Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR)

Save Energy and Money with Energy Saver North Carolina!

Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) is designed to help households install new efficient electric equipment and supporting upgrades, such as an electrical panel, wiring, or insulation and air sealing while receiving an instant discount at the time of installation by a Registered Contractor. The selected upgrades can help lower your monthly utility bills while improving the comfort and safety of your home.

The beauty of HEAR is its flexibility to fit your budget and timeline, allowing you to consider new efficient equipment whether you’re replacing a broken water heater, improving your comfort, or just want to take your cooking or laundry routine to the next level. Households can complete just one, or many, of the eligible upgrades together or individually over time. For example, you might replace a cooktop then a few months later replace dryer. It’s up to you. The best part is once you have been approved, you will remain approved until your project is completed.

Are you eligible? 

Maximum project rebates are based on income level and all rebates are for those with household income up to 150% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with limits shown in the table below. To check which Tier you qualify for based on your income, please refer to the Income Qualification Check List located in the Resource Library on this website.

If you’re enrolled in certain income-based programs, such as SNAP, you may be automatically eligible for Tier 1 rebates shown below. See the Income Qualification Check List located in the Resource Library on this website.

Qualified new or existing, single-family homes are welcome to participate.

If you are a renter in a building with more than one unit under one roof, please refer to the Multifamily Property information below or read more on the Frequently Asked Questions page on this website for more details about participation and future offerings.¹ 

What rebates are available? 

The table below shows the eligible products, and maximum rebate amounts you may receive when installed by a Registered Contractor. Rebate amounts are also based on the project cost and your income eligibility tier.

Existing Heat Pump will not be eligible for replacement.

*Rebates are available only when upgrading from a non-electric appliance.

**Rebates are available only when required to enable installation of an eligible appliance on the same application. Some examples include upgrading to a 200A electrical panel, installing an electrical load management device to avoid an electrical panel upgrade and/or wiring a new electric outlet to accommodate an electric cooktop or heat pump water heater.

Are there other rebate limits? 

• All appliance rebates shown are limited to one qualifying system or unit per dwelling. For the supporting upgrades, such as insulation, electrical panel and wiring upgrades, rebates are limited to the lifetime maximum shown per household but can be used multiple times up to that maximum. See the Frequently Asked Questions page on this website for an example.

• A single household address may not receive a rebate from both HOMES and HEAR for the same upgrade or equipment type but may participate in both.

• Please note that this is not a complete list of installation and product requirements. The Registered Contractor you select will provide you with the necessary information to meet any other requirements prior to selecting a quote or you may review requirements in the Program Overview located in the Resource Library on this website.

Get Your Rebate 

It might be called a rebate, but you don’t have to wait! Your rebate will be deducted instantly by the qualifying contractor. If you see an upgrade that interests you, get started: 

It might be called a rebate, but you don’t have to wait! Your rebate will be deducted instantly by the Registered Contractor. If you see an upgrade that interests you, get started:

1. Verify your eligibility
   • You can begin this process any time. Completing this step does not commit you to completing a project until you sign a contract with your chosen contractor.
2. Get quotes from one or more Registered Contractor
   • If one of the products is a heat pump for heating or cooling, your contractor must perform a Manual J load calculation to properly size the heat pump to your home. If also doing air sealing and insulation, the contractor should also take that into account when sizing your heat pump.
3. Authorize your contractor to begin work by signing the quote showing the instant discount and final amount, if any, you will owe to the contractor for the project
4. The contractor completes the work and submits a final application with photos to verify that the completed work meets requirements

If you think you’d like to participate but aren’t sure which, we encourage you to check your eligibility and answer a few basic questions to help guide you to the best fit for your budget and goals. Call at 866-998-8555. Our friendly customer care team is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Multifamily Properties

¹ If you are interested in HEAR for a multifamily property (more than one unit under the roof) and you are a tenant or a property owner, please start the application process. You will be contacted later about verifying income eligibility for the property.

Please note that there is a timeline to expand the program by county and we may not contact you regarding multifamily projects until 2026. To participate, at least 50% of the households in the building must have household incomes at or below 150% AMI and the property owner must agree to certain terms regarding consumer protections against increases in rent as a result of the upgrades.