DOE Provides States and Territories with Retroactive Rebate Resource, Updates FAQs

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released a retroactive rebate fact sheet and checklists to help state and territorial energy offices implementing the Home Efficiency Rebates.

Under the Inflation Reduction Act, retrofits begun on or after August 16, 2022, that meet state and federal Home Efficiency Rebates program requirements qualify to receive a rebate.

DOE is offering this resource to help states determine which projects would qualify for a retroactive rebate.

At the end of the document, DOE provides a consumer checklist that states and territories can post on their websites. This checklist will help consumers understand if their project could be eligible for a rebate and may also reduce inquiries related to this topic.

The Inflation Reduction Act did not provide retroactive rebates under the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates, the other program under the Home Energy Rebates umbrella.

Access the Home Efficiency Rebates Retroactivity Fact Sheet and Eligibility Checklists.

Additionally, DOE has updated its frequently asked questions for Home Energy Rebates. These updates cover the following:

• Do the Davis-Bacon Act and the BABA Act apply to Home Energy Rebates?
• Do retailers have to use the Application Programming Interface (API) approach for rebate reimbursement?
• Will nonprofit developers of affordable housing be able to utilize Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates?
• Can an entity receiving a Home Electrification & Appliance Rebate establish a new energy baseline for a Home Efficiency Rebate?
• Can the entity performing “post-install inspections” for Home Efficiency Rebates offer the post-installation certificate?
• Can SEO make changes to program design after the application has been approved or the program launched?
• Can a state use its own low-income and moderate-income definitions, i.e. below 60% AMI and between 60%-80% AMI respectively?
• Can DOE offer a tool to look up low- and moderate- income bands for jurisdictions for which there is an area median income?
• Is the installation incentive for an eligible entity representative paid in addition to the rebate maximum per dwelling unit?
• Can a state choose not to offer Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates to replace gas appliances?
• Can a state limit availability of Home Efficiency Rebates to only cover building envelope improvements?
• Can states allow manufactured or mobile homes to be eligible for Home Energy Rebates?
• Can a consumer get a rebate for a kitchen appliance and an electric heat-pump clothes dryer?
• Are states allowed to use a “deemed” savings approach as used in utility programs as an alternative for modeled savings?
• How might states incorporate asbestos testing or mitigation into rebate program design?
• How can states determine whether federal funds are "federal grants"?
• Do states have flexibility to not offer rebates through retailers and instead work only with contractors?

Read the FAQs.

About Home Energy Rebates

On Aug. 16, 2022, President Joseph R. Biden signed the landmark Inflation Reduction Act. The law includes $391 billion to support clean energy and address climate change, including $8.8 billion in Home Energy Rebates for energy efficiency and electrification projects.

The program will provide two separate rebates to consumers:

The Home Efficiency Rebates will provide $4.3 billion to discount the price of energy-saving retrofits in single-family and multi-family buildings. These rebates will be administered by states and territories.

The Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates will provide $4.5 billion in rebates for high-efficiency electricity upgrades in homes. These rebates will be administered by states, territories, and Indian Tribes.

These rebates will help American households save money on energy bills, upgrade to clean energy equipment, improve energy efficiency, and reduce indoor and outdoor air pollution.

DOE estimates these rebates will save households up to $1 billion on energy bills each year and support over 50,000 U.S. jobs.

For more information, visit the Home Energy Rebates website and sign up for email updates.