Rebates & incentives
What Fresno homeownerscan actually claim right now.
Most HVAC pages you will find still promise a federal tax credit that ended in 2025 and state rebates that ran out of money months ago. This page tracks the real status of every program, with dates, and gets reviewed every quarter.
Last verified: August 1, 2026
The short version
2026 is a thin year, and most sites have not caught up
Through 2023 to 2025 a California homeowner could stack a federal tax credit, a state incentive and a utility rebate, and knock five thousand dollars or more off a heat pump installation. That stack is largely gone. The federal credits ended, and California's two big statewide programs ran out of money.
We would rather tell you that up front than let you discover it after you have signed something on the strength of a number that no longer exists. If a contractor quotes you a system with a $2,000 federal credit baked into the math for a 2026 installation, that math is wrong.
There is still money available. There is just less of it, and it is more specific about who qualifies.
Program-by-program status
Verified against the official program sources on August 1, 2026. Every entry links to the source so you can check it yourself.
Federal 25C — Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit
EndedThe big one. Up to $2,000 back on a qualifying heat pump, or $600 on high-efficiency air conditioners and furnaces.
Status: Terminated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. If your system was fully installed and operating by that date you can still claim it on your 2025 return using IRS Form 5695. Anything installed in 2026 does not qualify, regardless of what a contractor tells you.
Federal 25D — Residential Clean Energy Credit
EndedThe credit most often used for solar and geothermal systems.
Status: Also terminated for property placed in service after December 31, 2025 under the same legislation. Speak to a tax professional about your specific situation rather than relying on any contractor page, including this one.
TECH Clean California — single-family heat pump incentives
ClosedCalifornia's statewide market-rate program, delivered through enrolled contractors rather than claimed by homeowners.
Status: Single-family heat pump HVAC and heat pump water heater incentives closed to new sales and reservations on November 14, 2025, after the statewide budget was nearly fully reserved. Multifamily incentives are administered separately. TECH has run in phases before, so a future round is possible but not announced.
HEEHRA — income-qualified heat pump rebates
Waitlist onlyFederally funded rebates for households under set income thresholds, up to $8,000 toward a heat pump for the lowest income band.
Status: Single-family rebates became fully reserved statewide on February 24, 2026, and the program stopped accepting new income verification applications for single-family projects. New reservation requests go on a waitlist and are only funded if more money becomes available. Critically, a project installed before its reservation is approved is not eligible at all. Multifamily rebates remain available.
HOMES and HEEHRA Phase II
Funded, not launchedThe next rounds of federally funded California energy rebates.
Status: Money has been allocated to both, but neither has launched and no start date has been published. Worth watching if your replacement is not urgent. Not worth delaying a failed system for, since there is no confirmed timeline.
PG&E residential rebates
ActiveFresno is PG&E territory, and PG&E runs its own residential efficiency rebates separately from the statewide programs — covering equipment such as heat pump water heaters, smart thermostats and insulation.
Status: Active, with amounts and eligible equipment that change by program cycle. You need an active PG&E residential account at the installation address. We check what is currently available for your specific project rather than quoting a figure that may have moved.
PG&E Energy Savings Assistance Program
ActiveFree energy-efficiency improvements for income-qualified households, including weatherization work such as attic insulation and air sealing.
Status: Active and income-qualified. Genuinely worth checking if your household may be eligible, because it is one of the few programs currently offering no-cost work rather than a partial rebate.
GoGreen Home Energy Financing
ActiveNot a rebate. A California state-supported financing program for qualifying energy-efficiency upgrades, including high-efficiency HVAC equipment.
Status: Actively funded and accessible. In a year where the rebate stack is thin, financing terms become the more useful lever for most households.
Claims you will see that are no longer true
All four of these are still sitting on California contractor websites today. If you see them, the page has not been updated and neither has whatever quote came with it.
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"Get $2,000 back with the federal tax credit"
Not for a 2026 installation. Section 25C ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. It applies only to systems that were already installed and running by that date.
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"Stack the federal credit with TECH and your utility rebate for $5,000+"
That stack no longer exists. It was accurate through 2025. Two of the three components have since ended or run out of funding.
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"Up to $3,000 through TECH Clean California"
Closed to new single-family reservations since November 14, 2025. Multifamily is administered separately. A future funding round is possible but nothing is announced.
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"Up to $8,000 available through HEEHRA"
Fully reserved statewide since February 24, 2026. New requests go on a waitlist with no guarantee of funding, and the program stopped accepting new single-family income verifications.
Four things that disqualify people
Even when a program is open, these are the reasons homeowners end up not receiving the money they expected.
Installing before the reservation is approved
The most expensive mistake in this whole area. Several programs require an approved reservation before any equipment goes in. Install first and you are not eligible, no matter how well the system qualifies otherwise.
Equipment that misses the efficiency threshold
California minimums frequently sit above the federal ENERGY STAR line, and refrigerant requirements have tightened for new systems. Equipment that qualifies federally can still fail a California program.
No permit, or a permit never closed out
Most programs require a finalized building permit. An unpermitted changeout is not just a rebate problem — it is a resale disclosure problem later. More on permits.
A contractor who is not enrolled
Several California programs are delivered through the contractor, not claimed by you, and only enrolled contractors can create the reservation. Ask before you sign, not after.
How we handle it
We check at quote time, not from a web page
Programs open, close, run out and reopen without much notice. Any figure printed on a website — including this one — is a snapshot, and the only number that matters is what is genuinely available on the day you buy.
So we check your specific project against what is actually open when we quote it, and we never build an incentive into the price of a system unless it is confirmed.
What we will and will not do
- We quote the real price first, then show any incentive separately rather than folding an unconfirmed rebate into the headline number.
- We check the current status of every program that could apply to your project on the day we quote.
- We handle the permit and code verification as part of the job, which several programs require.
- We will tell you when there is nothing available. A thin rebate year is not a reason to invent one.
Check it yourself
Do not take our word for any of this. These are the official sources, and they are more current than any contractor page including ours.
The Switch Is On
California's official incentive lookup. Enter your ZIP and equipment type for programs available at your address.
switchison.orgTECH Clean California
Live budget tables and program status for the statewide heat pump incentives, updated by the administrator.
techcleanca.comPG&E rebates
Your utility's own residential rebate programs, which run independently of the statewide ones.
pge.comCalifornia Energy Commission
Where HOMES and HEEHRA Phase II launch announcements will appear when they happen.
energy.ca.govIn a thin rebate year, financing does more work
With the federal credit gone and the statewide programs reserved, the lever that actually moves for most Fresno households is how the cost is spread rather than how much is knocked off it. Worth understanding before you commit either way.
Rebate questions
Can I still get the $2,000 federal heat pump tax credit?
Only if your system was fully installed and operating by December 31, 2025, in which case you claim it on your 2025 return using IRS Form 5695. Section 25C was terminated for property placed in service after that date. Anything installed in 2026 does not qualify.
Should I wait for new rebates before replacing my system?
Not if your system has failed. HOMES and HEEHRA Phase II are funded but unlaunched with no published timeline, and waiting through a Fresno summer without cooling to chase an uncertain rebate is a bad trade. If your system is working and you are planning ahead, waiting is more reasonable.
Are there any rebates for a straight air conditioner rather than a heat pump?
California's incentive programs have been aimed almost entirely at electrification, meaning heat pumps rather than conventional air conditioners or gas furnaces. Utility rebates sometimes cover other equipment, so it is worth checking your specific project, but expect less than heat pump projects attract.
Do you handle the rebate paperwork?
Where a program is open and your project qualifies, yes. Some California programs are delivered through the contractor rather than claimed by the homeowner, which is exactly why the reservation has to be created before installation begins.
Why does your page say less is available than other contractors claim?
Because we checked. Several California contractor pages still list the federal credit and full TECH incentives as though nothing changed. We would rather be the page that is right than the page with the bigger number.
How often is this page updated?
It carries a visible last-verified date and is reviewed quarterly against the official program sources. If you are reading this well after the date shown, check the official links above before relying on any of it.
Get a quote with the real numbers
A proper diagnostic first, an honest price second, and only incentives we have actually confirmed.
This page is general information, not tax or financial advice. Program availability, funding levels and eligibility change without notice and are set by the administering agencies and utilities, not by California Heating & AC Repair. Verify current status through the official sources linked above and consult a tax professional about your own circumstances. Last verified August 1, 2026. California Heating & AC Repair is operated by Craftline Renovations, Inc. · CSLB License #999179.