News · Georgia

Georgia says HEAR reopens in October 2026 with limited funds, for wiring and panel upgrades only

By Ionel Glogoveanu, editor. Every figure on this page was checked against the official source on the date shown.

Published October 4, 2026. Facts read on the official source on October 4, 2026.

GEFA rewrote its HEAR status page: paused since August 14, 2026, HEAR returns in October with limited funds, paying only for wiring and panel upgrades in an HER project.

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority rewrote the HEAR Program Updates page on its Home Energy Rebates site between October 2 and 3, 2026. Our daily re-read of official sources flagged the change on October 3; we read the new text by hand on October 4. The page now says that as of August 14, 2026 the HEAR program is paused and not accepting new applications, and that it “will be reopening with a limited amount of funding in October 2026.” Under the revised program, applicants “will only be able to receive rebates for electrical wiring and panel upgrades in conjunction with an eligible HER project.” All applications remain subject to the availability of program funds, and GEFA gives no day.

The home page changed in step: the line “The HEAR program is not accepting new applications” became “HEAR will reopen with limited measures in October 2026,” and a new Rebates Dashboard link appeared across the site. The previous status page said only that submissions were “paused until further notice,” that fuel-switching projects had ended on August 10 under DOE Program Notice 26-2, and that the Home Efficiency Rebates (HER) program remained open — which it still does.

The new dashboard explains the word “limited.” With data as of September 28, 2026, HEAR has paid $49.4 million and reserved $40.0 million, leaving $344,000 available; HER has paid $13.7 million and still has $68.7 million available. Of HEAR’s 7,917 installations, 3,600 were wiring and panel jobs and 3,331 HVAC systems.

Our Georgia page, registry row and the two new Georgia deadline entries now carry the October wording; the September 26 text stays in the page history. Guides that still present Georgia HEAR as a heat pump or water heater discount describe a program that is not coming back in that form.

What this means for you

If you are a Georgia household below 150% of Area Median Income, HEAR will not pay for a heat pump, water heater or appliance when it reopens; it may pay for the panel or wiring work inside an HER whole-home project. HER itself is open now, up to $16,000 for the lowest-income tier, through GEFA’s approved contractors, and Georgia Power pays 50% of cost up to $1,500 for replacing an electric furnace with a heat pump. Ask the contractor to price the job on those two programs and to add HEAR only once GEFA publishes the reopening.