DEP: $258 Million Federally-Funded Program To Provide Rebates On Appliances, Building Retrofits To Reduce Home Energy Bills On Hold Since March

On August 11, the Department of Environmental Protection said a $258 million federally-funded Penn Energy Savers Program offering rebates on appliances and building retrofits designed to reduce home energy bills has been on hold since March and will not begin accepting applications until the US Department of Energy allows the program to move forward.

While DEP said it is "cautiously optimistic" about being able to launch the program, "we can't promise anything until we have US Department Energy approval to launch."

"Unfortunately, rebates cannot be provided retroactively for home energy purchases made before the DOE approval to launch and individual applications for the program/rebate are confirmed."

DEP said interested individuals can sign up to be notified when the program is given the OK to accept applications. 

DEP also said, “If you have a preferred contractor to complete your desired home energy improvements, encourage them to become a qualified contractor in the program by visiting: Click Here to apply. We are developing the network today, in anticipation of opening the program soon.” 

Background

In March, DEP released the Penn Energy Savers Rebates website offering details on rebates to help individual households and multifamily buildings upgrade to energy efficient appliances and do building retrofits to reduce home energy bills.

Home Efficiency Rebates

The Home Efficiency Rebate incentivizes energy efficiency upgrades through air-sealing, insulation, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning, and more.

Pennsylvania aims to prioritize funding multi-family affordable housing projects with its Home Efficiency Rebates.

Home Electrification & Appliance Rebates

The Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate will provide rebates per unit for low to moderate income families to incentivize the adoption of heat pumps for space heating and cooling; heat pump water heaters; heat pump clothes drives; and electric stoves, cooktops, ranges, or ovens.

Rebate funds can also be used to cover electric load service centers, wiring, insulation, air-sealing, and mechanical ventilation products.

Appliance Rebates Offered

-- Heat Pump Water Heater: $1,750

-- Heat Pump for Space Heating or Cooling: $8,000

-- Electric Stove, Cooktop, Range, Oven: $840

-- Heat Pump Clothes Dryer: $840

Building Retrofits

-- Insulation, Air Sealing and Ventilation: $1,600

-- Electric Load Service Center: $4,000

-- Electric Wiring: $2,500

[Note: Maximum rebate for combined appliances and materials is $14,000, covers labor and material costs for the qualified products.]

Eligibility - Individual Households

-- Low Income (Below 80% of Area Median Income): Rebates can cover up to o100% of your project costs, up to the maximum rebate limit

-- Moderate income (81% to 150% of AMI): Rebates cover 50% of your project costs

Eligibility - Multifamily Buildings

At least 50% of building residents must meet these income limits--

-- Low Income (Below 80% of Area Median Income): Rebates can cover up to o100% of your project costs, up to the maximum rebate limit

-- Moderate income (81% to 150% of AMI): Rebates cover 50% of your project costs

Click Here to check your eligibility.

Visit the PennEnergy Savers website to learn more about the program.

Resource Links:

-- DEP: Check Your Eligibility Now! Penn Energy Savers Rebates Are Coming Soon To Help Eligible Households Upgrade To Energy Efficient Appliances, Do Building Retrofits  [PaEN]

-- Utility Dive: $8.8 Billion Energy Efficiency Rebate Program On Hold In Most States, Underway In Some, Pending DOE Review  [PA Penn Energy Savers Program ] 

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - August 9 to 15 - Illegal Disposal Of 66,780 Gallons Of Conventional Wastewater; 4 Impoundments Not Restored; 3 Conventional Wells Mined Through  [PaEN]

     -- DEP Issued Violations To Iron Cumberland, LLC For Illegally Disposing Of 66,780 Gallons Of Conventional Well Plugging Wastes At Coal Refuse Disposal Area In Greene County  [PaEN] 

     -- DEP: Conventional Well Plugging Operation Contaminates Spring In Allegheny County  [PaEN] 

     -- The Derrick: PUC Judge Suspends Rhodes Estate Water Companies Litigation Schedule On Future Ownership  [Fallout Continues From Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill In Venango County]  [PaEN] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - August 16  [PaEN]

     -- DEP Sets Sept. 17 Public Meeting/Hearing On Air Quality Permit For The Proposed 4.5 Gigawatt Natural Gas Power Plant At The Homer City A.I. Data Center Complex In Indiana County  [PaEN]  

     -- DEP Invites Comments On Permit For 204 Aboveground Storage Tanks Totaling 1.3 Million Gallons At Proposed Amazon A.I. Data Center In Salem Twp., Luzerne County  [PaEN]  

-- DEP Posted 84 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In August 16  PA Bulletin  [PaEN]  

Related Articles This Week:

-- In Case You Missed It -- A.I./Data Center Articles & NewClips From Last Week  [PaEN]

-- Senate Hearing: To Communities Facing Rapid A.I. Data Center Development: Review Your Zoning Ordinance NOW, Before It's Too Late To Have Meaningful Siting, Mitigation Conversations  [PaEN] 

-- Senate Hearing: DEP Primer: Recurring Challenges Of A.I. Data Centers: Frequent Site Plan Changes, Inconsistent Zoning, Outdated Sewage Facilities, Limited Community Outreach  [PaEN]  

-- Senate Hearing: Susquehanna River Basin Commission - A.I. Data Centers Have A Dramatic Demand For Water, And The Potential To Be Among The Largest Water Consumers In The Basin  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Announces Fast-Track Stakeholder Process To Seek Solutions For Connecting Large-Load A.I. Data Centers To The Electric Grid; Aug. 18 Workshop  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Interconnection Issues Hot Weather Alert For Aug. 17 In Entire Service Area; 22 Hot Weather Alert Days So Far This Summer  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: $258 Million Federally-Funded Program To Provide Rebates On Appliances, Building Retrofits To Reduce Home Energy Bills On Hold Since March  [PaEN] 

-- Green Building Alliance To Provide Green Professional Operations & Maintenance Training To Pre-K To 12 School Facility Teams  [PaEN] 

-- Green Building Innovation Expo Set for Sept. 2 In Pittsburgh; Free Exhibit Hall  [PaEN]

-- Explosion At US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Kills 2, 10 Injured; Search For Answers Beings At 109-Year-Old Plant With A History Of Fatal Fires, Air Pollution Violations  [PaEN]  [Compilation Of Articles]

-- Rep. Vitali: PA House Environmental Committee Examines Costs And Environmental Impacts Of Burning Waste Coal In PA

NewsClips:

-- Courier Times: Energy Transfer/Sunoco Making More Pipeline Repairs In Upper Makefield Twp. Where A Previous Leak Contaminated Water Wells; Township Says It Didn’t Know   [PDF of Article] 

-- Pipeline Safety Trust: Federal Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Quietly Weakens Safety Rules 

-- Environmental Health Project Blog: The Health And Safety Risks Of Natural Gas, Natural Gas Liquids Pipelines

-- ABC27: Project To Upgrade Several Natural Gas Pipelines Underway

-- PUC Highlights National 8-1-1 Day To Promote Safe Excavation, Worker Safety

-- Observer-Reporter Guest Essay: PA Has A Chance To Reduce Pollution, Save Lives By Reducing Oil & Gas Facility Air Pollution - By Talor Musil, Environmental Health Project   [PDF of Article]  

-- Spotlight PA: More PA Government Agencies Turning To A.I. - Critics Say That’s Risky  [Possible DEP Pilot For Permit Reviews]

-- WHYY: Electricity Bills Are Going Up In The Philly Region; Who’s In Charge Of The Grid, Anyway? 

-- York Dispatch: Sen. Keefer (R) Wants Data Center Applicants To Show Their Energy, Water Needs: ‘Electric Bills Will Go Up Due To Supply. Why Would We Subsidize That To Lure Them In?’ [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: The Pros And Con Artists Of A.I. Data Centers; 3-Hour Senate Hearing Like A 'Sales Seminar For Oceanfront Condos In Oklahoma'   [PDF of Article] 

-- Republican Herald - Chris Kelly: If Ya Can’t Buy ‘Em, Threaten ‘Em [A.I. Data Centers]  [PDF of Article]

-- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy Blog: Americans Just Got Scammed On Their Electricity Bills; President Promised To Cut Electricity Prices By Half Within 12 Months On Campaign Trail - By Elea Castiglione, Research Assistant 

-- NYT: Big Tech’s A.I. Data Centers Are Driving Up Electricity Bills For Everyone

-- Post-Gazette/WPost: Electricity Prices Are Surging, Opening Up New Line Of Attacks Against Republicans 

-- PUC Hearings On Proposed Rate Increase For Wellsboro Electric (22%), Valley Energy Gas (19%), Citizen Electric (11%) 

-- TribLive Letter: PJM Electricity Capacity Auction Proves Markets Work - By Glen Thomas, Fmr Chair, PUC

-- US EIA: Natural Gas Prices To Increase 34% From $3.20 to $4.30 Next Year Due To Increase In LNG Gas Exports 

-- Bloomberg: BKV Corp. CEO: Increase In LNG Gas Exports Will Drive Natural Gas Prices Up 

-- Utility Dive - Commentary: Why Utilities Must Rethink Natural Gas Procurement For A High-Demand Future

[Posted: August 11, 2025]  PA Environment Digest