Delaware headline: The live money is Energize Delaware, the statewide efficiency program. Its heat pump rebate runs $550 to $1,700, within a whole-home cap of $4,000 ($5,500 for the income-qualified Assisted path). Delmarva Power and the co-op add their own. The state HEAR rebate (up to $8,000) is awaiting federal approval. The federal 25C credit expired after December 31, 2025.
Delaware: one strong statewide program
Delaware is small, and it has one program that ties everything together. Energize Delaware, the state’s efficiency utility, runs the main live heat pump rebate, and it works statewide across utilities.1
The state’s federal HEAR and HOMES rebates, overseen by DNREC with about $65.8 million allocated, are awaiting final approval from the U.S. Department of Energy, so lean on Energize Delaware for now.2
This is the Delaware companion to our 2026 heat pump rebate guide.
How Energize Delaware works
The rebate is part of a whole-home approach called Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, so an energy assessment comes first.1
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Mini-split heat pump rebate | $550 to $1,700 |
| Whole-home project cap | $4,000 |
| Assisted (income-qualified) cap | $5,500 |
| First step | Home energy assessment |
Why the assessment helps: because Energize Delaware looks at the whole home, the assessment finds insulation and air-sealing fixes that lower your bills and let a smaller heat pump keep up. The rebate covers the heat pump plus those measures, up to the cap. Apply through energizedelaware.org.
Your utility may add more
On top of Energize Delaware, your electric utility may run its own rebate.3
- Delmarva Power serves most of the state, including Wilmington, and offers residential efficiency rebates.
- Delaware Electric Cooperative serves much of Kent and Sussex counties with its own programs.
- DEMEC municipal utilities serve several towns.
Check your electric bill to see who bills you, then look for a utility rebate to stack with Energize Delaware.
The state rebate: awaiting approval
Delaware’s HEAR rebate will pay $500 to $8,000 in income-targeted amounts once the U.S. Department of Energy gives final approval.2 DNREC oversees it, with $32.8 million for HEAR and $33 million for HOMES.
When it opens, an income-qualified household could add the state rebate to the Energize Delaware rebate. Watch dnrec.delaware.gov for the approval.
The senior and income path
For a low-income Delaware senior, there are two strong options today, and a third coming.
Assisted Home Performance: Energize Delaware’s income-qualified path raises the rebate cap to $5,500 and lowers your out-of-pocket cost.1
Weatherization: Delaware’s Weatherization Assistance Program provides income-qualified households free insulation and sealing.4 And when the state HEAR rebate is approved, low-income households get the largest amounts.
Income limits for the state rebate (when approved)
HEAR uses Area Median Income (AMI) at the county level.7 Below 80% AMI gets the highest tier (up to $8,000); 80 to 150% AMI gets a partial rebate.
Approximate 80% AMI thresholds for a family of 4:
| County | 80% AMI (family of 4) |
|---|---|
| New Castle County (Wilmington) | ~$84,000 |
| Kent County (Dover) | ~$70,000 |
| Sussex County (Lewes, Rehoboth) | ~$68,000 |
Delaware has only three counties, and New Castle’s figure runs high because of the Philadelphia metro. For a senior household on Social Security only, eligibility is usually clean.
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: Wilmington retired couple, Delmarva, whole-home project
- Energize Delaware heat pump rebate: $550 to $1,700, within a $4,000 cap
- Delmarva Power rebate: check current amount
- Live today: up to $4,000 in whole-home rebates. Add the state HEAR later if income-eligible.
Scenario B: Dover household, income-qualified, Assisted path
- Energize Delaware Assisted Home Performance: cap $5,500, lower out-of-pocket
- Live today: up to $5,500 in whole-home rebates with reduced cost. The state HEAR rebate can add more once approved.
Scenario C: Sussex County senior, Delaware Electric Cooperative
- Energize Delaware rebate: $550 to $1,700
- Delaware Electric Cooperative rebate: check current amount
- Live today: the Energize Delaware rebate plus any co-op rebate.
Verify your contractor first
A rebate is only as good as the contractor who installs the equipment. Delaware licenses contractors, and the Energize Delaware whole-home rebate requires a participating contractor.
Red flags to reject:
- Door-to-door pitches. Legitimate contractors do not cold-call.
- A “guaranteed” state HEAR rebate. It is not approved yet, so nobody can promise it.
- No Delaware 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 Delaware contractor license lookup guide.
- Start with an Energize Delaware home assessment at energizedelaware.org
- Claim the heat pump rebate ($550 to $1,700, within a $4,000 cap)
- If income-qualified, ask about the Assisted path (cap $5,500)
- Check whether Delmarva or your co-op adds a rebate
- Watch dnrec.delaware.gov for the $8,000 state HEAR approval
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
- Delaware contractor check: Delaware contractor license lookup
- Family in other states: Maryland, Pennsylvania
Citations
- Home Performance with ENERGY STAR and Heat Pump Rebates. Energize Delaware, retrieved August 4, 2026. energizedelaware.org residential.
- Home Energy Rebate Programs (HEAR and HOMES) Status. Delaware DNREC Energy Office, retrieved August 4, 2026. dnrec.delaware.gov home energy rebates.
- Residential Energy Efficiency Rebates. Delmarva Power, retrieved August 4, 2026. delmarva.com ways to save.
- Delaware Weatherization Assistance Program. Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, retrieved August 4, 2026. dnrec.delaware.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.