Watch Out For IRA Rebate Scams!
Unscrupulous people are contacting homeowners and property owners claiming they represent the California Energy Commission (CEC) and/or the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) rebates for home energy upgrades. The only federal, IRA-funded home electrification rebates currently available to Californians are HEEHRA rebates provided through specially trained TECH Clean California contractors. Do not provide your financial information to any person or business offering to submit rebates on your behalf. Do not allow contractors into your home who are not on the TECH-certified and HEEHRA-trained contractor list. If you are concerned that you were lied to or scammed, we encourage you to contact the California Department of Consumer Affairs or call 1-800-952-5210, California’s Office of the Attorney General, the Better Business Bureau or your county’s District Attorney’s Office.
Background on the IRA Programs
On August 16, 2022, the IRA was signed into law to help U.S. households save money on energy bills and create more energy savings. The IRA introduced two major home rebate programs: the HOMES Program to improve the energy efficiency of an entire home, and the HEEHRA Program for electric equipment and appliance rebates for low-to-moderate income Californians. The IRA will also fund contractor training through CA-TREC grants, which are not yet available.
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) estimates the IRA programs will save American households up to $1 billion on energy bills each year and support over 50,000 U.S. jobs.
Receive up-to-date information via email when you subscribe to the Federal IRA Residential Incentives docket email list on this page (right-hand side). You can also subscribe to the DOE Office of State and Community Energy Programs for federal announcements on the IRA programs.
Q1: What does reopening the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA-funded HEEHRA rebates program) mean?
California is resuming its Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEEHRA) Program, funded by the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and managed by the California Energy Commission (CEC). The program is offered through Tech Clean California and will continue to process approved rebate applications and reservation requests on a first-come, first-served basis as federal funds are made available.
The program will open to new income verifications and rebate reservations in the coming weeks. If you have questions on the status of your reservation request or rebate, please contact your contractor or TECH Clean California at tech.info@energy-solution.com
Q2: Which programs are funded by the IRA?
The Inflation Reduction Act funded multiple programs to help Americans save energy and create good-paying jobs. The series of programs called Home Energy Rebates are managed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Each U.S. state and territory was allocated funding for the following three programs:
- Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (called “HEEHRA” in California) helps reduce the costs of replacing aging, broken or inefficient energy equipment in homes and decrease the cost of energy bills. HEEHRA is available only for income-eligible households. HEEHRA Phase I was launched in October 2024 through TECH Clean California. The CEC is concurrently designing the HEEHRA Phase II program.
- Home Efficiency Rebates (called “HOMES” in California) provides rebates for whole home energy upgrades. Funding is divided between two programs: 60% to the existing Equitable Building Decarbonization Program and 40% to a new pay-for-performance program which would provide rebates based on measured energy savings. California received an award from the DOE for HOMES in January 2025.
- The Training for Residential Energy Contractors Program (called “CA-TREC” in California) offers grants to support the training of contractors to install and maintain energy equipment. The funding will help reduce or remove barriers to training by expanding apprenticeship programs, providing money to travel, or covering the cost of required tools. California received an award from the DOE for CA-TREC in December 2024.
Q3: How much funding was California allocated in the IRA? When does the CEC receive the money?
California received a total award of $590 million from the U.S. Department of Energy Home Energy Rebates Program to help homeowners replace old and inefficient equipment, reduce their energy bills, and create jobs.
The DOE does not provide awarded funds to the states in one lump sum. Instead, once a state receives an award, DOE places the first “tranche,” or installment of funding, into a federal account that works very similarly to a trust or shared account. Like other states, as California needs funds to cover expected rebate costs and reimburse for actual expenditures to run the program, the CEC draws down funds.
Q4: How can I apply for a rebate?
Income verification and new rebate reservations will be re-opened in the coming weeks for HEEHRA Tech Clean California rebates. This site will be updated when they are. If you have begun your application for a rebate or submitted an application, please contact your contractor to find out the status of your rebate. General information is available on TECH Clean California’s website.
Q5: Who can I contact if I have questions about the HEEHRA Phase I Program?
To find out the status of your HEEHRA rebate, contact your contractor or TECH Clean California at tech.info@energy-solution.com. Contractors can submit questions to tech.contractor@energy-solution.com. To share issues or concerns with the CEC, please email IRAresidentialenergyrebates@energy.ca.gov or call 916-343-8471.
Q6: How much HEEHRA rebate money did the CEC dedicate to each program phase?
The DOE provided California a $290 million award for HEEHRA. The state decided to phase the program and leverage the established TECH Clean California initiative to provide money to Californians as soon as possible.
HEEHRA Phase I: Provides $80 million in rebates to income-qualified households for energy-efficient equipment and appliances available only through a HEEHRA and TECH Clean California trained and enrolled contractor.
Eligible equipment and rebate values:
- Single-family: $4,000 or $8,000 per household, depending on household income
- Heat pump for space heating and cooling
- $200 installer incentive for installation in a single-family, low-income household
- Multifamily: up to $14,000 per unit
- Heat pump for space heating and cooling
- Heat pump water heater
- Electrical panels
- Electric wiring
- Electric stove, cooktop, range, or oven
- Heat pump clothes dryer
HEEHRA Phase II: This program may potentially provide an additional $152 million in rebates to income-qualified households for energy-efficient equipment and appliances. The CEC sought public input on program design in December 2024. HEEHRA Phase II is under development.
Q7: What have been the timelines for HEEHRA, HOMES, and CA-TREC applications and awards in California?
HEEHRA – Home Electrification and Appliances Rebates
- The CEC submitted its HEEHRA application to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in January 2024.
- The DOE awarded California the full $290 million in June 2024 and provided access to the first tranche/installment of $72 million.
- The DOE approved California to launch the HEEHRA Phase I rebate program on October 4, 2024.
- California launched the HEEHRA Phase I rebate program through TECH Clean California on October 8, 2024.
- In February 2025, the first rebate check was issued.
- On February 25, the CEC paused the HEEHRA rebate program until further notice due to the suspension of federal funding by the January 20, 2025 Executive Order (Section 7, Unleashing American Energy).
- In March 2025, the CEC reopened the HEEHRA rebate program once the awarded federal funding was again made available.
HOMES – Home Efficiency Rebates
- The CEC submitted its HOMES application to the DOE in August 2024 and received a $291 million award in January 2025.
- CEC is developing required HOMES program implementation and plans to share them with the DOE beginning in April 2025. DOE must approve the plans for California to distribute rebates.
TREC – Training for Residential Energy Contractors
- The CEC submitted its CA-TREC application to the DOE in January 2024 and received a $10.3 million award in December 2024.
- California’s TREC program is under development.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| August 2022 | IRA passed into law. |
| July 2023 | The DOE released initial guidance to states and territories on how to apply for grant funding. |
| August 2023 | The CEC issued a Request for Information for the CA-TREC Program to gather public input on the program design. |
| October 2023 | DOE grant application guidance updated. |
| November 2023 | The CEC conducted a survey to gather further public input on the design of the CA-TREC Program. |
| December 2023 | The CEC issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the HOMES Program. |
| January 2024 |
|
| March 2024 | The CEC hosted a HOMES public workshop for program development. |
| April 2024 | The CEC released a grant funding opportunity for Regional Administrators for the Equitable Building Decarbonization Direct Install Program. |
| June 2024 | The CEC's HEEHRA Phase I application was approved, and DOE awarded CA with the full $290 million grant. |
| July 2024 | The CEC hosted a workshop to gather public input on the design of the HEEHRA Phase I Program. |
| August 2024 | The CEC submitted the HOMES application for whole-home efficiency funding to the DOE. The CEC issued a notice of proposed award for Regional Administrators for the Equitable Building Decarbonization Direct Install Program. The CEC submitted the Blueprint Plans for HEEHRA Phase I to the DOE. |
| October 2024 | The DOE approved the CEC’s Blueprint Plans for HEEHRA Phase I. The CEC, in partnership with the TECH Clean California initiative, launched the HEEHRA Phase I Program. Preapplications for multifamily properties opened. HEEHRA contractor training through TECH launched. |
| November 2024 | HEEHRA Phase I rebates opened to income-eligible, single-family households. |
| December 2024 | The CEC issued a Request for Information (RFI) and hosted the HEEHRA Phase II workshop for public input. The DOE approved the CA-TREC $10.3 million grant application and award for residential contractor training and education. |
| January 2025 | The DOE approved the CEC’s $291 million HOMES award to support both the Equitable Building Decarbonization Direct Install Program and a statewide pay for performance program. |
| February 2025 | HEEHRA program paused after federal funding is frozen by executive order. |
| March 2025 | HEEHRA Program resumes. |
Read the federal IRA of 2022, which authorized the funding for the energy efficiency and electrification programs that California and other states are now implementing, here: Section 50121, Section 50122, and Section 50123 of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376, 117th Congress)