Arkansas headline: The live money is your utility. SWEPCO (western Arkansas) pays $250 to $600 per ton, up to about $3,000. Entergy Arkansas (most of the state) pays about $300 to $500. The bigger federal HEAR rebate, up to $8,000 for a heat pump, is expected from the Arkansas Energy Office in 2026. The federal 25C credit expired after December 31, 2025.
Arkansas: claim your utility rebate now, watch for the state one
Arkansas has real utility rebates you can use today, and a larger state rebate on the way. The amount you get today depends heavily on who your electric utility is, so that is the first thing to check.
The state’s federal HEAR and HOMES rebates, run by the Arkansas Energy Office with about $105 million in funding, are targeting a 2026 launch but are still coming online, so lean on the utility rebates below for now.1
This is the Arkansas companion to our 2026 heat pump rebate guide.
What is live now: utility rebates
SWEPCO (western Arkansas)
SWEPCO serves western Arkansas and pays by the ton of cooling capacity, which makes it one of the stronger rebates in the state.2
| Item | SWEPCO rebate |
|---|---|
| Heat pump | $250 to $600 per ton |
| Typical whole-home total | about $2,500 to $3,000 |
The per-ton amount rises with efficiency, so confirm the current rates with SWEPCO before you buy.
Entergy Arkansas (most of the state)
Entergy Arkansas serves the largest share of the state, including Little Rock. Its heat pump rebate is more modest, around $300 to $500.3 Confirm the current amount and any contractor requirements with Entergy.
The state rebate: coming in 2026
The Arkansas Energy Office has about $105 million in federal Home Energy Rebate money and is targeting an early-2026 launch.1
When it opens, the amounts are large for income-qualified homes:
| Household | HEAR rebate |
|---|---|
| Low-income (below 80% AMI) | up to $14,000 total, up to $8,000 for a heat pump |
| Moderate-income (80 to 150% AMI) | a smaller share of project cost |
This is the bigger prize, so watch the Arkansas DEQ energy page and confirm the current status before you count on it.
The senior and income path: Weatherization
For a low-income Arkansas senior, this is the live option today. The Arkansas Weatherization Assistance Program, run through the Department of Commerce and local community action agencies, provides free energy improvements such as insulation and air sealing, identified through a home energy audit.4
Why it helps even without a heat pump: the free audit and the sealing and insulation it funds cut how much heating and cooling your home needs, which lowers your bills now and shrinks the size and cost of any heat pump you install later. When the state HEAR rebate opens, a low-income household can get up to $14,000 toward electrification.
Income limits (2026)
The state HEAR rebate targets households up to 150% of Area Median Income (AMI), measured at the county level using HUD data.7 Below 80% AMI is low-income and gets the highest amounts; 80 to 150% AMI gets a smaller share.
Approximate 80% AMI thresholds for a family of 4:
| County / region | 80% AMI (family of 4) |
|---|---|
| Pulaski County (Little Rock) | ~$62,000 |
| Benton County (Bentonville) | ~$64,000 |
| Washington County (Fayetteville) | ~$60,000 |
| Sebastian County (Fort Smith) | ~$54,000 |
| Rural Arkansas counties | ~$46,000 to $52,000 |
For a senior household on Social Security only, eligibility is usually clean in any Arkansas county.
Federal layer (2026)
The federal 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, which paid up to $2,000 for a heat pump in prior years, expired for installs after December 31, 2025.5
What remains in 2026:
- 25D Residential Clean Energy Credit: 30% of solar cost through 2034. Applies if you pair the heat pump with solar.6
- 25C on insulation, panel upgrades, and audits: still active at smaller caps. Heat pumps are excluded.
See IRA 25C expired 2026 for the full federal picture.
Senior stack scenarios
Scenario A: Fort Smith retired couple, SWEPCO, 3-ton heat pump
- SWEPCO rebate at ~$500/ton x 3 tons: about $1,500 to $1,800
- Live today: roughly $1,500 to $3,000 depending on efficiency and size. Add the state rebate later.
Scenario B: Little Rock household, Entergy Arkansas
- Entergy Arkansas heat pump rebate: $300 to $500
- Live today: $300 to $500. Add the state HEAR later if income-eligible when it opens.
Scenario C: Low-income Pine Bluff senior
- Arkansas Weatherization Assistance: free audit, sealing, insulation
- State HEAR (once open, low-income): up to $14,000 total
- Live today: free efficiency work, with a large state rebate coming for a heat pump.
Verify your contractor first
A rebate is only as good as the contractor who installs the equipment. Arkansas licenses heating and cooling contractors through the HVACR licensing section, and utility rebates may require an approved contractor.
Red flags to reject:
- Door-to-door pitches. Legitimate contractors do not cold-call.
- A “guaranteed” state rebate. The HEAR program is not fully open, so nobody can guarantee it.
- No Arkansas HVACR license number on the quote.
- R-410A equipment for a 2026 install. That refrigerant no longer qualifies under the EPA rule.8
Verify a license in about a minute with our Arkansas contractor license lookup guide.
- Find your utility on your electric bill (SWEPCO in the west, Entergy in most of the state)
- SWEPCO: claim $250 to $600 per ton (up to about $3,000)
- Entergy: claim the $300 to $500 heat pump rebate
- If income-qualified, apply for free Weatherization now
- Watch the Arkansas DEQ energy page for the $8,000 to $14,000 state HEAR launch
What’s next
- Federal 2026 landscape: Heat pump rebates 2026
- Post-25C federal picture: IRA 25C expired 2026
- Cold-climate equipment: Cold-climate heat pumps
- Total cost math including stacks: Heat pump cost calculator
- Arkansas contractor check: Arkansas contractor license lookup
- Family in other states: Louisiana, Texas
Citations
- Home Energy Rebates Program (Status). Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment (DEQ), retrieved July 27, 2026. adeq.state.ar.us home energy rebates.
- HVAC Incentive Program (Arkansas Heat Pump Rebate). SWEPCO, retrieved July 27, 2026. swepco.com HVAC incentive.
- Residential Energy Efficiency Rebates. Entergy Arkansas, retrieved July 27, 2026. entergyarkansas.com energy efficiency.
- Arkansas Weatherization Assistance Program. Arkansas Department of Commerce, retrieved July 27, 2026. commerce.arkansas.gov weatherization.
- Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C). U.S. Internal Revenue Service. irs.gov 25C.
- Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D). U.S. Internal Revenue Service. irs.gov 25D.
- Income Limits Documentation System. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, April 2026. huduser.gov income limits.
- Technology Transitions: Restrictions on Use of Certain HFCs. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. epa.gov technology transitions.