Floridians will have a chance to save with energy rebates

$346 million aimed at increasing energy efficiency and helping Floridians save on their energy bills escaped the veto pen of Governor Ron DeSantis this session. Now state energy officials are beginning to plan out how that money will be accessed and allocated.

The money is part of the federal Home Energy Rebates Program established through the Inflation Reduction Act. It’s designed to make our energy use more efficient. That means switching to appliances that use less energy to do the same job. Or adding home improvements designed to seal out the elements and lower the cost to heat or cool your home. Taking advantage of these rebates and implementing home improvements will lower your energy bill, help grow the clean energy economy and reduce greenhouse emissions from utilities. You can find ideas on ways to take advantage of these rebates and other energy saving incentives in our Clean Energy Home Toolkit.

Two ways to access energy rebates

The Home Energy Rebates Program has two parts, one allocates funds for home improvement projects that will save at least 20% of the homes’ energy use (HOMES). It’s designed for home retrofits and upgrades that will improve energy efficiency. This rebate is best if you’re taking a comprehensive set of actions to reduce your energy usage and it’s available to anyone. The maximum you can save with this program is $8k.

The other is designed to help low and moderate income families upgrade to more energy efficient appliances and equipment . This program will provide households with up to $14k in rebates (HEAR). It’s designed to cover 100% of the upgrade cost for low income families and 50% of the cost for families with a moderate income. If you are planning to replace a heat pump or electrical panel, add insulation or weather stripping, or purchase an electric stove or oven, this rebate is your best bet to recoup some of that cost.

You can find additional details about what’s included and how much you can get back here.

Help shape Florida’s energy rebate program

Right now the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is in charge of putting together an implementation plan for the state. They are taking public comments about the design of that plan through July 1st through this survey. The survey will ask if you’re a homeowner or renter. And which program appeals the most to you. Then it will let you rank some program attributes as being helpful or not and has a place for general feedback. The department will then craft a plan to submit to the Department of Energy. They hope to begin rolling out funds in early 2025.