The future of two home energy rebate programs, which offer millions of dollars for energy efficiency upgrades to Wisconsinites, is unclear due to the election of Donald Trump. Trump has said he wants to terminate the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the landmark climate law that includes $145 billion in direct energy and climate spending. Wisconsinites who own their homes should take advantage of these programs before Trump’s inauguration in January to ensure that they can receive rebates.
One of the two programs, the Home Efficiency Rebates (HOMES) program, is currently available and offers rebates for energy-saving whole-home improvements such as new heating and cooling equipment or insulation upgrades. Rebate amounts, which can be up to $10,000, are determined by modeled energy savings and income level, but Wisconsinites of all income brackets are eligible. The program is available for single-family homes and will soon be available for multifamily homes as well.
The other program, the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR), are slated to launch soon and provide rebates to low- and medium-income households for purchasing efficient electric appliances such as heat pumps, clothes dryers and electric ovens.
Trump has stated that he will “rescind all unspent funds” under the IRA. It is unclear whether the home energy rebate programs count as unspent, since the funding for these programs has already been allocated to Wisconsin. It is also unclear which parts of the IRA Trump is able to easily rescind, and which programs he intends to target.
A full repeal of the IRA would require congressional approval. Some analysts say this is unlikely to happen, even in a republican-led congress, as most of the investment and job growth fueled by the IRA has been in republican-leaning states.
Even so, Wisconsin homeowners should engage with these programs while they know that they still can. To qualify for HOMES, a household must receive a home energy assessment to predict the amount of energy savings from proposed upgrades. HOMES also offers retroactive rebates, which are available for households that made any efficiency upgrades on or after August 16th, 2022, and completed an energy assessment.
Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency program, is administering these programs, and also offers low-income households rebates for their energy assessment. To learn how you can participate, and to find a contractor registered with the program, visit focusonenergy.com/ira-homes. Make sure to engage with these programs before it is too late and sign up for updates on rebate programs at cleanwisconsin.org.
