REBATE STATUS · LAST CHECKED NOVEMBER 4, 2026
California heat pump rebates in 2026: what your quote should show
Quick answer
California’s statewide heat pump incentives are fully reserved: the California Energy Commission says HEEHRA (California’s federal HEAR program) is “not available to Californians right now”, and TECH Clean California’s statewide single-family incentives have been fully reserved since November 14, 2025.
What remains is local: your utility or community choice provider, and a TECH program limited to certain San Fernando Valley ZIP codes that opened November 2, 2026. If a quote subtracts HEEHRA or TECH money, ask for proof of an approved reservation.
Programs at a glance
| Program | Status | Income-qualified | How it reaches you |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEEHRA (California’s federal HEAR rebates)California Energy Commission, delivered by TECH Clean California | Closed | Yes | Instant invoice discount or reimbursement, through a HEEHRA-trained, TECH-certified contractor. |
| TECH Clean California statewide single-family incentivesTECH Clean California | Closed | Higher amounts for lower incomes | Was contractor-delivered. |
| TECH Clean California San Fernando Valley incentivesTECH Clean California | Open | Higher amounts for lower incomes | Through an enrolled TECH contractor. Income-qualified incentives must be an upfront invoice discount; general-market incentives can be a discount or a check. |
| Utility rebates (example: SMUD)Sacramento Municipal Utility District | Open | No | “Your contractor will provide the rebate application for your signature and submit the rebate for you” and may offer it upfront. |
Program details
HEEHRA (California’s federal HEAR rebates)
- Run by
- California Energy Commission, delivered by TECH Clean California
- Status
- Closed — the Energy Commission says Phase I has been fully reserved since August 31, 2026; TECH lists a single-family waitlist
- What it covers
- Two-speed or variable-speed ENERGY STAR heat pumps replacing an existing primary heating source, for households up to 150% of area median income.
- Amounts
- Phase I paid $8,000 (below 80% AMI) or $4,000 (80–150% AMI) for single-family homes. No new reservations.
- Income-qualified
- Yes
- On the quote or after?
- Instant invoice discount or reimbursement, through a HEEHRA-trained, TECH-certified contractor.
- Before you sign
- TECH says reservations “must be approved before installing”, and waitlisted projects qualify only if installed after approval. Don’t count on it unless you hold an approved reservation.
- Source
- Official program page · TECH Clean California: HEEHRA. Verified on the official page, November 4, 2026.
TECH Clean California statewide single-family incentives
- Run by
- TECH Clean California
- Status
- Closed — fully reserved since November 14, 2025
- What it covers
- Was for heat pump HVAC and water heaters statewide.
- Amounts
- Closed.
- Income-qualified
- Higher amounts for lower incomes
- On the quote or after?
- Was contractor-delivered.
- Before you sign
- Not available for new projects.
- Source
- Official program page. Verified on the official page, November 4, 2026.
TECH Clean California San Fernando Valley incentives
- Run by
- TECH Clean California
- Status
- Open — from November 2, 2026, only in the listed Aliso Canyon priority ZIP codes; first come, first served
- What it covers
- Heat pump HVAC and other upgrades for single-family homes in the listed ZIP codes.
- Amounts
- Check with the program. The page gives two different ranges for the same incentives.
- Income-qualified
- Higher amounts for lower incomes
- On the quote or after?
- Through an enrolled TECH contractor. Income-qualified incentives must be an upfront invoice discount; general-market incentives can be a discount or a check.
- Before you sign
- Approval is needed before installation, and the page says contracts signed before the program launched are ineligible.
- Source
- Official program page. Partly verified — some details not stated on the official page, November 4, 2026.
Utility rebates (example: SMUD)
- Run by
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District
- Status
- Open — SMUD says rebates are subject to available funding
- What it covers
- SMUD customers only. We checked SMUD as an example; other utilities and community choice providers differ.
- Amounts
- SMUD lists $3,000 (variable-stage, gas to electric), $2,000 (two-stage, gas to electric) and $1,000 (multi-stage upgrade, electric to electric).
- Income-qualified
- No
- On the quote or after?
- “Your contractor will provide the rebate application for your signature and submit the rebate for you” and may offer it upfront.
- Before you sign
- Use a SMUD Contractor Network contractor.
- Source
- Official program page. Verified on the official page, November 4, 2026.
Federal Home Energy Rebates (HEAR and HOMES) in California
HEEHRA Phase I is fully reserved and Phase II has no date. The Energy Commission says “DOE has not yet approved California to offer HOMES rebates.”
Check your quote
Send these to each installer in writing before you sign.
- Is the total on this quote before or after rebates and discounts? Please list each one you subtracted or assumed, with its amount.
- Who applies for each rebate, you or me, and when? If I apply, which documents will you give me?
- Are you a participating or registered contractor for each program you mentioned? Does anything need to be approved or reserved before I sign or before installation starts?
- If a rebate is denied, reduced or the program runs out of money, who pays the difference?
- Does this quote assume any federal tax credit? (The 25C credit does not apply to 2026 installations.)
- If this quote subtracts HEEHRA or TECH money, can you show me the approved reservation?
What we could not confirm
- PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, LADWP and community choice provider programs were not checked.
- Golden State Rebates: the site returned an error, so we could not confirm its status.
- The Energy Commission page contains older lines that conflict with its own fully-reserved notice; we used the notice.
Comparing quotes with different rebate lines? Enter each quote’s total before incentives, then ask every installer the same rebate questions. Nothing you enter is uploaded.
Last checked: . Programs change, pause and run out of funds. Confirm with the program before you sign. Informational only. This is not financial, tax, legal or professional installation advice, and we do not verify any installer’s work.