Florida Rejects HVAC Rebate Funding, Will Not Participate in Heat Pump or HOMES Rebates

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has rejected funding provided by the Department of Energy for residential heat pump and energy efficiency upgrades. The Inflation Reduction Act created the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act program to give low to moderate-income Americans a point-of-sale rebate for upgrading their home HVAC systems, water heating, and gas appliances to electric alternatives such as heat pumps. In addition, Congress also created the HOMES Rebate, which gives homeowners rebates on a percentage of the installation cost for increasing the energy efficiency of their whole home. With HVAC being one of the largest consumers of energy, it is a prime target for this rebate program. While Congress created these programs, they delegated the implementation to states, with each state deciding if they wanted to participate. These programs did not require state-match funding or other resources beyond the work necessary for implementation by their energy offices.

States planning to implement these programs are waiting for guidance from the Department of Energy in the coming weeks. Once guidance is available, states can start applying for funding and standing up their programs, with rebates available to consumers likely in 2024.