Gov. Evers, PSC Announce Wisconsin’s Launch of Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate Program

Wisconsin among first states to launch both Home Energy Rebate programs under Inflation Reduction Act

Rebates for low- and moderate-income households will help save energy and money when switching to energy-efficient home upgrades and appliances

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) Chairperson Summer Strand, today announced the launch of the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) Program. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Wisconsin was awarded $74.5 million for the HEAR Program, which provides instant discounts to low- and moderate-income households for installing energy-efficient appliances and aims to lower costs for working families by helping households save on energy bills.

“We’re incredibly excited about this program, which is designed to lower costs for working families and helping Wisconsinites save on their monthly energy bills,” said Gov. Evers. “Eligible households are going to be able to get discounts for installing energy efficient appliances while also allowing folks to have a little breathing room in their monthly household budgets. This is great news for folks across our state, and we’re excited to be among the first states in the country to launch this program.”

In August 2022, President Biden signed the IRA, which included $8.8 billion for the Home Energy Rebate programs. Wisconsin was allocated $149 million under the federal formula to administer two Home Energy Rebate programs: the Home Efficiency Rebate (HOMES) Program, announced in August, and the HEAR program, as announced today. While the HEAR program is focused on helping families install energy-efficient appliances, the HOMES Program provides rebates to households undertaking whole-home, energy-saving improvements, such as heating and cooling systems. Wisconsin was the first state in the nation to launch the HOMES program and is one of the first states in the country to launch both IRA programs.

Overall, individual households could save hundreds of dollars on monthly energy bills and save thousands of dollars on energy-efficient home upgrades by participating in the Home Energy Rebate programs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), these energy-saving measures will save American households up to $1 billion annually in energy costs and support an estimated 50,000 U.S. jobs in residential construction, manufacturing, and other sectors.

“Due to Gov. Evers’ leadership and the widespread support of our industry partners and engaged stakeholders, Wisconsin continues to lead in the deployment and implementation of these exciting new Home Energy Rebate programs,” said PSC Chairperson Strand. “We have already achieved tremendous success with the registration of new contractors and the delivery of rebates to Wisconsin households undertaking upgrades to make their homes more energy efficient. We are very excited to continue this momentum with the official launch of the HEAR Program, which will help even more people save energy and money through the purchase and installation of energy-efficient appliances and equipment.”

Wisconsin’s launch of the Home Energy Rebate programs are part of the nationwide initiative under the IRA to provide $8.8 billion in federal funding for states, territories, and Tribal Nations to lower energy costs and increase efficiency by making it cheaper to install cost-saving measures in homes, such as heat pumps, electrical panels, and insulation.

While Wisconsin ranks 24th in the nation for total energy costs per capita, according to the DOE, many Americans spend a large portion of their monthly income on heating, cooling, and powering their homes—with some of the lowest-income families spending upwards of 30 percent of their income on energy bills.

“From getting extensive public input on program design to being among the first handful of states to launch both rebate programs, Wisconsin continues to be exceptional,” said Keishaa Austin, Principal Deputy Director of DOE’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs. “With today’s launch of the HEAR program, Wisconsin will provide even more savings to those with the greatest need, enabling thousands of households to afford energy-saving upgrades.”

WISCONSIN’S HEAR PROGRAM
The Wisconsin HEAR program will launch in two phases. In the newly launched phase, registered contractors can offer discounts for certain appliances and projects that require installation, including electric heat pumps and electric wiring and panel upgrades. Rebates will be available in 2025 for insulation and air sealing that require contractor installation. In the second phase, launching in 2025, eligible customers will receive instant rebates for appliances, such as electric clothes dryers, electric stoves, and insulation bought at stores or through a contractor.

Qualified new or existing single- and multi-family homes are eligible to participate. Households may receive rebates for more than one type of appliance and project under the HEAR Program, but the maximum amount a single household can receive is $14,000 total in rebate dollars. Total rebates will range between 100 percent of total project costs up to $14,000 for households making less than 80 percent of their area median income (AMI) and 50 percent of total project costs up to $14,000 for households making between 80 percent and 150 percent of their AMI. Wisconsinites can check the AMI for their county and household size using the 2024 Income Eligibility Household Limits Calculator. More information about HEAR savings and eligibility is available here.

In most cases, a home assessment is not needed to receive a rebate through the HEAR program. Eligible appliances and equipment include electric heat pumps, electric stoves, insulation, and electrical panel and wiring upgrades. Heat pump technology is an option for high-efficiency home heating and cooling and works well even in negative temperatures during Wisconsin’s extremely cold winters. More information about heat pump technology can be found on the Focus on Energy website.

WISCONSIN’S HOMES PROGRAM
Under the HOMES Program, $74.8 million was made available to support whole-home energy efficiency improvements, including insulation, air sealing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades. All Wisconsin households are eligible for HOMES, including existing multi-family buildings. Interested households can currently verify their eligibility status and locate an IRA Registered Contractor who will guide them through the program. More information about HOMES rebates and eligibility is available here.

The launch of the Home Energy Rebate programs has been successful and, to date, includes:

• 193 registered contractors;
• 1,298 customers approved for income-qualified rebates; and
• 97 HOMES program project applications received.

The HOMES and HEAR rebates are administered by Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s existing statewide energy efficiency program. Utilizing Focus on Energy’s existing statewide framework for delivering energy efficiency programs and rebates uniquely positions Wisconsin to deliver HOMES and HEAR rebates to households across the state expeditiously and effectively. Focus on Energy will continue to manage and maintain its existing programs separately to ensure transparency, accountability, and compliance.

Focus on Energy created the Residential Rebate Finder to help households find available rebates and incentives by answering several simple questions. Visit the Residential Rebate Finder at FocusonEnergy.com/get-started. More information about the Home Energy Rebate programs is also available here.

An online version of this release is available here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.