Fix First Home › United States › North Carolina
North Carolina: the federal rebates are open everywhere, and changed on 1 September.
North Carolina runs both federal home energy rebates in every county, up to $14,000 for appliances and $16,000 for a whole-home project. On 1 September 2026 new federal guidance stopped the appliance rebates paying to replace gas, propane or oil equipment, and the program’s own tables still describe the old rules. Duke Energy, which serves most of the state, pays the same Smart $aver rebates in both its utilities. Here is all of it, read off each administrator’s own pages.
Updated . The state programs, Duke Energy, Dominion, the two big gas utilities, Fayetteville, the NCMPA1 cities, two co-ops and Raleigh’s repair loans, with the other co-ops and cities in tables; see “Not covered yet” for the rest.
The short version
HEAR no longer pays to replace gas
Since 1 September 2026 HEAR pays only for replacing electric equipment with more efficient electric equipment, up to $8,000 for a heat pump. The program’s tables still say the opposite. A gas-heated home’s route is HOMES: up to $16,000 below 80% of area median income for a project modeled to save 20%.
source · verified 27 September 2026
Duke pays by efficiency, and more for a working system
Duke Energy pays $350 to $700 for a heat pump replacing a failed unit and $700 to $900 for replacing a working one early, $1,500 for replacing electric furnace or baseboard heat, and a flat $700 for attic insulation and air sealing. Rebate sites quote other figures.
source · verified 27 September 2026
Below 200% of the poverty line, it is free
The Weatherization Assistance Program and HARRP and Duke’s income-qualified weatherization insulate, seal and repair or replace heating free, up to $66,000 for four.
source · verified 27 September 2026
Statewide
The NC Department of Environmental Quality runs the federal rebates and weatherization.
Energy Saver NC: HEAR
up to $14,000
Heat pumps, water heaters, panels and wiring, as an instant discount; electric-to-electric only since 1 September.
What it pays →
Energy Saver NC: HOMES
up to $16,000
Whole-home projects modeled to save 20%; still pays for efficient gas equipment.
What it pays →
Weatherization and HARRP
free
Insulation, sealing and heating repair or replacement below 200% of the poverty line.
Income limits →
Urgent Repair Program
up to $15,000
Forgivable loans for emergency repairs, for owners with special needs below 50% of area median income.
Who qualifies →
Solar property tax exclusion
80% excluded
Of a solar electric system’s value, on Form AV-10.
The rules →
Energy Saver NC income limits
Tier 1 (all of the cost) runs to 80% of area median income, Tier 2 (half) to 150%. Figures are for a household of four, from the 2026 table.
| County | Tier 1: 80% | Tier 2: 150% |
|---|---|---|
| Franklin, Johnston, Wake | $105,850 | $198,450 |
| Chatham, Durham, Orange | $101,700 | $190,650 |
| Cabarrus, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Union | $93,900 | $176,100 |
| New Hanover | $87,350 | $163,800 |
| Buncombe, Henderson, Madison | $81,900 | $153,600 |
| Davie, Forsyth, Stokes, Yadkin | $76,250 | $142,950 |
| Guilford, Randolph | $73,200 | $137,250 |
| Cumberland | $65,500 | $122,850 |
| 39 counties at the state floor | $62,650 | $117,450 |
The ‘Check your eligibility’ button on the program’s home page opens the 2025 table, which overstates the line in 14 counties, Rowan and Watauga among them. SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, LIHEAP and several other programs qualify a household for Tier 1.
source · verified 27 September 2026
Duke Energy
Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress pay the same Smart $aver rebates in North Carolina, through participating contractors, as a prepaid Mastercard.
| Upgrade | Replacing a failed system | Replacing a working one early |
|---|---|---|
| Air-source heat pump, 15.2 to 17 SEER2 | $350 to $700 | $700 to $900 |
| Heat pump replacing electric furnace or baseboard heat | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Existing heat pump to dual fuel, geothermal or cold-climate | $2,000 to $2,300 | $2,400 to $2,500 |
| Attic insulation and air sealing | $700 | — |
| Heat pump water heater | $500 | — |
| Duct sealing | $350 | — |
Duke’s Online Savings Store closed on 22 September 2026. Power Manager and EnergyWise Home still pay $150 to enroll a smart thermostat and $50 a year after.
source · verified 27 September 2026
Smart $aver
up to $2,500
Heat pumps, conversions, insulation, water heaters.
What it pays →
Income-qualified weatherization
free
HVAC replacement up to $8,000, below 200% of poverty.
Who qualifies →
Improve & Save
7.48% on the bill
Ten-year on-bill financing that stays with the home.
The terms →
PowerPair
up to $9,000
Solar and a battery; Duke Energy Progress is full.
Capacity →
Dominion and the gas utilities
Dominion serves northeastern North Carolina. The gas utilities pay only to replace gas equipment with gas.
| Utility | What it pays | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Dominion Energy North Carolina | Free upgrades below 200% of poverty, 250% at 60 and older | Its NC page advertises a water heater rebate marked Virginia-only |
| Piedmont Natural Gas | $175 to $325 for a gas furnace | Water heater rebates ended mid-2025; 120 days to apply |
| Enbridge Gas North Carolina (formerly PSNC) | Up to $400 bill credit for a furnace; $100 to $300 water heaters | Thresholds rose in September 2026 |
| Frontier Natural Gas | None found | — |
source · verified 27 September 2026
City electric utilities
North Carolina has dozens of city-owned electric systems; several tie their rebates to a load management switch.
| Utility | Heat pump | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| NCMPA1 cities (High Point, Lexington, Gastonia and others) | $300 or $400; geothermal $500 | Water heater $150; within 60 days |
| Fayetteville PWC | $250 to $400 bill credit | Only on the Time-of-Use rate |
| Concord | $400 | No mini-split, ductless or dual fuel |
| New Bern | $100 a ton, up to $400 | Load switch required; removing it within two years charges the rebate back |
| Elizabeth City | $400 | Free energy assessment and a load switch required |
| Wake Forest | Up to $300 | With load management; water heater $150 |
| Greenville Utilities | None | Free energy audits; up to $70 a year in load control credits |
| Rocky Mount | Up to $1,000 for HVAC (Energy Share) | Status unclear: the program page returns an error |
| Kinston, Wilson, Washington | None found or not stated | Load management credits or free audits |
source · verified 27 September 2026
Electric co-ops
Co-op rebates are modest, $100 to $600 for a heat pump, and several co-ops lend through ElecTel instead.
| Co-op | Heat pump | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Piedmont Electric | $300 to $500, up to $600 | Insulation, ducts, water heater $100 each; 800 kWh a month |
| Brunswick EMC | $300; cold-climate $600 | 5% on-bill loans to $10,000 |
| Four County EMC | $100 a ton; cold-climate $500 | Heat pump water heater $300 |
| Tideland EMC | $100 to $400 | Heat pump water heater $350 |
| South River EMC | $150 to $300; $400 in manufactured homes replacing electric furnaces | Windows $2 a sq ft to $200 |
| Blue Ridge Energy | $150; geothermal $250 | Weatherization up to $100 each |
| Central Electric | $150 | Heat pump water heater $100 |
| Roanoke Cooperative | Upgrade to $ave: little or no cost | The page does not say how the co-op is repaid |
| Carteret-Craven, Jones-Onslow | — | Heat pump water heater $300 |
| Surry-Yadkin, Lumbee River | Amounts on forms | ElecTel loans to $35,000 |
| EnergyUnited, Wake Electric, Union Power, Rutherford, French Broad, Haywood | None found | — |
Figures from each co-op’s own page, read 27 September 2026. Blue Ridge Energy and Piedmont Electric still describe the federal tax credits that ended with 2025.
source · verified 27 September 2026
City home repair
Repair money for owners, mostly on waiting lists or paused.
| Program | What it offers | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh | 0% forgivable loans, typically $20,000 or $30,000 | Two open; Substantial Rehabilitation closed |
| Charlotte Safe Home | Deferred repair loans below 60% of area median income, with a qualifying condition | Amount and application window not stated on the city’s page |
| Durham Minor Repair | Repairs, heating included, for owners 62 or older or disabled, below 50% | Through Habitat for Humanity |
| Greensboro Home Repair GSO | Grants up to $20,000, three systems, below 80% | Paused |
| Asheville Renew NC | Up to $50,000 in Helene repairs | Closed 31 January 2026 |
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.
- HEAR rebates for replacing gas, propane or oil equipment — ended for applications not reserved by 1 September 2026. What HEAR still pays.
- Duke Energy’s High Energy Usage Assistance pilot — no longer accepting applicants, though Duke, Greensboro and Charlotte still point to it.
- Duke Energy’s Online Savings Store — closed to purchases on 22 September 2026.
- Duke PowerPair in Duke Energy Progress territory — fully allocated, with a waitlist.
- Piedmont Natural Gas water heater and thermostat rebates — ended for equipment installed after 30 June 2025.
Not covered yet
The state programs, Duke, Dominion, the gas utilities, Fayetteville, the NCMPA1 cities, two co-ops and Raleigh are here, with the rest in tables. Still missing:
- What HEAR pays for the new electric-to-electric projects, which the program has not published.
- Several co-ops that could not be reached, among them Edgecombe-Martin, Tri-County, Pitt & Greene and Mountain Electric, and the TVA-served towns of the far west.
- Many NCEMPA towns (Tarboro, Lumberton, Apex, Smithfield and others) and the city-owned gas systems.
- Whether Dominion’s water heater rebate is paid to North Carolina customers, which its own pages contradict.
Questions people in North Carolina actually ask
How much is the North Carolina heat pump rebate in 2026?
Energy Saver North Carolina’s HEAR rebates pay up to $8,000 toward a heat pump, all of the cost below 80% of area median income and half from 80% to 150%, but since 1 September 2026 not when it replaces gas, propane or oil heat. Duke Energy pays $350 to $900 for an efficient heat pump, $1,500 when it replaces electric furnace or baseboard heat and up to $2,500 for some conversions. Co-ops and city utilities pay $100 to $600.
Can I still get the Energy Saver NC rebate to replace a gas furnace?
Not through HEAR. From 1 September 2026, following new federal guidance, HEAR no longer pays to replace gas or other fossil fuel appliances, only electric equipment with more efficient electric equipment. A gas-heated home can still use the HOMES rebate, which pays for whole-home projects modeled to save at least 20%, up to $16,000 below 80% of area median income, including heat pumps and efficient gas equipment.
What are the Energy Saver NC income limits?
They depend on the county. For a family of four in 2026, the 100% tier ends at $105,850 in Wake, Johnston and Franklin, $101,700 in Durham, Orange and Chatham, $93,900 in Mecklenburg and $62,650 in the 39 counties at the state floor. The 50% tier goes up to 150% of area median income. The program’s home page still links the 2025 table.
What does Duke Energy pay for insulation in North Carolina?
A flat $700 for attic insulation and air sealing, if the attic sits over at least 1,000 square feet of living space and goes from R-19 or less to at least R-30, and $350 for duct sealing, through a participating contractor. Duke’s income-qualified weatherization does it free under 200% of the poverty line.
Is there free weatherization in North Carolina?
Yes, below 200% of the poverty line ($66,000 for four). The state Weatherization Assistance Program and HARRP work through local agencies, and Duke Energy funds the same agencies to weatherize its customers, including heating and cooling replacement up to $8,000. Dominion’s program in northeastern North Carolina goes to 250% of the poverty line for customers 60 or older.