Last reviewed: 2026-07-06 (UTC). Rebate amounts verified directly against NYSERDA, NYS Clean Heat, and individual utility program pages.
If you are searching for "the NYSERDA heat pump rebate," the honest answer is that there isn't a single number. NYSERDA sets the statewide framework for NYS Clean Heat, but the dollar amount you actually get is set by your electric utility, applied at the point of installation, and can change based on your building type, income, and whether your project fully or only partially displaces fossil-fuel heat.
Quick answer
For a 2026 New York heat pump project:
- Con Edison (NYC and Westchester): $8,000 for a full single-family replacement where the fossil-fuel system is removed or disabled, rising to $10,000 in a Disadvantaged Community (DAC). Partial replacements (keeping the old system as backup) pay less — $2,500 single-family, $4,500 in a DAC.
- NYSEG and RG&E: up to $10,000 for air-source heat pumps and up to $18,000 for ground-source (geothermal) systems, plus a $1,250 instant rebate for a qualifying heat pump water heater.
- National Grid, PSEG Long Island, Central Hudson, and Orange & Rockland: also NYS Clean Heat participants, but each publishes its own incentive schedule rather than one shared number — see "Other Clean Heat utility territories" below for how to get your exact figure.
- Program-wide averages NYSERDA cites across all Clean Heat utilities: whole-home air-source projects average $2,000-$3,000; partial-home projects average $100-$400; geothermal averages $7,000-$9,000; heat pump water heaters average $700-$1,000.
- Income-qualified households: the separate EmPower+ program can add up to $12,000 per project (upstate) or $14,000 (downstate) at no cost to the homeowner for the lowest-income tier — see the EmPower+ section below.
What is NYS Clean Heat, and how does NYSERDA fit in?
NYSERDA (the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) sets the funding, rules, and equipment standards for NYS Clean Heat, but the program is delivered through seven investor-owned utilities, each running its own version of the incentive:
| Utility | Territory |
|---|---|
| Con Edison (CECONY) | New York City, Westchester County |
| National Grid | Upstate NY, Long Island (gas), parts of the Capital Region |
| NYSEG | Central, western, and southern-tier NY |
| RG&E | Rochester area |
| Central Hudson | Mid-Hudson Valley |
| Orange & Rockland | Lower Hudson Valley, Rockland/Orange counties |
| PSEG Long Island | Long Island (electric) |
The most important practical point: for most homeowners, a NYS Clean Heat rebate is not a check you wait for. A Participating Contractor applies the incentive as an instant discount on your installation invoice at the time of the project. If a contractor's quote doesn't already show the rebate subtracted from the price, ask why before you sign.
What changed for 2026 (read this before you get a quote)
- Eligibility narrowed to 1-4 unit buildings, effective January 1, 2026. The current NYS Clean Heat Program Manual limits residential rebates to existing 1-4 unit homes, or to a 1-4 unit scope within a larger multifamily building where those units aren't under common ownership. If a quote for a 5+ unit building cites the residential rate, that's a red flag to double-check.
- NYSEG and RG&E ended their own standalone heat pump rebates on June 30, 2025. Those incentives are no longer available by mail or through NYSEG/RG&E's own rebate portal — they now flow exclusively through NYS Clean Heat via a Participating Contractor.
- National Grid moved to flat per-project incentive amounts in 2026, replacing its older per-Btuh (heating-capacity) calculation. Ask your contractor for the current flat-rate figure for your specific project type rather than assuming an older per-ton estimate still applies.
- Disadvantaged Community (DAC) and Weatherized Tier projects can reach a higher project-cost cap — up to 85% of total project cost, versus 70% for standard projects.
NYS Clean Heat rebate amounts by utility
Con Edison (NYC and Westchester)
| Scenario | Standard | Disadvantaged Community (DAC) |
|---|---|---|
| Full replacement, single-family (fossil-fuel system removed or disabled) | $8,000 | $10,000 |
| Partial replacement, single-family (existing system kept as backup) | $2,500 | $4,500 |
| Full replacement, apartment | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Partial replacement, apartment | $1,000 | $2,000 |
Con Edison caps incentives at 70% of total project cost outside a DAC, and 85% inside one.
NYSEG and RG&E
| Project type | Rebate |
|---|---|
| Air-source heat pump | Up to $10,000 |
| Ground-source (geothermal) heat pump | Up to $18,000 |
| Heat pump water heater | $1,250 instant rebate |
These figures replace NYSEG and RG&E's discontinued standalone rebate programs and now run entirely through NYS Clean Heat.
Other Clean Heat utility territories: National Grid, PSEG Long Island, Central Hudson, Orange & Rockland
Each of these utilities runs its own NYS Clean Heat incentive schedule, and — unlike Con Edison and NYSEG/RG&E above — none currently publishes a single, simple dollar figure that applies to every project. National Grid's 2026 switch to flat per-project rates in particular means the right number depends on your specific project scope. Rather than repeat a stale or overly broad number here, use the official NYS Clean Heat "Find Available Rebates" tool with your home address, or ask a Participating Contractor to show you the exact incentive line for your utility before you sign anything.
Income-qualified: EmPower+ and HEAR (up to $24,000)
If your household income qualifies, EmPower+ is a separate NYSERDA program that layers on top of NYS Clean Heat rather than replacing it:
- Households at the lowest income tier can get no-cost energy-efficiency improvements, capped at $12,000 per project upstate or $14,000 per project downstate.
- Moderate-income households can get 50% of project cost covered, capped at $6,000 upstate or $7,000 downstate.
- Within either tier, individual improvement types carry their own sub-caps, including $8,000 for heat pumps, $4,000 for an electrical panel upgrade, $2,500 for a wiring upgrade, and $1,600 for air sealing, insulation, and ventilation.
Here's where the up-to-$24,000 figure comes from: it's not a single program cap, it's two programs added together. A downstate, income-qualified household can combine EmPower+'s $14,000 no-cost project cap with a full NYS Clean Heat air-source rebate (up to $10,000 through NYSEG/RG&E, for example) for a combined total around $24,000 — but only if both the EmPower+ income tier and the utility-specific Clean Heat amount actually apply to your project. Don't treat $24,000 as a guaranteed number; treat it as the ceiling when both pieces line up.
EmPower+ has its own income-verification application, separate from the NYS Clean Heat contractor process — start at NYSERDA's EmPower+ page to confirm your income tier before assuming a specific dollar amount.
Are you eligible?
- Your home must be an existing 1-4 unit residential building (or a 1-4 unit scope within a larger building not under common ownership) — this eligibility rule took effect January 1, 2026.
- You must work with a NYS Clean Heat Participating Contractor — the rebate is generally applied by the contractor, not claimed independently by the homeowner.
- Your equipment must meet NYS Clean Heat's efficiency requirements for the qualifying heat pump type.
- Whether your project is a full or partial fossil-fuel replacement changes the rebate tier, as shown in the Con Edison table above — confirm which classification your project actually falls into before you budget the higher number.
- If you want the EmPower+ or HEAR income-qualified layer, you'll need to separately verify household income.
Who actually files the paperwork
This is the part most competing pages skip, and it's the reason a "how to apply" checklist alone can be misleading for NYS Clean Heat.
For the base utility rebate, you generally don't file anything yourself. Your Participating Contractor handles the Clean Heat paperwork behind the scenes and applies the incentive as a discount directly on your installation invoice — closer to an in-store coupon than a rebate form you mail in. That's different from programs like Mass Save or Energize CT, where some paths still involve a homeowner-submitted claim form.
The EmPower+ or HEAR income-qualified layer works differently: that application is yours to file (or NYSERDA's contracted energy advisor's, working with you), separate from and in addition to whatever your contractor handles for the base Clean Heat rebate. Don't assume signing up for one automatically enrolls you in the other.
See the step-by-step checklist below for the practical order to do this in.
Does this stack with the federal tax credit?
Not for a 2026 project. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) terminated both the federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) and the Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D) for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. NYS Clean Heat is a New York State and utility-funded program, not a federal tax credit, so it is unaffected by that federal change — but if you were counting on stacking a federal credit on top of your 2026 New York rebate, that combination is no longer available. See Heat Pump Tax Credit: Is the Federal Credit Still Available? for the full federal picture.
New York also runs its own state geothermal tax credit (25% of system cost, up to $5,000), separate from the now-expired federal 25D credit. State-level credits aren't affected by the federal OBBBA repeal, but confirm current status with the NY Department of Taxation and Finance or a tax professional before counting on it, since this page focuses on verifying the utility rebate side.
How New York compares to nearby states
New York's utility-by-utility structure is different from how nearby states run their programs. Massachusetts' Mass Save sets rebates by system type and whole-home-vs-partial-home status rather than by utility territory — see Mass Save Heat Pump Rebate. California layers a statewide HEEHRA path on top of separate utility programs — see California Heat Pump Rebates. If you're comparing options nationally, start with Heat Pump Rebates by State.
FAQs
Is NYSERDA the same as NYS Clean Heat? NYSERDA sets the program's rules and funding. NYS Clean Heat is the program itself, delivered through seven utilities. "NYSERDA rebate" and "Clean Heat rebate" refer to the same underlying program.
Do I have to remove my old furnace or boiler to get the rebate? Not necessarily, but it changes the amount. Con Edison, for example, pays more for a full replacement (fossil-fuel system removed or disabled) than for a partial replacement that keeps the old system as backup — see the table above.
Can renters get this rebate? The rebate is generally tied to the property and applied by the contractor at installation, so it typically depends on the property owner's participation. Renters interested in efficiency upgrades should also check EmPower+'s options for renters.
Can I combine NYS Clean Heat with the federal tax credit? Not for a 2026 installation. The federal 25C credit ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025.
What if my utility isn't one of the seven listed here? A small number of New York communities are served by municipal utilities or cooperatives outside the seven major NYS Clean Heat utilities. Check the Find Available Rebates tool with your exact address to confirm which programs apply to you.
Official sources
Fast application checklist
- Step 1: Confirm your utility territory and building unit count using the NYS Clean Heat "Find Available Rebates" tool at your home address.
- Step 2: Find a NYS Clean Heat Participating Contractor — non-participating installers can mean missing the instant rebate.
- Step 3: Get a quote that itemizes the rebate as a separate discount line, and confirm whether your project counts as a full or partial fossil-fuel replacement.
- Step 4: If you may qualify by income, apply separately for EmPower+ or HEAR alongside your Clean Heat project.
- Step 5: Save your utility account details, the contractor's Participating Contractor confirmation, and equipment AHRI certification numbers.
- Step 6: Re-confirm the exact incentive figure right before you sign, since utility-specific schedules and DAC boundaries can change during the program year.