Wyoming headline: The live money is your utility, and it splits sharply. Rocky Mountain Power, through its wattsmart program, pays real rebates for heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, insulation, and smart thermostats. Black Hills Energy has paused its rebates while it redesigns them. The state HEAR rebate (up to $8,000) is coming back online after a federal pause. The federal 25C credit expired after December 31, 2025.
Wyoming: your utility decides almost everything
In Wyoming, the single biggest factor in what you can claim is which utility bills you, so this guide starts there.
Rocky Mountain Power serves most of the state and runs the wattsmart rebate program, the strongest utility offer in Wyoming.2 Black Hills Energy, which serves the Cheyenne area and parts of the east, asked the Wyoming Public Service Commission to set aside its 2026 efficiency plans while it redesigns them, so its rebates are not available for now.3 That is a wide gap between neighbors.
So check your electric bill first, then claim what fits.
This is the Wyoming companion to our 2026 heat pump rebate guide.
Your utility: wattsmart leads, Black Hills paused
The contrast is stark, so know where you stand.
| Utility | Service area | Heat pump rebate |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountain Power (wattsmart) | Most of Wyoming | Air-source and ductless heat pumps, HPWH, insulation, smart thermostats |
| Black Hills Energy | Cheyenne area, east | Paused for 2026 while programs are redesigned |
| Rural cooperatives | Scattered | Own programs, ask directly |
Rocky Mountain Power’s wattsmart program pays rebates for qualifying air-source and ductless (mini-split) heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, insulation, and smart thermostats, and the program was updated in July 2026.2 Confirm current amounts before you buy, because they change by equipment and efficiency tier. If Black Hills is your utility, your live paths are the state rebate and, if income-qualified, free weatherization.3
Buy cold-climate or geothermal, or it will not keep up
Wyoming is cold, windy, and high, so equipment choice is not optional.
What to insist on: a cold-climate rated heat pump (NEEP listed) or a ground-source geothermal system that pulls steady heat from the earth. Cold-climate models hold usable output well below freezing, which a Wyoming winter demands. Most installs keep a backup heat source, such as your existing furnace, for the coldest stretches.
For more on choosing equipment for extreme cold, see cold-climate heat pumps.
The state HEAR rebate: paused, now restarting
Wyoming’s state rebate has had a bumpy path, which is worth understanding before you count on it.
Wyoming’s roughly $69 million federal Home Energy Rebate award was paused during a federal review, and the U.S. Department of Energy has since restarted it, so state officials expect residents to be able to apply soon.1 When it opens, HEAR will pay up to $8,000 for a heat pump for income-qualified households.
One caution: because the program was paused and restarted, confirm the real launch through the state before you believe any rebate offer. Never pay upfront for a promised state rebate, and treat any door-to-door pitch about it as suspect.
The senior and income path: Weatherization
For a low-income Wyoming senior, this is the live option today, and it matters in a cold, windy state. The Wyoming Weatherization Assistance Program provides income-qualified households free energy improvements such as insulation and air sealing, through the Wyoming Department of Family Services.4
Why it helps: sealing and insulation cut how hard your heating works through a long winter, lowering bills now and letting a smaller heat pump keep up. When the state HEAR rebate opens, a low-income household can add up to $8,000 for the heat pump itself.
Income limits for the state rebate
HEAR uses Area Median Income (AMI) at the county level.7 At or below 80% AMI gets 100% of project cost (up to $8,000 for a heat pump); the 80 to 150% AMI band gets 50% of project cost.
Approximate 80% AMI thresholds for a family of 4:
| County / region | 80% AMI (family of 4) |
|---|---|
| Laramie County (Cheyenne) | ~$60,800 |
| Natrona County (Casper) | ~$62,000 |
| Teton County (Jackson) | ~$95,000 |
| Albany County (Laramie) | ~$58,000 |
| Rural WY counties | ~$56,000 to $60,000 |
Teton County runs high because of Jackson’s wealth. 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, and it also covers geothermal heat pumps, which suits Wyoming.6
- 25C on insulation, panel upgrades, and audits: still active at smaller caps. Air-source heat pumps are excluded.
See IRA 25C expired 2026 for the full federal picture.
Senior scenarios
Scenario A: Rocky Mountain Power household, cold-climate heat pump
- wattsmart rebate: pays for a qualifying air-source or ductless heat pump
- Live today: a real utility rebate. Add the state HEAR rebate once it opens if you qualify.
Scenario B: Black Hills Energy household near Cheyenne
- Black Hills rebate: paused for 2026
- Live today: little from the utility. Watch for the state HEAR rebate and apply for free weatherization if income-qualified.
Scenario C: Low-income senior, any utility, geothermal
- Wyoming Weatherization Assistance: free audit, sealing, insulation
- Federal 25D geothermal credit: 30% of cost
- Live today: free efficiency work plus the 30% federal geothermal credit, with the $8,000 state rebate coming.
Verify your contractor first
A rebate is only as good as the contractor who installs the equipment. Wyoming does not license general contractors statewide, but cities and counties issue permits and require licensed electricians and plumbers, and utility rebates require a participating contractor.
Red flags to reject:
- A state rebate offer with an upfront payment. The program is still restarting, so confirm it through the state first.1
- Door-to-door pitches. Legitimate contractors do not cold-call.
- No local permit or licensed trade on the quote.
- R-410A equipment for a 2026 install. That refrigerant no longer qualifies under the EPA rule.8
Verify local licensing and permits in about a minute with our Wyoming contractor license lookup guide.
- Check your utility: Rocky Mountain Power wattsmart has the live rebate
- If you have Black Hills, lean on the state rebate and weatherization
- Insist on a cold-climate or geothermal heat pump with backup heat
- Confirm the state HEAR launch through the state, and never pay upfront
- If income-qualified, apply for free Weatherization now
What’s next
- Federal 2026 overview: 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
- Wyoming contractor check: Wyoming contractor license lookup
- Family in other cold states: Montana, Idaho
Citations
- Wyoming energy savings program rebooted by the Department of Energy. Wyoming Public Media, retrieved August 8, 2026. wyomingpublicmedia.org energy rebates.
- Air Source Heat Pumps, Wyoming (wattsmart Homes). Rocky Mountain Power, retrieved August 8, 2026. wattsmarthomes.com air source heat pumps.
- Residential Rebates for Wyoming. Black Hills Energy, retrieved August 8, 2026. blackhillsenergy.com Wyoming rebates.
- Wyoming Weatherization Assistance Program. Wyoming Department of Family Services, retrieved August 8, 2026. dfs.wyo.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.