Frequently Asked Questions

Georgia’s Home Energy Rebates are two distinct programs that provide Georgia residents with home energy efficiency improvements and electric appliance updates at a reduced cost. 

• The Home Efficiency Rebates (HER) address home energy efficiency improvements. Amounts will range from $2,000 to $16,000 for individual households. The higher rebate levels are available for households that meet specific income qualifications. The rebate will depend on the amount of energy saved and the income eligibility of the household occupants. 
• The Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) will provide point-of-sale rebates to households with income less than 150 percent of the area median income (AMI) in their county. Households could be eligible to receive up to $14,000. Rebates will apply to multiple appliances and measures, including, heat pumps; heat pump water heaters; heat pump clothes dryers; electric stoves, cooktops, ranges, or ovens; electric load service center (breaker box/electrical panel); electric wiring; and insulation, air sealing, and ventilation.

For the Home Efficiency Rebates (HER), rebates are available to individuals conducting energy efficiency upgrades of single-family homes and multifamily buildings. These rebates are available to households of any income. For households with a total annual income below 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), rebates can cover a higher percentage of the total project costs. 

The Home Electrification and Appliance (HEAR) program is only available to households with an annual income that is less than 150 percent of the area median income (AMI) of their county. 

A household may participate in both the HER and HEAR programs under the following conditions:

• The household meets all income requirements for both the HER and HEAR programs.
• Neither the HER nor HEAR may be combined with other federal grants or rebates for the same single upgrade.

Georgia residents will be able to use multiple programs, including the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and local utility rebates with Georgia’s Home Energy Rebates. However, these funds cannot be applied to the same single upgrade. 

Yes, tenants may participate in the programs with written permission from the building owner. Please refer to our eligibility page for details on income requirements for renters. 

Households are required to include a form of state-issued ID, i.e., driver’s license, passport, etc., and proof of residency and/or property owner authorization, i.e., utility bill, lease agreement.

To prove income eligibility, applications must include a form of income documentation including, but not limited to, tax documents W-2, pay stubs. 

Alternatively, a household can prove income eligibility using categorical eligibility. Categorical eligibility is the determination that a household meets income requirements by verifying household participation in another state or federal program that includes income qualification thresholds at least as stringent as the relevant Home Energy Rebates threshold. Please reference our eligibility page for a full listing of eligible programs. 

AMI varies by county in Georgia. Please reference the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development database to find out the AMI for your household. 

Generally, rebate payments will go to the contractors performing the work who will then pass the savings down to their customers.

As the program continues to expand, there are a few instances where this will not be the case. For example, the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Pathway pays rebates directly to homeowners and tenants for the purchase and installation of eligible kitchen appliances. Eligible Georgia residents will receive their payments after completing the HEAR DIY application where they will provide photo proof of their completed project and create a payment profile. Once all the project materials are approved by the Program Team, the rebate will be issued. All rebate payments will come in the form of ACH transfer and/or a physical check.          

Georgia’s Home Efficiency Rebates (HER) and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) will be treated as a reduction in the purchase price or cost of property for eligible upgrades and projects. The consumer who receives the rebate will not be required to report the value of that rebate as income.

Households should not use HER or HEAR to complete emergency energy efficiency upgrades. The contractor-led pathways do not offer immediate rebate payments, and are designed to cover more comprehensive, and often, time-intensive upgrades such as HVAC, insulation, and electric wiring improvements.

Households looking for home energy upgrades assistance in the near term can pursue the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Pathway, which offers rebates for the purchase and installation of eligible kitchen appliances.

If the HEAR DIY kitchen appliance rebates do not meet your upgrade needs, your household may be eligible for other federal programs, including the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and other local utility programs. 

Retroactive rebates are allowed for the HEAR Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Pathway, which offers rebates for the purchase and installation of eligible kitchen appliances. Rebates may be permitted for eligible equipment purchased on or after the program’s pilot launch date (November 13, 2024). To receive a rebate, participants must also meet all other program criteria and submit an application for approval. For information on the criteria, please visit the HEAR webpage.

Retroactive rebates for the HER program and other HEAR pathways require prior approval before work is completed. For more information, please call our contract center or work with your program approved contractor.

For Georgia’s Home Efficiency Rebates (HER), retroactive rebates may be allowed, but only under certain circumstances. To receive a retroactive rebate, a project must meet requirements outlined by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in DOE’s Retroactivity Fact Sheet.

Please be mindful of the following criteria when seeking a retroactive rebate:

• A participant must have initiated a project on or after August 16, 2022.
• A participant must work with a Program-Approved Contractor to conduct a project. A contractor may become an enrolled program-approved contractor for Georgia’s Home Energy Rebates any time after November 13, 2024. A contractor can become an enrolled program contractor after installation is complete to satisfy this requirement, but all other program requirements must also be satisfied for the project to be eligible for HER retroactive rebates.
• A participant must have received their final invoice for an eligible home energy upgrade project on or after August 16, 2022.
• A participant must have received a home assessment (in accordance with program requirements) on their home prior to the installation of equipment and/or materials.
• The home assessment must include a summary of equipment and/or materials.
• The home assessment must have estimated the project’s energy savings to be at least 20 percent of a participant homeowner’s total home energy use.
• A participant must have received an estimate of any impacts to their energy bill if equipment and/or materials were installed.
• The program-approved contractor collected the participant homeowner’s written acknowledgement of the estimate impact to the homeowner’s energy bill.
• The program-approved contractor provided the participant homeowner with an invoice of the completed upgrade that includes the total cost of the project and all equipment and materials.
• The project included installation of a heat pump, a heat pump water heater, or insulation.
• The project did NOT include electric generation technology, e.g., solar panel installation.

For the contractor-led pathways, all projects must be completed by a GEFA-approved contractor to be eligible for Georgia’s Home Energy Rebates. The Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Pathway allows homeowners and tenants (with homeowner approval) to do the work themselves.

There are a few possible options for who leads and is a part of the project.

• Home Energy Rebates (HER). For HER, all projects must be led by a contractor, who will complete the work and receive the rebate payment.
• Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates Contractor-led (HEAR). For HEAR, a program-approved contractor enrolled in the contractor network must be the person to complete the upgrade and is the person who receives the rebate payment. Contractors are required for projects that have the following upgrade measures:
  • Heat Pump Water Heater
  • Heat Pump for Space Heating and Cooling
  • Heat Pump Clothes Dryer
  • Electric Load Service Center
  • Insulation, Air Sealing, Ventilation
  • Electric Wiring
• Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Pathway. For HEAR DIY, homeowners and tenants can complete projects without a contractor to purchase and install eligible kitchen appliances.
   

The list of eligible contractors is available on the website. Georgia residents interested in energy efficiency upgrades should select a contractor from the list and contact them directly. 

GEFA is actively working to build out a statewide contractor network and will provide periodic training throughout the program to ensure qualified contractors can participate in the program. Please sign up for Georgia's Home Energy Rebate Programs mailing list to receive alerts as more contractors become available. 

Contractors interested in participating in the program should fill out the  Home Energy Rebates Contractor Interest Form to receive updates about contractor requirements, program training, and rebate application information. 

There are many steps homeowners and renters can take now to prepare for the Georgia’s Home Energy Rebate Programs. If your home needs urgent energy efficiency upgrades, do not wait for the Home Energy Rebates to become available in your area. If you need financial assistance to accomplish these upgrades, existing programs like the Weatherization Assistance Program and tax credits may be available. 

Consumer protection is important to Georgia's Home Energy Rebates Program. A consumer protection plan has been developed that includes mechanisms to prevent price inflation, which can be found in the “Related Files” section at the bottom of each program page. We are committed to ensuring consumers are informed of best practices for identifying unfair business practices when engaging with contractors. To support this, a guide will be published to inform consumers on what to look for in a contractor’s quote and how they can report issues with their contractors or other program representatives. Specific details will be shared at full program launch.