EmPower+

Administered by: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Status: Active in 2026 Verified: May 27, 2026 against EmPower+ Program, NYSERDA Source quality: Primary

What it is

EmPower+ is NYSERDA's income-qualified energy program. It is the one that actually pays for equipment and improvements for households that cannot afford them otherwise. If your income falls below the thresholds, you can get energy efficiency upgrades and clean energy equipment installed at no cost or significantly reduced cost.

The program also delivers the federal Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) program in New York, which launched as of May 2026. HEAR adds federal rebate money on top of what NYSERDA already provides. If you are income-qualified in New York, EmPower+ is where you start. Do not apply for HEAR separately.

NYSERDA updated application forms in June 2025, with materials available in 15 languages. Specific dollar amounts and improvement types are not published as a flat list; they are determined per household based on income, home conditions, and what equipment your home needs. A home assessment drives the final scope.

Who qualifies

• Low- and moderate-income New York households. NYSERDA does not publish a single dollar limit on the overview page; eligibility is evaluated during the application using the same income-tier framework other NYSERDA income-qualified programs use (0–80% AMI and 80–150% AMI). Confirm your tier before counting on a specific coverage level.
• New York State residents in existing homes. Single-family owner-occupants, renters in qualifying buildings, and small multifamily households all run through the same intake.
• Applications available in: English, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, Bosnian, Burmese, Chinese, Italian, Khmer, Korean, Polish, Russian, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Yiddish.

If you are unsure whether you qualify, apply or call NYSERDA. The program is designed for households that otherwise could not access these improvements.

What you get

The incentive amount is determined per household via application, not published as a fixed figure. Improvements may include:

• Heating and cooling equipment (heat pumps, heat pump water heaters)
• Insulation and air sealing
• Electrical panel upgrades needed to support clean energy equipment
• Other measures identified during a home assessment

For the HEAR component delivered through EmPower+, EnergySage (a secondary source, not NYSERDA directly) publishes these federal maximums by income tier:

• Low-income (below 80% of area median income): up to $8,000 for heat pump space heating and cooling; up to $1,750 for a heat pump water heater; additional amounts for insulation, panel upgrades, and wiring.
• Moderate-income (80% to 150% of area median income): up to $4,000 for heat pump space heating and cooling, with other equipment rebates at roughly 50% of the low-income amounts.

The combined federal HEAR maximum is up to $14,000 per household. That figure is from EnergySage (updated May 6, 2026), citing the federal HEAR statute and the NASEO state tracking page. It has not been independently confirmed against NYSERDA's published figures. Treat it as a strong indicator, not a guarantee. The actual amount is determined through the application.

How to apply

1. Download an application from nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/EmPower-Plus in your preferred language, or call 1-866-NYSERDA (1-866-697-3732) to apply by phone.
2. Submit the application. NYSERDA contacts you to schedule a home energy assessment.
3. The assessment determines what improvements your home qualifies for and what the program covers at 100% versus 50% based on your income tier.
4. NYSERDA coordinates installation through participating contractors. You do not hire contractors separately and do not wait for reimbursement.

How this stacks with other programs

• With HEAR: Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate: EmPower+ is the delivery path for HEAR in New York. There is no separate HEAR application. The HEAR portion is layered into the same scope of work, up to the federal $14,000 combined maximum (secondary source figure).
• With Comfort Home and NYS Clean Heat: For income-qualified households, EmPower+ replaces these programs rather than stacking. The same insulation, air sealing, and heat pump work that an over-income household gets through Comfort Home and Clean Heat is delivered free or low-cost through EmPower+. Over-income households use Comfort Home and Clean Heat directly.
• With the Appliance Upgrade Program: Both use the same 0–80% / 80–150% AMI framework, so if you qualify for one you likely qualify for the other. EmPower+ is the whole-home path. The Appliance Upgrade Program is narrower: a heat pump clothes dryer plus supporting electrical work. NYSERDA has not stated whether the dryer rebate stacks on EmPower+; assume potential overlap and confirm before relying on both.
• With Solar for All: The community-solar overlay for the same income-qualifying universe. It delivers a bill credit rather than equipment, so it does not compete with EmPower+. A household can be enrolled in both.
• With the Inflation Reduction Act in NY: The federal §25C and §25D residential tax credits expired December 31, 2025. For 2026 installs, HEAR (through EmPower+) is the active federal lever for income-qualified households.

What to ask the EmPower+ intake or contractor

• What income documentation counts? NYSERDA accepts recent pay stubs, tax returns, Social Security or SSI award letters, unemployment statements, and pension or annuity statements. Ask which combination fits your situation.
• Are you a NYSERDA-approved EmPower+ participating contractor? Work done outside the participating network is not covered.
• Which measures in my scope are covered at 100% versus 50%? Households at 0–80% AMI get full coverage on most measures; 80–150% AMI is typically partial. Get the split in writing.
• Is the federal HEAR rebate folded into this scope, or applied separately? In New York the answer is "folded in through EmPower+," but confirm what the contractor is reporting.
• What is the current processing timeline? Ask separately for the submission-to-assessment window and the assessment-to-install window. Multi-month backlogs are common.
• Does my building owner need to sign anything? Renters and small multifamily households typically need a building owner attestation before work can proceed.

Common pitfalls

• Applying through a non-NYSERDA channel. Contractors and lead-generation sites present themselves as the entry point for income-qualified work. EmPower+ is run by NYSERDA. Apply at nyserda.ny.gov or by phone at 1-866-NYSERDA. Third-party channels get you bounced between intake systems.
• Assuming everything is free. At 0–80% AMI, most measures are covered at 100%. At 80–150% AMI, coverage is typically partial. Ask which line items fall into which bucket before installation.
• Long processing times. Submission, income verification, home assessment, and contractor scheduling each add time. Apply earlier than you think you need to, especially before a heating season.
• Not knowing about the HEAR overlay. Households sometimes apply for EmPower+, get a scope of work, and never hear "HEAR" mentioned by name. The federal money is folded in on the back end. Ask the intake whether HEAR is being applied so the federal portion is not left on the table.

Important dates

No published deadline as of May 27, 2026. Forms were last updated June 2025. The program is funded on an ongoing basis, but income-qualified programs can have waitlists when funding rounds close. Apply sooner rather than later, particularly if your project is tied to a heating season.

Source

• EmPower+ Program, NYSERDA (retrieved May 27, 2026; primary source)
• NASEO State Tracking Page (retrieved May 22, 2026; confirmed NY listed as active HEAR state as of May 19, 2026)
• EnergySage heat pump incentives page, energysage.com/heat-pumps/heat-pump-incentives/ (secondary source; HEAR dollar amounts cited above; updated May 6, 2026; not independently verified against NYSERDA primary source)

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

Verified against www.nyserda.ny.gov, www.naseo.org on July 1, 2026.