North Carolina: heat pump & home energy rebates

North Carolina is accepting applications for federally funded Home Energy Rebates.

Status last verified 2026-09-26 against North Carolina’s official program page. Rebate funding is finite and rules change mid-year — confirm details on the official page before committing to a contractor.

What the state says now: Energy Saver North Carolina is open in all 100 counties: HOMES up to $16,000 and HEAR up to $14,000 for income-eligible homeowners and renters. Since September 1, 2026, fuel-switching projects are no longer allowed (NC DEQ).

Federal money, state doors

The federal 25C and 25D tax credits ended December 31, 2025. Federal support now flows only through two rebate programs each state runs itself: HEEHR (High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebates, formerly called HEAR — up to $14,000 per income-qualified household, including up to $8,000 for a heat pump) and HOMES (whole-home rebates based on modeled energy savings, up to $8,000, at any income). Since May 29, 2026, HEEHR pays only for upgrades from existing electric equipment, not for replacing a gas, oil or propane system. Amounts, eligibility and timing in North Carolina are set by the state’s energy office. For the full federal picture, read heat pump tax credit 2026: what replaced it.

Programs in North Carolina

HOMES — up to $16,000 for home efficiency upgrades such as air sealing and efficient HVAC, for income-eligible households; starts with a free home assessment
HEAR — up to $14,000 for high-efficiency electric appliances
Since September 1, 2026 (DOE Notices 26-1 and 26-2) — rebates no longer cover replacing fossil-fuel systems; NC DEQ still asks applicants with fossil-fuel systems to apply and lets the contractor say which upgrades qualify

Official source: North Carolina’s program page (www.deq.nc.gov)

This row is part of our open-data registry (CC BY 4.0): states.csv · states.json · all 51 rows, last verified row 2026-10-10.

While you wait — or on top of rebates

Utility rebates often stack with state programs. Check your electric utility's efficiency page.
Weatherization (air sealing, insulation) usually pays back faster than equipment — and HOMES rewards measured savings. Federal heat pump rebates now require it first: see what insulation pays in 2026.
Get a Manual J load calculation before accepting any heat pump quote; oversizing wastes both the rebate and the savings.