InstaBidsEnergy efficient home improvement credit (25C): is it still available?
Not for work installed after December 31, 2025. Energy efficient home improvement credit — IRS: “If you make qualified energy-efficient improvements to your home after Jan. 1, 2023, you may qualify for a tax credit up to $3,200.” “You can claim the credit for improvements made through December 31, 2025.” IRS, read October 17, 2026.
InstaBids is an AI-run marketplace for homeowners and property managers: describe a home job once, by chat or through your own AI assistant, add photos, and get multiple written quotes on the same scope, compared apples to apples, with no phone calls or home visits before you pick.
For energy upgrades you plan now, such as a heat pump or new windows, you can post the job on InstaBids for written bids.
- Describe it onceBy chat, or through your own AI assistant, and add photos.
- Post it and send itContractors bid in writing on that scope.
- Compare line by lineEvery quote is written against the same scope.
- You chooseContact details stay hidden until you pick and they confirm.
At a glance
- December 31, 2025Last day of improvements the IRS credit coversInternal Revenue Service (IRS), read October 17, 2026
- 30%Credit rate on certain qualified expenses (IRS)Internal Revenue Service (IRS), read October 17, 2026
- 200%Weatherization income line: % of poverty guidelines (DOE)U.S. Department of Energy, Weatherization Assistance Program, read October 17, 2026
For your AI assistant
MCP connector · REST API · plain HTMLHand any of these to your assistant and it can help you write this job's request; you send the request yourself. What you type in the job box above goes into the prompt these buttons carry. The connector asks you to sign in to your InstaBids account the first time.
- MCP connector URL
https://instabids.ai/api/agent/mcp - Agent API (OpenAPI)
https://instabids.ai/openapi.json - Start-request link
https://instabids.ai/intake?trade=hvac&from=rebates-energy-efficient-home-improvement-credit&utm_source=us&utm_medium=page&utm_campaign=rebates&page_type=rebates&job=energy+efficiency+upgrade - Prompt for any AI, with your job
- ChatGPTOpens with the prompt
- ClaudeOpens with the prompt
- GrokOpens with the prompt
- GeminiCopies the prompt, then opens
Every page is plain HTML. Steps for every assistant: add to your assistant.
Programs, amounts and status
| Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) | Amount not stated by DOE (read 2026-10-17) Status: open (source read 17 October 2026). “To apply for WAP assistance, first identify your state weatherization administrator and reach out to them.” Who it is for, in the agency's words: “One of the primary factors affecting eligibility is income. Households at or below 200% of the poverty income guidelines or that receive Supplemental Security Income are considered under DOE guidelines as eligible for weatherization services. In addition, each state or territory may elect to use the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS) Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) eligibility criteria of 60% of state-median income. Priority is given to the elderly, families with one or more members with a disability, families with children, high-energy users, or households with a high energy burden. Both homeowners and renters are eligible to apply. Please use the map to visit your specific state, territory, or tribe and review the identified eligibility guidelines.” How to apply: energy.govU.S. Department of Energy, through state weatherization administrators and local providers, read 17 October 2026 |
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| High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate (HEEHR) Program | “up to $14,000” Status: open (source read 17 October 2026). “Home Energy Rebates are now available in select states.” Who it is for, in the agency's words: “The HEEHR Program provides rebates for the purchase and installation of appliances and building envelopes materials to reduce American homeowner energy bills. American households can save up to $14,000 on efficient upgrades that can lower energy bills and improve comfort and safety of the home. HEEHR offers rebates at point of sale either at retail outlets or through contractors. HEEHR can be utilized for insulation, air sealing, ventilation, electric wiring and load service center upgrades, electric heating and cooling upgrades, and efficient electric appliances. The HEEHR program is designed to ensure homeowner savings, emphasizing the importance of insulating and sealing the home prior to upgrading heating and cooling to maximize savings.” How to apply: naseo.org (individuals do not apply to this agency directly)U.S. Department of Energy; run by state energy offices, read 17 October 2026 |
| Home Owner Managing Energy Savings (HOMES) Rebate Program | “up to $8,000*” Status: open (source read 17 October 2026). Who it is for, in the agency's words: “The HOMES Rebate Program provides rebates for eligible whole-home energy upgrade projects for households at all income levels. American households can save up to $8,000* on home upgrades based on modeled energy savings levels with a minimum savings of 20%. HOMES offers several possible pathways to affordable upgrades including insulation, air sealing, heating and cooling equipment, water heaters, duct sealing, appliances, and lighting. HOMES rebates provide Americans with household upgrades that can lower monthly energy bills while improving comfort and quality of the home.” How to apply: naseo.org (individuals do not apply to this agency directly)U.S. Department of Energy; run by state energy offices, read 17 October 2026 |
| Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit | “a tax credit up to $3,200” Status: ended (source read 17 October 2026). Pays for: “Qualified energy efficiency improvements installed during the taxable year Residential energy property Home energy audits”. Who it is for, in the agency's words: “You may claim the energy efficient home improvement credit for improvements to your main home. Your main home is generally where you live most of the time. For the energy efficiency home improvement credit, the home must be: Located in the United States An existing home that you improve or add onto, not a new home In most cases, the home must be your primary residence (where you live the majority of the year). You can't claim the credit if you're a landlord or other property owner who doesn't live in the home.” How to apply: irs.govInternal Revenue Service (IRS), read 17 October 2026 |
Federal tax credit status, in the IRS's words
What the credit covered for 2025 installs, in the IRS's words:
“Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, the credit equals 30% of certain qualified expenses”
“$1,200 for energy efficient property costs and certain energy efficient home improvements, with limits on exterior doors ($250 per door and $500 total), exterior windows and skylights ($600) and home energy audits ($150)”
“$2,000 per year for qualified heat pumps, water heaters, biomass stoves or biomass boilers”
The two limits are separate lines on the IRS page; this page does not add them together or work out any household's figure.
The IRS form for the credit is Form 5695, Part II, and its instructions are linked in the sources below.
Programs by state
| Indiana | Indiana Energy Saver Program (HOMES and HEAR) (open, as of 22 October 2026) “Applications for the Indiana Energy Saver Program are NOW OPEN!”Indiana Office of Energy Development — Sources read: 22 October 2026 |
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| Michigan | Michigan Home Energy Rebates (MiHER) Program (open, as of 17 October 2026) “New income qualified applications for EGLE Detroit, Warren, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo Districts' properties are temporarily unavailable while MiHER reviews current applications and funding capacity.” Michigan pageMichigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) — Sources read: 17 October 2026 |
| New Mexico | Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) Program (open, as of 17 October 2026) “In New Mexico, the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) Program launched September 3, 2024.”New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (clean.energy.nm.gov) — Sources read: 17 October 2026 |
| New York | EmPower+ (open, as of 23 October 2026) “The program is open to income-eligible owners and renters of one- to four-family households.” New York pageNew York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) — Sources read: 23 October 2026 |
| North Carolina | Energy Saver North Carolina (HOMES and HEAR) (open, as of 17 October 2026) “DEQ launched the Energy Saver NC on January 16, 2025.”North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), State Energy Office — Sources read: 17 October 2026 |
| Wisconsin | IRA Home Energy Rebate Programs (HOMES and HEAR) (open, as of 17 October 2026) “Both Home Efficiency Rebates (HOMES) and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) are NOW AVAILABLE.”Focus on Energy, for the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin — Sources read: 17 October 2026 |
| California | Home Owner Managing Energy Savings (HOMES) Program (not launched, as of 17 October 2026) “HOMES rebates are not yet available.”California Energy Commission (CEC) — Sources read: 17 October 2026 |
| Arkansas | Home Energy Rebates Program (not launched, as of 17 October 2026) “This webpage will be updated as new information becomes available.”Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment (adeq.state.ar.us) — Sources read: 17 October 2026 |
| Florida | HEEHR Program (not launched, as of 17 October 2026) “If you are interested in participating, please register and complete the information in your Profile section. We will send you an email when the application is open.”Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Florida Energy Saver Program) — Sources read: 17 October 2026 |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Home Energy Rebates Program (not launched, as of 17 October 2026) “Please be aware that the Kentucky Home Energy Rebates Program is not yet accepting rebate applications.”Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet — Sources read: 17 October 2026 |
| Maryland | IRA Home Energy Rebate Programs (HOMES and HEEHR) (not launched, as of 17 October 2026) “States that have not yet launched their programs, like Maryland, are required to revise and resubmit their applications to comply with DOE’s updated requirements.”Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) — Sources read: 17 October 2026 |
| Oregon | Oregon home energy rebate programs (not launched, as of 22 October 2026) “No rebates are currently available.” Oregon pageOregon Department of Energy — Sources read: 22 October 2026 |
| South Carolina | Home Energy Rebate Programs (HOMES and HEAR) (not launched, as of 17 October 2026) “Rebate Availability: Rebates are not currently available but are expected to launch in 2026.”South Carolina Office of Energy (energy.sc.gov) — Sources read: 17 October 2026 |
| Tennessee | Tennessee IRA Home Energy Rebate Programs (not launched, as of 17 October 2026) “Funding for the Tennessee IRA Home Energy Rebate Programs is not yet available.”Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, State Energy Office — Sources read: 17 October 2026 |
| Texas | Texas Home Energy Rebates (not launched, as of 23 October 2026) “Rebates are not currently available.”Texas Comptroller, State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) — Sources read: 23 October 2026 |
| Virginia | Home Energy Rebates (not launched, as of 17 October 2026) “Virginia Energy cannot provide an estimated date on when Home Energy Rebates will be available.”Virginia Energy — Sources read: 17 October 2026 |
| Colorado | HEAR Single-Family Program (closed, as of 19 October 2026) “The HEAR Single-Family Program for Region 1 and Region 2 is closed.”Colorado Energy Office (CEO) — Sources read: 19 October 2026 |
| Georgia | Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) (closed, as of 17 October 2026) “The HEAR program is currently paused and not accepting new applications; however, it will reopen in October 2026 with limited measures for single-family* applicants.”Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (energyrebates.georgia.gov) — Sources read: 17 October 2026 |
Is the energy efficient home improvement credit available in 2026?
Not for work installed in 2026.
“The credit will not be allowed for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025.”
The IRS put that end date in fact sheet FS-2025-05, Aug. 21, 2025, after the 2025 law moved it up.
Work installed in 2025 still goes on the 2025 return through Form 5695, Part II, under the IRS rule that the credit belongs to the year the property is installed.
For a 2026 project, the money left is state-run: the open home energy rebate programs in the state table above, and weatherization for households under the DOE income rule.
Sources: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Fact Sheet FS-2025-05, Aug. 21, 2025, read ; Internal Revenue Service (IRS), read ; Internal Revenue Service (IRS), read ; U.S. Department of Energy, Weatherization Assistance Program, read ; Indiana Office of Energy Development (page title: OED: Home Energy Rebates), read ; Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), read ; North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), State Energy Office, read ; New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD), Energy Conservation and Management Division, read ; New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), EmPower+, read ; Focus on Energy (Wisconsin utilities program, read .
If you are planning an efficiency upgrade in 2026 anyway, you can describe it once on InstaBids and compare written contractor bids.
Is the energy efficient home improvement credit refundable?
No, the IRS says it is not.
“The credit is nonrefundable, so you can't get back more on the credit than you owe in taxes. You can't apply any excess credit to future tax years.”
That second sentence matters for large 2025 projects: an amount above the tax owed for 2025 does not roll forward.
A state rebate works differently, because it is paid against the project rather than taken off a tax bill, and the IRS notes that such payments are handled under its own announcement.
Sources: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), read ; U.S. Department of Energy (page label: State and Community Energy Programs), read .
To line up written bids on the upgrade itself, separate from any tax question, you can post the job on InstaBids.
What are the 25C tax credit heat pump requirements?
For heat pumps installed in 2025, the IRS rule reads:
“Heat pumps that meet or exceed the CEE highest efficiency tier, not including any advanced tier, in effect at the beginning of the year when the property is installed, and biomass stoves and boilers with a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75% qualify for a credit up to $2,000 per year. Costs may include labor for installation.”
The IRS list of qualified property names electric or natural gas heat pump water heaters as well, and each item also needed its QMID on the return.
Heat pumps installed after 2025 fall outside the credit under the same end date as everything else on this page; our heat pump rebates page covers the state money for them.
Sources: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), read ; Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Fact Sheet FS-2025-05, Aug. 21, 2025, read .
To compare written bids on a heat pump install, with the model and efficiency rating listed, you can post the job on InstaBids.
Does the energy efficient home improvement credit cover windows?
It did for windows installed through 2025, with a fixed limit and an efficiency rule.
“Exterior windows and skylights that meet Energy Star Most Efficient certification requirements. Credit is limited to $600 total.”
Exterior doors had their own limit:
“Exterior doors that meet applicable Energy Star requirements. Credit is limited to $250 per door and $500 total.”
“Labor costs for installing building envelope components don't qualify for the credit.”
Sources: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), read ; Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Fact Sheet FS-2025-05, Aug. 21, 2025, read .
To compare written bids on replacement windows and skylights, you can post the window job on InstaBids.
How do you claim the energy efficient home improvement credit?
The IRS names one form and one timing rule:
“File Form 5695, Residential Energy Credits Part II, with your tax return to claim the credit. You must claim the credit for the tax year when the property is installed, not merely purchased.”
The IRS also limits it to the home the filer lives in; its exact words are in this credit's row of the program table above.
This page does not give tax advice; the Form 5695 instructions linked below are the IRS's full rules, and a tax preparer can apply them to one return.
Source: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), read .
To keep a written record of what each contractor offered for an upgrade, you can post the job on InstaBids.
Rebate, tax credit, grant or weatherization: how they differ
Tax credit (25C): claimed on the federal return for the year the item was installed, and it ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025.
Rebate (state Home Energy Rebates, HEEHR and HOMES): run by state energy offices with federal money; DOE's own description of each is quoted in its row of the program table above.
Weatherization (WAP): not a check or a credit but work done on the home by a local provider, for households under the DOE income rule.
Before you apply
- Write down the four-character QMID for each window, door, heat pump or water heater; the IRS says Form 5695 needs it for property placed in service in 2025.
- “For purposes of taking the credit, you can rely on the manufacturer’s certification, in writing, that a product is qualifying property for the credit. Don't attach the certification to your return. Keep it for your records.”
- Note the date each item was installed, not the purchase date: the IRS ties the credit to the tax year when the property is installed.
- “Public utility subsidies for buying or installing clean energy property are subtracted from qualified expenses.”
- Ask for an invoice that splits labor from materials: the IRS counts labor for heat pumps but not for windows, doors or insulation.
- For weatherization help, have last year's proof of income ready, such as pay stubs or social security payments.
- Ask contractors to list the model, efficiency rating and paperwork your program asks for in their written bid.
Cost, options and related pages
What window replacement itself costs is on our window replacement cost page; what attic insulation costs is on our attic insulation cost page. Heat pump against a gas furnace is compared on its own page, and window types are on our window options page.
Find the IRS rule for your home improvement
| Question to review | Project record | Agency document | Sources read: | Official rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit end date | Timing of the home improvement | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Read the IRS credit page | |
| End date in the IRS fact sheet | Property placed in service | Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Fact Sheet FS-2025-05, Aug. 21, 2025 | Read the IRS fact sheet | |
| Credit rate | Qualified expenses | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Read the IRS credit page | |
| Annual property and improvement limit | Doors, windows and energy audits | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Read the IRS credit page | |
| Heat pump and water heater limit | Equipment and installation | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Read the IRS credit page | |
| Refund and carryforward rule | Credit and tax owed | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Read the IRS credit page | |
| Window and skylight rule | Product certification and credit limit | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Read the IRS credit page | |
| Exterior door rule | Product requirements and credit limit | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Read the IRS credit page | |
| Heat pump efficiency rule | Equipment standard and installation labor | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Read the IRS credit page | |
| Claim form and installation year | Return instructions | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Read the IRS credit page | |
| Manufacturer identification | Product records for the return | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Read the IRS form instructions | |
| Written manufacturer certification | Product records to retain | Internal Revenue Service (IRS) | Read the IRS form instructions |
Sources read:
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS): https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/energy-efficient-home-improvement-credit, read 17 October 2026.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Fact Sheet FS-2025-05, Aug. 21, 2025: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-for-modification-of-sections-25c-25d-25e-30c-30d-45l-45w-and-179d-under-public-law-119-21-139-stat-72-july-4-2025-commonly-known-as-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-obbb, read 17 October 2026.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS): https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i5695, read 21 October 2026.
- U.S. Department of Energy (page label: State and Community Energy Programs): https://www.energy.gov/cmei/scep/home-energy-rebates-program, read 17 October 2026.
- U.S. Department of Energy, Weatherization Assistance Program: https://www.energy.gov/cmei/scep/wap/how-apply-weatherization-assistance, read 17 October 2026.
- Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, Arkansas Energy Office: https://adeq.state.ar.us/energy/assistance/home-energy-rebates.aspx, read 17 October 2026.
- California Energy Commission (CEC): https://www.energy.ca.gov/programs-and-topics/programs/inflation-reduction-act-residential-energy-rebate-programs, read 17 October 2026.
- Colorado Energy Office (CEO): https://energyoffice.colorado.gov/home-energy-rebates, read 19 October 2026.
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Office of Energy - Florida Energy Saver Program: https://floridaenergysaverprogram.fdacs.gov/en-US/heehr-program/, read 17 October 2026.
- Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) - Georgia's Home Energy Rebates: https://energyrebates.georgia.gov/home-electrification-and-appliance-rebates, read 17 October 2026.
- Indiana Office of Energy Development (page title: OED: Home Energy Rebates): https://www.in.gov/oed/grants-and-funding-opportunities/homeowner-incentives, read 22 October 2026.
- Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, Office of Energy Policy (energyrebates.ky.gov): https://energyrebates.ky.gov/, read 17 October 2026.
- Maryland Energy Administration (MEA): https://energy.maryland.gov/Pages/IRArebates.aspx, read 17 October 2026.
- Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE): https://www.michigan.gov/egle/about/organization/materials-management/energy/rfps-loans/home-energy-rebate-programs, read 17 October 2026.
- North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), State Energy Office: https://www.deq.nc.gov/energy-climate/state-energy-office/energy-saver-north-carolina, read 17 October 2026.
- New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD), Energy Conservation and Management Division: https://clean.energy.nm.gov/programs/hear/, read 17 October 2026.
- New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), EmPower+: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/EmPower-New-York-Program, read 23 October 2026.
- Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE): https://www.oregon.gov/energy/Incentives/Pages/Home-Energy-Rebates.aspx, read 22 October 2026.
- South Carolina Energy Office (energy.sc.gov): https://energy.sc.gov/rebates, read 17 October 2026.
- Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Office of Energy Programs: https://www.tn.gov/environment/program-areas/energy/state-energy-office/programs-projects/inflation-reduction-act/energy-rebate.html, read 17 October 2026.
- Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, State Energy Conservation Office (SECO): https://comptroller.texas.gov/programs/seco/funding/ira/, read 23 October 2026.
- Virginia Department of Energy (Virginia Energy), the Commonwealth's State Energy Office: https://energy.virginia.gov/energy-efficiency/HomeEnergyRebatesFrequentlyAskedQuestions.shtml, read 17 October 2026.
- Focus on Energy (Wisconsin utilities program: https://www.focusonenergy.com/home-energy-rebates, read 17 October 2026.