How much is the heat pump rebate in Rochester?
Amounts for a single-family home. You get one line from this table, not several.
| What you install | Standard | In a Disadvantaged Community |
|---|---|---|
| Category 2 air-source, no decommissioning | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Category 2 air-source, Weatherized Tier | $8,000 | $9,000 |
| Category 2b, old system removed | $7,000 | $8,000 |
| Category 2b, Weatherized Tier | $12,000 | $13,000 |
| Partial to full load | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Ground-source retrofit (Weatherized Tier $20,000 / $21,000) | $15,000 | $16,000 |
| Heat pump water heater | $1,250 | $1,250 |
NYSEG and RG&E share this table. Apartments and homes under 1,000 sq ft get about half. The Weatherized Tier (from September 1, 2026) applies to homes built after 2010, homes that took part in an approved weatherization program, or homes that pass a heating-load test. Your participating contractor applies for you.
Heat pump: NYS Clean Heat (run by RG&E)
Best case for a whole-home system; most homes get less, as the table shows.
What makes Rochester different
Important: the City of Rochester is served by RG&E (Rochester Gas and Electric), not National Grid. RG&E runs NYS Clean Heat here, so the amounts in the table are RG&E’s. (This page sits in our National Grid section only for historical reasons.) A few outlying towns in Monroe County are on National Grid, so check the name on your electric bill.
Rochester has a large stock of early-1900s single-family homes with basements and forced-air or hot-water heat. Homes with ducts can often use a ducted heat pump, while radiator homes usually need ductless heads.
Lake-effect snow off Lake Ontario means the outdoor unit needs a stand above the snow line. RG&E, like the other upstate utilities, only pays Clean Heat for cold-climate listed equipment.
RG&E and NYSEG are sister utilities, so you may see their names together on program pages. The Rochester amounts are RG&E’s, which are slightly different from NYSEG’s in Disadvantaged Communities.
What does not stack
Clean Heat is the RG&E rebate, so never add the two together. Clean Heat is capped at 70% of cost (85% in a DAC). There is no separate federal HEAR cheque — New York delivers it through EmPower+. The federal 25C/25D tax credits ended December 31, 2025.
Income-qualified? EmPower+ can cover far more than the utility rebate. Check the state DAC map too — it can raise your amount.
What to do next in Rochester
- Check the name on your bill: RG&E in the city, but some suburbs differ.
- Ask for a snow stand for the outdoor unit in the quote.
- Get 2–3 quotes and ask each contractor to show the rebate tier on the quote.
More for Rochester: Insulation · Solar
Common questions
How much is the heat pump rebate in Rochester?
NYS Clean Heat (run by RG&E) pays up to $13,000 (Disadvantaged Community, Weatherized Tier, old system removed) for a whole-home heat pump in Rochester, depending on home size, whether you remove the old system, and DAC status.
Is Rochester served by National Grid or RG&E?
The City of Rochester is served by RG&E (Rochester Gas and Electric). RG&E runs NYS Clean Heat here, paying up to $10,000 for a whole-home switch. A few outlying towns are on National Grid, so check your bill.
Is the federal tax credit still available for heat pumps?
No. The federal 25C and 25D credits ended for anything installed after December 31, 2025.
Sources, checked October 3, 2026: NYS Clean Heat Program Manual v3, NYSERDA EmPower+, NYSERDA Comfort Home, NYS Disadvantaged Communities map, IRS: 25C credit.
