Every PG&E rebate a Berkeley homeowner can get in 2026 — heat pumps, solar, battery, insulation, water heaters, windows, EV chargers, and smart thermostats — explained plainly, with how each one works.
Updated August 2026 · Independent guide. We don't sell your info. Numbers below are utility rebates (money you keep), not loans.
Planning a heat pump or solar installation in Berkeley? This page covers every PG&E rebate in one place, then points you to real local installer options.
In 2026, a Berkeley homeowner can get a $250–$500 PG&E rebate for a heat pump, $1,600 for insulation, $500 for a heat pump water heater, $75 for an EV charger, and $50 for a smart thermostat. Solar and battery no longer carry a separate utility cash rebate under NEM 3.0, though both still pencil out over 10–15 years through bill savings.
Berkeley is entirely PG&E territory for electricity and gas. Unlike some BC or Ontario cities, no Bay Area city currently stacks its own cash on top of PG&E's rebates — the dollar amounts below are what PG&E itself pays, and they're the real numbers to plan around.
PG&E rebate for a qualifying air-source heat pump (3–4 ton). Typical installed cost is $13,000–$22,000; expect roughly $1,200/yr in savings versus gas heat and a 13–15 year payback on the equipment itself.
Source: PG&E
NEM 3.0 (California's current net-metering rule) cut the value of exported solar power, so PG&E no longer pays a separate cash rebate. A 6kW system runs $15,000–$18,000 and still saves about $1,400/yr, a ~10-year payback, mostly by offsetting your own daytime usage rather than selling power back.
Source: CPUC NEM 3.0 / PG&E
No PG&E cash rebate as of 2026. A typical 13.5kWh battery costs about $12,000 installed; its value is mainly resilience (keeping essentials on during outages) and shifting self-consumption under NEM 3.0, not a fast payback.
Source: PG&E
Attic, wall, or crawlspace insulation upgrade. Usually the best first dollar spent — it shrinks how large (and expensive) a heat pump you actually need.
Source: PG&E
Replaces a gas or standard electric tank. Income-qualified households may access more through PG&E's Climate Equity Hub (see below).
Source: PG&E
PG&E does not currently offer a residential windows/doors cash rebate in this territory. Check for state or federal programs before assuming this is a $0 upgrade everywhere.
Source: PG&E
Toward a qualifying Level 2 home charger and installation.
Source: PG&E
For an ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat, typically applied as an instant discount or mail-in rebate.
Source: PG&E
PG&E's utility rebates for a heat pump, insulation, water heater, EV charger and thermostat add up to roughly $2,475 in direct cash back — modest next to what BC or Massachusetts pay, because California shifted its incentive strategy toward net metering and financing rather than large upfront rebates. The real savings case here is the $1,200/yr in avoided gas costs from switching to a heat pump, and the $1,400/yr from solar, not the rebate checks themselves.
Two programs worth knowing about: PG&E's Climate Equity Hub provides a free heat pump water heater for income-qualified households, and Bay Area SunShares runs a seasonal group-buy that gets participating homeowners a discount through vetted installers (separate from any utility rebate). The state's CalEnergy Smart Homes 2026 funding round is fully subscribed as of this writing — if you see it advertised as open, verify directly before counting on it.
Heat pump installers in Berkeley
Browse the full installer directory → for more Berkeley options.
Solar installers in Berkeley
Browse the full installer directory → for more Berkeley options.
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Start your assessment →Since NEM 3.0 took effect, PG&E pays much less for power you export to the grid — so a home battery's job has shifted from "sell it back later" to "use your own solar power at night instead of buying it back at retail rates." A 13.5kWh battery (about $12,000 installed) has no separate PG&E cash rebate, but it's what makes a 6kW solar system's $1,400/yr savings actually materialize instead of leaking away as low-value exports. Why solar quotes vary so much →
PG&E (electricity & gas)
East Bay university town (home to UC Berkeley), served entirely by PG&E for both electricity and gas.
~$1,200/yr savings, 13–15 year payback on a $13,000–$22,000 install after the $250–$500 rebate.
$0 utility rebate, but a 6kW system still saves ~$1,400/yr with a ~10-year payback.
Berkeley was one of the first US cities to adopt a Climate Action Plan and has pushed hard on building electrification (its 2019 natural-gas ban in new construction was later struck down in court, but the city's ambition on retrofits hasn't changed). There's no separate city cash rebate stacked on top of PG&E's — Berkeley's role is mostly permitting speed and community outreach through its Office of Energy & Sustainable Development, not extra dollars.
PG&E pre-approval: 2–4 weeks, required before work starts on most rebate categories
Permits: Berkeley's building & safety division processes residential electrification permits; simple heat pump swaps are usually same-week, panel upgrades take longer.
Rebate payout: typically 4–8 weeks after paperwork is filed, as a bill credit or check
PG&E offers $250–$500 for a qualifying air-source heat pump in Berkeley. A typical 3–4 ton system costs $13,000–$22,000 installed and saves roughly $1,200/yr versus gas heat, with a 13–15 year payback on the equipment.
There's no PG&E cash rebate for solar anymore — NEM 3.0 reduced the value of power you export to the grid. A 6kW system still costs $15,000–$18,000 and saves about $1,400/yr, roughly a 10-year payback, mainly by offsetting your own usage rather than selling excess power back.
PG&E's Climate Equity Hub provides a free heat pump water heater for income-qualified households. Bay Area SunShares also runs a seasonal group-buy that gets participating homeowners a discount through vetted installers, separate from any utility rebate.
Renters can't claim the structural rebates — those go to the property owner — but income-qualified renters may still access PG&E's free heat pump water heater program with landlord permission. In a condo, in-unit upgrades may qualify with HOA approval; whole-building work goes through the HOA as a group decision. See the full breakdown below.
Get quotes and apply as soon as you've chosen a contractor — PG&E requires pre-approval before work starts on most rebate categories, so late applications can forfeit the rebate.
Most rebate dollar figures on this page assume you own a single-family home and control the whole building. That's not every Berkeley homeowner. Here's what changes if you rent or live in a condo:
You can't claim the structural rebates (heat pump, insulation, windows, solar) — those go to whoever owns the property. What's genuinely open to you is PG&E's Climate Equity Hub free heat pump water heater program if you're income-qualified and your landlord agrees to the install. If you want the bigger upgrades, the ask has to go to your landlord — point them to this page.
In-unit upgrades you control yourself — a heat pump water heater, in-suite windows, an in-unit heat pump — may qualify for the rebates above with your HOA's approval (usually required for anything touching shared systems or exterior walls). Get that approval in writing before applying; PG&E's pre-approval process may ask for proof the work was authorized by the building.
Heat pumps, insulation, and solar for the whole building go through the HOA or property manager as a group decision, using PG&E's separate multifamily program rather than the single-family numbers on this page — the per-unit amounts and process differ. Your HOA or property manager applies, not individual owners.
Real retrofit talk from locals on r/berkeley — search "heat pump" or "solar."
Berkeley's building & safety division processes residential electrification permits; simple heat pump swaps are usually same-week, panel upgrades take longer. Your installer usually files these for you.
PG&E's rebates & incentives page is the source of truth for current amounts — verify anytime, as programs change.
A few guides that go further into topics on this page, for when you want more than the summary.
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