NC Rebate Concierge
Federal tax credits expired at the end of 2025. Here's what North Carolina homeowners on the Crystal Coast can actually collect right now — up to $8,000 from Energy Saver NC plus $500–$1,000 from Duke Energy. We do the paperwork.
Programs Airtech files for you
Three programs. Two of them stack. We check your eligibility before we quote, so the rebate you see in the proposal is the rebate you actually collect.
Federal-funded, NC-administered
Up to $8,000
Qualifying heat pump (income-verified)
The Home Electrification & Appliance Rebates program funds a point-of-sale discount on ENERGY STAR heat pumps for households at or below 150% of Area Median Income. Households ≤80% AMI can qualify for the full amount; 81–150% AMI receive a partial award.
Eligibility check happens BEFORE quote acceptance. Rebate is applied at the point of sale — no waiting on a mail-in reimbursement.
Whole-home efficiency package
Up to $16,000
Measured whole-home energy savings
The Home Efficiency Rebates program pays based on modeled or measured whole-home energy reduction from a package of upgrades (heat pump + envelope + water heating). Tiered by household income and percent-savings achieved.
Requires a pre-project energy audit. Best fit for a full-system replacement paired with insulation or duct sealing — not a straight AC swap.
Utility rebate — any Duke customer
$500 – $1,000
Qualifying heat pump upgrade
Duke Energy Carolinas / Progress customers can stack a utility rebate on top of the NC state programs. The amount depends on system tier and SEER2 / HSPF2 rating; the full $1,000 is for the high-efficiency tier.
Requires a free Home Energy Check (Duke schedules it). Airtech installs qualifying Daikin equipment — we confirm eligibility before quoting.
About federal tax credits (2026 correction)
Federal HVAC tax credits under Sections 25C and 25D expired December 31, 2025. Anyone quoting you a "$2,000 federal heat-pump tax credit" in 2026 is quoting expired law. The real 2026 money in North Carolina is Energy Saver NC (up to $8K point-of-sale) and Duke Energy ($500–$1,000). Airtech won't quote you incentives you can't actually collect.
How the rebate concierge works
Airtech has processed rebate applications for 20+ years of coastal installs. The paperwork is a barrier we remove — not a fee we add.
Before the quote, we run the income + address + utility check to tell you exactly which programs you can stack — not a guess.
Energy Saver NC applications, Duke Energy Home Energy Check scheduling, and the eligibility documentation — all handled by Airtech.
For HEAR, the rebate reduces the invoice at install time. For Duke, we time the install with the audit so the rebate hits your account within a billing cycle.
Free, no obligation. We check first, quote second.
Frequently asked
The maximum $8,000 award goes to households at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for their county — in Craven, Carteret, Onslow, Pamlico, New Hanover, and Pender counties that ceiling ranges from roughly $50K–$60K for a household of one and scales up with household size. Households between 80% and 150% AMI qualify for a partial rebate. Above 150% AMI, the HEAR program does not apply — but the Duke Energy rebate ($500–$1,000) still does, with no income cap. Call (252) 636-5841 and we'll check your specific address and income tier before quoting.
No. The federal 25C (Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit) and 25D (Residential Clean Energy Credit) programs expired December 31, 2025. Installations completed in 2025 could still be claimed on the 2025 return; installations in 2026 cannot. Any 2026 tax-credit language you see on an HVAC quote is either boilerplate from a template that wasn't updated, or a misrepresentation. Ask specifically which line of tax code the credit falls under before signing.
Yes — and you should. The state HEAR rebate covers the equipment purchase; the Duke rebate is a separate utility program tied to your account. On an eligible household installing a qualifying heat pump, the combined rebate can exceed $9,000. Airtech pre-qualifies for both before we finalize your quote so the stack is confirmed, not hypothetical.
It can — the HEAR program covers ENERGY STAR ducted and ductless heat pumps, so a properly-sized multi-zone mini-split system for a beach cottage, addition, or hard-to-duct home qualifies at the same tier as central equipment. The rebate tier depends on the specific SEER2 / HSPF2 rating and the household income tier.
HEAR is point-of-sale — the rebate reduces the invoice at install time, so you never write the full check. Duke Energy's utility rebate is post-install and typically credits to your account within one to two billing cycles after we submit the paperwork. HOMES rebates take longer (post-project measurement can take 60–90 days) so we're transparent about that upfront.
For the Duke Energy heat-pump rebate, yes — it's a required step, and it's free. Airtech coordinates the Home Energy Check timing with your install so both processes finish inside the rebate window. If you've already had one within the last 12 months, we can usually skip it.
Not sure which rebate you qualify for?
Call (252) 636-5841
Real Airtech technician — free pre-qualification, no obligation.
(252) 636-5841Schedule service, ask for a free second opinion, or talk to a real technician about a system that's acting up. We answer nights, weekends, and holidays.
