What incentives are actually available in 2026 — and what quietly expired

The federal credit that no longer exists

The Section 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit — the one that offered up to $2,000 against a qualifying heat pump — was terminated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21) for property placed in service after 31 December 2025. Section 25D, the residential clean energy credit, ended on the same date.

If a contractor quotes you a federal tax credit on a 2026 installation, that is a reason to check the rest of their quote carefully. It is the most common piece of outdated information in this market right now.

Georgia HEAR: closed to new applications as of August 2026

Georgia's Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) program — the one designed precisely around fuel-switching from propane to an electric heat pump — stopped accepting new Single-Family and Multifamily applications at 1:00 PM EST on 14 August 2026.

Fuel-switching projects specifically were cut earlier: following revised U.S. Department of Energy guidance issued 29 May 2026, fuel-switching HEAR scopes of work have not been accepted since 10 August 2026. Applications submitted before the deadline are still being reviewed and may be paid, subject to available funding.

The Home Efficiency Rebates (HER) program — the whole-home modeled-savings track — continues to accept applications.

• If you applied before 14 August 2026, your application is reviewed in order and paid subject to available funding — follow up through the program portal rather than assuming.
• Do not let anyone price a 2026 propane-to-heat-pump job around a HEAR rebate. That eligibility ended 10 August 2026.
• HER is a different program with different paperwork — relevant only if you are doing whole-home efficiency work with modeled savings.
• Status above verified 28 August 2026 — check energyrebates.georgia.gov for movement after that date, and get any answer you rely on in writing.

What is reliably still available

Independent of federal and state programs, three incentive layers persist and are considerably easier to confirm:

Electric co-op rebates

Amicalola EMC and neighbouring cooperatives have historically offered rebates on qualifying high-efficiency heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. Amounts are modest next to federal programs but the approval process is short and local.

Co-op efficiency financing

Often worth more than the rebate. See the financing page.

Manufacturer and distributor promotions

Run seasonally, typically heaviest in autumn as distributors clear stocking positions. Not advertised to consumers — ask your contractor what is live in the quote window.

How to sequence this so you do not lose money

1. Confirm program status in writing before you sign, not after.
2. Where a program requires pre-approval, do not let installation start first — retroactive applications are commonly rejected.
3. Keep the itemised invoice, the AHRI certificate and the model and serial numbers. Nearly every program asks for all three.
4. If a program is oversubscribed or paused, price the project without it. A conversion that only works with a rebate is a conversion that does not work.

Common questions about georgia HEAR rebate status

Where these numbers come from

• Georgia's Home Energy Rebates — HEAR program updates — the closure notice and dates cited on this page
• Georgia Environmental Finance Authority — the administering agency for Georgia's Home Energy Rebates
• ENERGY STAR air source heat pump criteria — current federal efficiency thresholds

Every contractor in this network holds a current Georgia Conditioned Air or Electrical Contractor license. You can confirm any license yourself before you sign anything — Georgia Secretary of State license lookup.