What rebates are available?
Efficiency Maine’s residential program supports heat pumps used as the home’s primary heat. The base amounts below apply to eligible outdoor units, subject to the remaining lifetime limit for the housing unit.
| Category | Per eligible outdoor unit | Lifetime limit per housing unit |
|---|---|---|
| Low income | $3,000 | $9,000 |
| Moderate income | $2,000 | $6,000 |
| Any income | $1,000 | $3,000 |
Earlier heat-pump rebates reduce the lifetime balance. A housing unit has its own kitchen, sleeping area, and bathroom. These limits are not an annual allowance or a guaranteed payment.
Sources: official rebate program ↗ and claim form (PDF), page 3 ↗.
Check the household, home, and equipment
Household category
- Low income: a household member participates in HEAP, SNAP, TANF, or income-based MaineCare. Use Efficiency Maine’s verification process.
- Moderate income: the verification page lists adjusted gross income up to $70,000 for single or head-of-household filers, or $100,000 for married filing jointly, married filing separately (both returns required), or qualifying surviving spouse.
- Any income: the base category has no income ceiling, but the project must still qualify.
The enhanced low- and moderate-income rebates require the owner’s principal residence. Verify the category before submitting the rebate claim; income verification alone does not approve the project.
Verify income eligibility and required documents ↗
Ask your installer to confirm these project rules
- Primary heating: heat pumps must serve as primary heat throughout the heating season. For existing homes, a furnace or boiler is reserved for emergency backup under the program’s rules.
- Equipment and sizing: eligible single-zone equipment receives the rebate. Multi-zone systems can contribute toward sizing but receive no rebate under this program; dual-fuel heat-pump/furnace systems do not qualify. Heat pumps must cover at least 80% of peak heating load. Together with any qualifying supplemental heat, total capacity must reach 100%, excluding furnace or boiler capacity.
- Home and vendor: confirm the property type against the current claim form. The housing unit must not have had a natural-gas utility account before the upgrade. Installation must be by an Efficiency Maine Residential Registered Vendor.
Have the installer explain the sizing worksheet and your heating plan, including pipe-freeze protection. Resolve program requirements with the installer and Efficiency Maine before changing how your home is heated.
Project rules: official eligibility requirements ↗ and claim form (PDF), pages 1–2 ↗. This summary does not list every condition.
How to apply, in order
- Verify the proposed rebate. Confirm the income category, remaining lifetime balance, equipment, property, and completion date with Efficiency Maine and your installer.
- Choose a registered vendor. Get a written proposal showing the full price and each expected incentive separately. Find a Residential Registered Vendor ↗.
- Complete the work and paperwork. Review the current claim form with the installer, including the required sizing worksheet, signatures, and documentation of contact details and total project cost.
- Submit on time. Email or postmark the claim within six months of project completion. To seek the separate $500 offer, meet its December 31, 2026 submission deadline as well. Use the submission details on the official form.
- Keep a copy and confirm payment. Agree who submits the claim and receives the rebate. The form directs low-income rebate payments to the vendor. Keep the completed form, invoice, and submission record.
Application details: Efficiency Maine’s claim form (PDF) ↗, reviewed in its October 2, 2026 edition. Send eligibility questions directly to Efficiency Maine at 866-376-2463.
Utility rates affect bills, not installation rebates
Compare a full year of electricity use, including delivery and supply charges, fixed fees, and enrollment conditions. An optional rate is not a promise of savings.
Central Maine Power
CMP’s optional Electric Technology Rate has a higher fixed charge and lower per-kWh delivery charge than Rate A. Use CMP’s comparison tool with your usage history. Its estimates cover delivery charges; electricity supply, taxes, fees, and interest are excluded.
Date to watch: CMP’s published tariff schedules the rate to end on each enrolled customer’s billing-cycle end date in January 2027, no later than January 31, unless renewed or modified with regulatory approval. CMP’s current pricing page says its request to make the rate permanent is under review. Confirm the latest terms before relying on future savings.
CMP rate details and current status ↗ · Published tariff (PDF), page 2 ↗
Versant Power
Versant’s Home Heating Eco Rate is available for homes using heat pumps and/or a heat-pump water heater for at least 50% of their heating needs. Ask about the current tariff and conditions in your service district.
If a municipal utility or cooperative serves your home, ask that provider about its rates and programs.
Does the federal heat-pump tax credit still apply?
The IRS’s Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit does not apply to property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Do not count that credit as a discount on a new 2026 installation.
For an earlier installation, check the relevant tax year’s rules and consult a tax professional. State rebates and federal tax credits have separate requirements.
Put confirmed incentives beside each quote
Record the full installed price, proposed incentives, payment timing, and what you would owe if a claim is denied. Ask who carries the cost while an application is processed.