Definition
Utility HVAC rebates and incentives are payments or discounts that utilities and utility-funded programs offer for installing qualifying efficient heating and cooling equipment. Eligibility usually depends on the home's current heating fuel, the utility serving it, the equipment's certified ratings and sometimes household income, and many programs require a participating contractor.
Also called: Utility rebate, Energy Trust incentive
Why it matters to you
Which program applies depends on which side of the river you live on and how your home heats today. In Clark County, Clark Public Utilities' heat pump programs target electrically heated homes and require a Contractor Network installer, Energy Trust of Oregon's Savings Within Reach reaches income-qualified NW Natural customers, and Oregon homes go through Energy Trust's programs for customers of participating utilities.
Practical guidance
Before choosing equipment, confirm your utility, your current heating fuel and whether the installer participates in the program, and get model numbers and the AHRI reference number in writing. Program requirements and amounts change without notice, so verify current terms with the program.
What heat pump rebates does Clark Public Utilities offer?
Clark Public Utilities runs a Heat Pump Program and a Ductless Heat Pump Program for electrically heated homes, such as those heated by an electric furnace, baseboard or zonal heat. The heat pump must be installed by a contractor in the utility's Contractor Network, and the utility states that requirements and rebate amounts can change without notice.
Does a gas-heated home in Clark County qualify for anything?
Possibly. Energy Trust of Oregon's Savings Within Reach program is open to income-qualified NW Natural customers in Clark, Skamania and Klickitat counties, including an incentive for a high-efficiency gas furnace, and NW Natural lists its own current offers. Clark Public Utilities' heat pump programs, by contrast, target electrically heated homes.
What about homes on the Oregon side, like Portland or Gresham?
Energy Trust of Oregon offers residential heat pump and furnace incentives to Oregon customers served by PGE, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas or Avista. Amounts vary by equipment, home type and income, and applications are signed by the installing contractor.
Can I apply for a utility rebate after the work is done?
Sometimes, but many programs require a participating contractor or contractor-signed paperwork, so choosing an installer outside the program can mean missing the incentive entirely. Check the program's rules before you sign a quote, not after the install.
About this definition
Written by the Home Energy Group team — a family-owned HVAC company celebrating 25 years of comfort & care across SW Washington and the Portland metro, licensed in Washington (WA LIC# HOMEEGI003J7) and Oregon (OR CCB# 184255). Definitions inform; an on-site diagnosis decides.
