HEAR: Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate

Administered by: U.S. Department of Energy / NYSERDA (via EmPower+) Status: Active in New York as of 2026 Verified: May 22, 2026 against NASEO State Tracking Page and EmPower+ Program, NYSERDA

What it is

HEAR is a federal rebate program created by the Inflation Reduction Act. It's income-qualified; you have to be below 150% of your area's median income to get anything out of it. It is separate from the §25D and §25C tax credits, which expired December 31, 2025.

New York launched HEAR through NYSERDA's EmPower+ program. That's important. If you're in New York and you want HEAR, you don't apply to the federal government. You apply to NYSERDA. HEAR is folded into EmPower+. The EmPower+ page has the full application process.

The program was frozen by the Trump administration in early 2025 and did not launch nationally. New York is one of a small number of states where it is confirmed active. A secondary source note: the $14,000 maximum figure cited below, and the state's active status, comes primarily from EnergySage (updated May 6, 2026) and the NASEO state tracking page (updated May 19, 2026). The NYSERDA EmPower+ primary page does not publish the HEAR dollar amounts as a static list. Confirm amounts through NYSERDA directly before counting on them.

Who qualifies

• Low-income households: below 80% of area median income (AMI)
• Moderate-income households: 80% to 150% of area median income
• Single-family homeowners and residents of multifamily buildings up to four units
• Must use an approved contractor (coordinated through the EmPower+ application process)
• Renters in qualifying buildings may also qualify, though the application goes through the building owner in some cases

What you get

These figures are from EnergySage (a secondary source, not NYSERDA directly). They match the federal HEAR statutory maximums. Actual amounts are confirmed through the EmPower+ application.

For low-income households (below 80% AMI):

• Heat pump space heating and cooling: up to $8,000
• Heat pump water heater: up to $1,750
• Insulation, air sealing, and ventilation: up to $1,600
• Electrical panel upgrade: up to $4,000
• Electric wiring: up to $2,500
• Electric stove or range: up to $840
• Combined household maximum: up to $14,000 (per EnergySage, citing federal HEAR statute; secondary source)

For moderate-income households (80–150% AMI):

• Heat pump space heating and cooling: up to $4,000
• Other equipment rebates at 50% of the low-income amounts

The rebates are point-of-sale, meaning the contractor discounts the invoice rather than sending you a check later.

How to apply

New York delivers HEAR through EmPower+. Start there.

1. Go to nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/EmPower-Plus or call 1-866-NYSERDA (1-866-697-3732).
2. Complete the EmPower+ income eligibility application. NYSERDA determines which rebate tiers apply to your household.
3. NYSERDA schedules a home assessment and coordinates with approved contractors.
4. Rebates apply at the time of installation; you pay only what remains after the rebate is applied.

See the EmPower+ page for the full details.

Important dates

No published deadline as of May 22, 2026. HEAR funding is a federal block to New York State; the program will close when funds are exhausted. There is no published total-fund figure for NY's allocation on any source reviewed.

Source

• EmPower+ Program, NYSERDA (retrieved May 22, 2026; primary source for NY program delivery)
• 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; source for all dollar figures listed above; updated May 6, 2026)

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 May 22, 2026.