New York Heat Pump Rebates 2026: Clean Heat and EmPower+

Current status: incentives exist, but the utility and delivery path decide the amount

Checked August 12, 2026. New York’s heat pump incentives do not use one statewide homeowner rebate table. NYS Clean Heat is delivered through participating electric utilities, and the rate, eligible project type, contractor rules, and available adders depend on the service territory.

The federal Section 25C credit ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. A 2026 quote should not include the former federal heat pump tax credit.

Start with the electric utility

The participating Clean Heat utilities include Con Edison, National Grid, NYSEG, Central Hudson, Orange & Rockland, and Rochester Gas & Electric. The utility’s current manual or application is the source for the dollar amount that applies to a specific address.

Before requesting bids:

1. Identify the electric utility from the bill, not the electricity supplier.
2. Open that utility’s current Clean Heat offer.
3. Confirm whether the project is partial-load, whole-home, or another eligible configuration.
4. Use a participating contractor and eligible cold-climate equipment.
5. Ask the contractor to show the utility incentive separately from any manufacturer discount or financing.

Do not transfer a per-ton figure from a neighboring utility territory. The 2026–2030 implementation plan supports the statewide framework, but utility implementation and budgets still control the customer offer.

EmPower+

EmPower+ serves income-eligible households with energy assessments and approved efficiency or electrification work. The actual package depends on household eligibility, building condition, fuel use, and the assessment.

Apply through the program before starting work. A retail heat pump purchase made first is not the same as an approved EmPower+ project. Keep income-verification records and wait for the program’s scope and authorization.

Green Small Buildings is not a universal checkout rebate

New York announced up to $150 million in 2026 for the Green Small Buildings initiative. Current HCR materials route this money through existing housing, homeownership, preservation, grant, and loan programs and approved administrators. It should not be presented as a point-of-sale rebate that any homeowner can claim directly.

The official program materials describe heat pumps and related enabling work for eligible homes and small residential buildings. Access depends on an underlying HCR program or administrator. Ask HCR or a participating local administrator whether the address and project are in an eligible pipeline before counting the funding.

What a defensible project budget looks like

Use three columns:

Climate and equipment eligibility

New York spans mild downstate and severe North Country design conditions. A rebate-qualified model is not automatically adequate at the home’s winter design temperature. Ask for the exact AHRI match and manufacturer capacity table at the relevant outdoor temperature, then compare that output with the room-by-room load calculation.

Before you apply

• Confirm electric utility territory from the bill.
• Use the current utility program document and participating-contractor list.
• Apply to income-based programs before signing or installing.
• Keep the heat-load calculation, AHRI certificate, equipment submittal, utility application, commissioning record, permits, and final invoice.
• Get written confirmation before combining utility, NYSERDA, HCR, or local funds.

What changed in this update

The August 12 review adds the 2026 Green Small Buildings initiative without mislabeling it as a universal homeowner rebate, points dollar verification to the serving utility, and removes worked stacks that assumed maximum programs would all apply to one project.

Related guides

• Estimate the room or project load
• Cold-climate heat pump comparisons
• Federal heat pump incentives in 2026