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New York Energy Resource Bureau
An independent homeowner guide to NY energy incentives
Source quality: Secondary

Erie County

County or city: Erie County, NY Utility territory: National Grid (upstate electric) and National Fuel Gas (natural gas across most of Western New York) Verified: May 27, 2026 Source quality: Secondary

What programs apply here

Every Erie County homeowner has access to the statewide federal-and-state program stack, plus a utility layer that splits across two companies rather than one. Electric service is National Grid; gas service is National Fuel Gas — a separate Buffalo-headquartered utility that runs its own rebate program independent of National Grid. From an Erie County address you can apply for:

  • NY-Sun: the state's upfront solar incentive. Erie County sits in the upstate block of NY-Sun, where residential block pricing differs from the Con Edison and PSEG Long Island zones.
  • NY-Sun Community Solar: subscriptions to off-site solar arrays for renters or homeowners whose roofs are not viable. Bill credits show up on your National Grid electric statement.
  • NY State Solar Tax Credit: the 25% state income tax credit on solar system cost.
  • NY State Geothermal Credit: 25% state income tax credit on ground-source heat pump installations.
  • NYS Clean Heat: heat pump rebates delivered through your utility. In Erie County the electric Clean Heat track runs through National Grid.
  • Comfort Home: flat per-measure incentives for insulation and air sealing, delivered through NYSERDA-certified contractors.
  • EmPower+: the income-qualified weatherization and electrification program. This is the primary delivery channel for federal HEAR rebates in New York.
  • Solar for All: monthly bill credit for income-eligible National Grid customers who subscribe to a participating community solar project.
  • National Grid Rebates: the upstate electric rebate menu — heat pumps via Clean Heat, smart thermostats via ConnectedSolutions, Weatherization Health and Safety, and a renters' rebate track.

Natural gas rebates are not National Grid in Erie County. National Fuel Gas runs its own Conservation Incentive Program for residential gas customers in Western New York, with rebates for high-efficiency furnaces, boilers, water heaters, and a WeatherWise Savings track for air sealing and insulation. Applications for the 2026 program year are due by March 31, 2027.

What stacks at this address

  • Comfort Home + National Fuel WeatherWise. A Buffalo or Cheektowaga homeowner doing insulation and air sealing can claim flat per-measure Comfort Home incentives and the National Fuel WeatherWise rebate on the same scope of work. The two programs check for overlapping coverage during application, so confirm the measure list with both before signing.
  • Clean Heat + National Fuel furnace removal incentive. Replacing a gas furnace with an electric heat pump triggers the highest Clean Heat tier (fossil-fuel removal). National Fuel does not pay you to remove gas service, but the higher Clean Heat rebate is the relevant offset.
  • NY-Sun + state solar tax credit. Standard stack for any rooftop solar install in upstate New York. Tax credit is computed on net cost after the NY-Sun rebate.
  • EmPower+ + HEAR. Income-qualified Erie County households apply once through EmPower+ and the same intake routes federal HEAR funding where eligible.
  • Geothermal Clean Heat + state geothermal credit. Ground-source heat pumps qualify for both. Air-source installs do not.

County or city programs unique to here

Erie County does not run a county-administered cash rebate program for residential energy upgrades. The local layer here is delivered through two channels:

  • ECLIPSE (Erie County Low Income Program for Sustainable Energy). A county initiative that connects low-to-moderate-income households with community solar subscriptions, energy efficiency programs, and trusted local support. Outreach runs through erie.gov/eclipse.
  • WNY Regional Clean Energy Hub, operated by PUSH Buffalo. A NYSERDA-funded nonprofit serving Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara counties. BPI-accredited Energy Advisors walk homeowners and renters through assessments, contractor selection, rebate paperwork, and financing. The Hub is the recommended first call for an Erie County household that does not know where to start.

The county is also a 5-star Clean Energy Community under NYSERDA's municipal program, which has unlocked grant funding for EV charging infrastructure across county parks.

Who to call locally

  • WNY Regional Clean Energy Hub (PUSH Buffalo): pushgreen.org. The first call for most Erie County homeowners.
  • Erie County Department of Environment and Planning: (716) 858-8390, sustainability@erie.gov. County-level questions, ECLIPSE program intake, and climate planning.
  • National Grid residential customer service: for upstate electric customers, the Clean Heat rebate finder at cleanheat.ny.gov returns address-specific heat pump amounts. ConnectedSolutions and other rebate tracks run through National Grid directly.
  • National Fuel Gas residential rebates: fuelingtomorrowtoday.com runs the Conservation Incentive Program intake. The WNY customer assistance center handles eligibility questions.

Climate Smart Communities status

Erie County was recertified at the silver level under the New York State Climate Smart Communities program during Earth Week 2026, following its initial silver certification in 2021. Silver is the highest tier currently awarded under the program. The current certification expires September 30, 2026; recertification cycles run on a multi-year schedule. Several Erie County municipalities, including Buffalo, are independently certified at the bronze or silver level.

Important local dates

  • National Fuel Gas Conservation Incentive Program: 2026 program-year applications are due March 31, 2027.
  • National Grid Clean Heat amounts and ConnectedSolutions enrollment caps are reset on the utility's energy efficiency program cycle filed with the New York Public Service Commission. Mid-year budget exhaustion has happened in prior years.
  • The Comfort Home program publishes no fixed end date for Erie County participation as of May 27, 2026, but per-measure incentive amounts are adjusted on NYSERDA's program cycle.

Source

NYSERB.com is an independent research site. It is not affiliated with Erie County, PUSH Buffalo, NYSERDA, the State of New York, or any utility. Verify all program details and incentive amounts directly with the relevant program administrator before making any financial decision.

Verified against www2.erie.gov, www.nationalgridus.com, climatesmart.ny.gov on May 27, 2026.

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