News · Maryland

Maryland’s EmPOWER rebates run on a cycle that ends December 31, 2026; Pepco wants reservations by then

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

Published September 29, 2026. Facts read on the official source on September 26, 2026.

EmPOWER Maryland pays up to $15,000 now, but its 2024–2026 cycle closes December 31, 2026; Pepco wants rebates reserved by then. HEAR/HERO still not launched.

Maryland’s federally funded HEAR and HERO rebates have not launched: the Maryland Energy Administration page read on September 26, 2026 shows them awaiting final DOE approval, with no date. What pays today is EmPOWER Maryland, the utility-run efficiency program, at up to $15,000 or 75% of project cost depending on the utility and measure.

EmPOWER works in three-year cycles set by the Public Service Commission, and the current one ends on December 31, 2026. Pepco’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR page states that rebate reservations must be made by a participating contractor before the cycle ends; Potomac Edison’s discounts cover equipment purchased and installed by that date. The PSC has published the utilities’ plans for 2027 onward, which reduce some budgets.

We also corrected our own Maryland page in this cycle: an earlier version described Electrify MC’s Montgomery County rebate as a flat $2,500; the county’s official table is tiered.

What this means for you

If you are a Pepco, BGE or Potomac Edison customer planning a heat pump or insulation this year, have the contractor reserve the rebate before December 31, 2026 and keep the reservation confirmation. Insulate first: EmPOWER and the coming federal rules both reward it.