California residents now have access to federal money to electrify their homes this winter.
The Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEEHRA) gives families up to $8,000 to install energy-efficient heating and cooling HVAC pumps.
The funding is provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and is overseen by the California Energy Commission (CEC).
California joined Hawaii, New Mexico and New York as the first four states to apply for the U.S. Department of Energy's Home Energy Rebate program.
According to the CEC, the money will be released in installments, the state has received about $70 million so far. For single-family homes, the rebates became available on Nov. 12. The CEC said the funding can cover up to 8,179 single-family homes.
The rebates come less than a month after Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order focused on reducing the costs of electric bills for California residents.
The order would require state agencies, like the California Public Utilities Commission, to identify and cease underperforming programs and return all unused funds to ratepayers.
Qualified homeowners with an area median income between 80-150% will be eligible for $4,000 in rebates. Those who make less than 80% of the area median income are eligible for $8,000.
To receive the rebates, customers would need to work with a TECH California contractor. Rebates for multifamily homes have been available since early October.
Newsom released the following statement on the rebates.
“Thousands of dollars are now available for California homeowners to install heat pumps, making your home more energy-efficient and reducing your energy bills by hundreds of dollars each year. With these new rebates made possible by the Biden-Harris administration, Californians can save money and take real climate action.”
People looking to get new heating or cooling pumps through the rebate program can find an eligible contractor here. The rebates will be available until all the funds are used.
