gas utilities.
Who qualifies →
Ameren Illinois heat pumps
$900
Off the invoice; $1,150 for a heat pump water heater, up to $4,320 for geothermal.
What it pays →
Ameren Illinois insulation
$1.10 a sq ft
Attic and wall insulation and air sealing at any income, through a Program Ally.
The rates →
Ameren Illinois income-qualified
free or 90%
Up to 300% of the poverty line; free heat pumps for propane-heated homes.
The tiers →
MidAmerican Energy
up to $1,200
Heat pump and geothermal discounts around the Quad Cities, capped at 70% of equipment cost.
What it pays →
CWLP, Springfield
$300 a ton
Heat pumps and geothermal as a bill credit; a 9% winter discount on electric heat.
What it pays →
Naperville
up to $1,800
The most if the gas furnace goes; insulation, window and solar money ran out in June.
What it pays →
ComEd’s income table is last year’s
ComEd and Nicor Gas publish $95,900 as the 80% line for a family of four. HUD’s figure for the Chicago area, in effect since 1 May 2026, is $97,200. A household between the two should ask before assuming it does not qualify.
source · verified 27 September 2026
Gas
The gas utilities still pay toward efficient gas furnaces and boilers, but only to replace gas with gas, and toward insulation in gas-heated homes.
| Gas utility | Furnace | Boiler | Insulation and air sealing | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicor Gas | $150 to $225 | $350; combination $500 | Air sealing $500, attic $400, ducts $600, windows up to $3,000 | Gas replacing gas only; 90 days to apply |
| Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas | $200 to $225 | $300 to $500 | Up to $1,200 a project | 30 days to apply |
| Ameren Illinois gas | None in 2026 | None | $1.10 a sq ft, attic and walls | Market-rate furnace rebates end after 2027 under its plan |
| MidAmerican gas | $2.40 per 1,000 Btu/h | — | None listed | Instant discount through a contractor |
source · verified 27 September 2026
Electric co-ops
Rural co-ops set their own rebates, mostly for heat pumps and geothermal. Several of their pages still advertise the federal tax credits that ended with 2025.
| Co-op | Air-source heat pump | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| M.J.M. Electric (Power Moves) | Up to $1,800, cold-climate whole home | Geothermal $2,000; heat pump water heater $800 |
| Wayne-White Counties | $300 to $500; mini-split $300 to $500 | Geothermal $2,000; heat pump water heater $500; capped at 50% of equipment cost |
| JCE Co-op (Jo-Carroll) | — | Geothermal $700 a ton, up to $20,000 a year |
| Corn Belt Energy | $750 | Replacement geothermal $750; Wi-Fi thermostat $75 |
| Eastern Illini | $700; mini-split $350 each, up to $700 | Bought after 16 February 2026; not for replacing an existing heat pump |
| Southwestern Electric | $300, as primary heat | Electric water heater $250, replacing gas or in a new home |
| Rural Electric Convenience | $250; $100 with gas or propane backup | Geothermal $250 |
| Menard Electric | $200 | Geothermal $300; terms dated 2012 |
| Coles-Moultrie | — | Up to $250 for appliances and insulation |
| Illinois Electric, Adams, Tri-County | Loans only | — |
| Egyptian, Monroe County, EnerStar, Shelby, Southern Illinois, Norris | No heat pump rebate found | — |
Figures from each co-op’s own page or 2026 form, read 27 September 2026. JCE, Wayne-White and Menard still describe the ended federal tax credits as available; Egyptian’s and Monroe County’s pages say both that they run through 2032 and that they have expired.
source · verified 27 September 2026
Loans, repair programs and city help
Money that is lent, repaired or rationed rather than rebated.
| Program | What it offers | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois Energy Efficiency Loan (ComEd, Ameren, Nicor, Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas) | $500 to $20,000 on the utility bill, fixed 7.49%, 1 to 10 years | Open |
| LIHEAP Furnace Assistance | Tune-up, repair or replacement for homeowners receiving LIHEAP; not renters | LIHEAP open since 1 October 2026 for priority groups, from 1 November for others; 2027 furnace dates not yet published |
| IHDA Home Repair and Accessibility Program | Up to $45,000 forgivable ($21,500 roof only), at or below 80% of area median income | Waiting lists at local grantees |
| City of Chicago Home Repair Program | Roof and porch repairs up to 50% of area median income | No 2026 registration; 2024 and 2025 waitlist only |
| Green Homes Chicago | Free insulation and heat pumps up to 80% of area median income | Closed; registration ran 17 to 27 February 2026 |
| Chicago Emergency Heating Repair Program | Emergency heating repairs for owner-occupants of one- to four-unit buildings, up to 80% | Closed |
source · verified 27 September 2026
Which income line applies
Illinois programs use three different yardsticks: the poverty line, area median income, and for LIHEAP a 300% line. Figures are for a household of four.
| Program | Income test | Family of four | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weatherization Assistance | 200% of the federal poverty level | $66,000 | Open |
| Ameren income-qualified, free tier | 200% of poverty, or under 80% of area median income | $66,000 | Open |
| Ameren income-qualified, 90% tier | 201% to 300% of poverty | $99,000 | Open |
| LIHEAP, for customers of the five big utilities | 300% of poverty | $99,000 | From 1 October 2026 |
| ComEd Home Energy Savings and Whole Home Electric | 80% of area median income | $95,900 in ComEd’s table; $97,200 HUD, Chicago area | Open; gas-heated homes closed for 2026 in Whole Home Electric |
| Illinois Solar for All | 80% of area median income, by HUD area | By county | Window closed 25 September 2026 |
| HOMES and HEAR | Under 80% of area median income at first | By county | Not launched |
source · verified 27 September 2026
What closed, and what you will still be told to apply for
- Federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) — ended for improvements after 31 December 2025. What it paid.
- Federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D) — ended for solar, batteries and geothermal placed in service after 31 December 2025. What it paid.
- Illinois HOMES and HEAR — not launched; rebate sites that say otherwise are wrong. Where they stand.
- ComEd Whole Home Electric, for gas-heated homes — 2026 funding fully allocated; enrollments now go toward 2027. What is left.
- Chicago’s Home Repair Program, Green Homes Chicago and Emergency Heating Repair — no 2026 registration, closed for registration, and closed, respectively.
- IHDA’s Homeowner Assistance Fund home repair — the application portal is closed.
- Ameren Illinois market-rate central air conditioner rebates — dropped in its 2026-2029 plan in favor of heat pumps.
Not covered yet
The state programs, the five big utilities, MidAmerican, Springfield and Naperville are here, with the co-ops and two more city utilities in tables. Still missing:
- The co-ops whose sites did not load or list nothing: McDonough Power, Western Illinois Electrical, SouthEastern Illinois, Clay and Spoon River.
- Most municipal utilities beyond Springfield, Naperville, Winnetka, Rochelle and Geneva, among them St. Charles and Batavia.
- Ameren’s appliance rebate amounts, and the income table behind its eligibility tool.
- The revised 2027-2029 utility plans now before the Illinois Commerce Commission, and the 2026 grid law’s changes from 2027.
Questions people in Illinois actually ask
How much is the heat pump rebate in Illinois in 2026?
It depends on your electric utility. ComEd takes up to $2,000 off a ducted air-source heat pump ($2,075 with a smart thermostat), up to $1,000 off a ductless one and up to $6,000 off geothermal. Ameren Illinois takes $900 off a ducted heat pump, $630 off a ductless one and $1,080 to $4,320 off geothermal. MidAmerican pays $300 to $713, Naperville $900 to $1,800 and Springfield’s CWLP $300 a ton. The federal HEAR rebates have not launched and the federal tax credit ended with 2025.
Has Illinois launched the HOMES and HEAR rebates?
No. Illinois EPA says HOMES, the whole-home rebate of up to $8,000 or $16,000, is pending federal approval for a pilot with two local agencies, and that HEAR, the appliance rebate, has not been processed by the U.S. Department of Energy. The money will go first to households under 80% of area median income, and nothing done before launch will be paid.
Does ComEd pay for insulation?
Only below 80% of area median income, where Home Energy Savings insulates and air-seals the home free. Above that, ComEd pays nothing for insulation; the gas utility does. Nicor Gas pays $500 for air sealing, $400 for the attic, $150 to $200 for walls and $600 for duct sealing, and Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas up to $1,200 a project, through approved contractors in gas-heated homes. Ameren Illinois customers get $1.10 a square foot at any income.
What free home energy upgrades are there for low-income households in Illinois?
The state weatherization program does up to $20,000 of work free for households at or below 200% of the poverty line ($66,000 for four). ComEd’s Home Energy Savings and Whole Home Electric are free under 80% of area median income ($95,900 for four in ComEd’s table), though Whole Home Electric’s 2026 money for gas-heated homes is spent. Ameren Illinois pays all of the work up to 200% of the poverty line and 90% up to 300%.
Will Nicor Gas pay me to switch from gas to a heat pump?
No. Nicor Gas’s 2026 rebates exclude electric products replacing gas ones, and gas replacing electric, in existing homes. The heat pump money comes from the electric utility: ComEd’s instant discount of up to $2,000, or, below 80% of area median income, ComEd’s free Whole Home Electric, whose 2026 money for gas-heated homes is already allocated.
Is there a solar rebate in Illinois?
Not a rebate paid to you. Illinois Shines buys a small system’s renewable energy credits, paying the installer $60.92 to $80.77 per megawatt-hour of expected output. Illinois Solar for All installs solar with no upfront cost below 80% of area median income; its 2026-27 window closed on 25 September. ComEd’s terms add $300 per kW of solar and $300 per kWh of storage, and a county assessor will value a solar home as if it had ordinary heating if you file for it.