A state program meant to help low- and moderate-income households make upgrades that will slash their utility bills is now available in all 100 North Carolina counties, Gov. Josh Stein and N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson announced Tuesday.
The Energy Saver NC program is funded with $208 million from the Inflation Reduction Act. Homeowners can use rebates through the program to install new energy efficiency measures, swap out appliances or upgrade heating and cooling equipment.
"The rebates are designed to make your utility bills cheaper now and in the future," Stein said Tuesday during a NC Strong event, a recurring press conference where members of the administration provide updates on their progress.
There are two rebates available under the Energy Saver NC program.
Under the Homeowners Managing Efficiency Savings rebate, homeowners can receive up to $16,000 to make upgrades that impact an entire home's energy usage, primarily including a more efficient HVAC system. DEQ officials estimate that people receiving this rebate will save nearly $1,000 annually on utility bills.
The other rebate, the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate, offers as much as $14,000 to help people replace appliances with more efficient versions. Those include water heaters, stoves and dryers, as well as upgrades to their home's electric system.
In each case, the full rebate is available to people who earn less than 80% of their area's median income, while lower amounts are available to people who earn up to 150% of the area median income.
"If you're of modest income, this program can help you make your home more energy efficient," Stein said.
Homeowners can apply for both rebates, but they cannot receive both for the same type of equipment. So someone applying for a heat pump, for instance, might want to use the maximum Managing Efficiency Savings rebate on that, while preserving the Home Electrification Rebate for things like new appliances.
Energy Saver NC launched in January 2025 and has steadily expanded, with Mecklenburg and Wake counties representing the last two counties to be added. That was accomplished last month, Wilson said, making North Carolina the first in the country to fully roll out its Energy Saver program.
"When you use less energy, you save more money," Wilson said.
Wilson and Stein also stressed that the program is estimated to support more than 2,000 contractor jobs statewide.
"We have so many more households that are going to get these energy efficiency improvements, and they're going to save a lot of money," Wilson said.
Energy efficiency measures also cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, particularly during times like the recent cold snaps when Duke Energy leans on the gas- and coal-fired parts of its power generation fleet to meet electricity demand levels that approach record highs, and sometimes set new records.
"It's a win for our energy grid. The more families who participate, the less strain there will be on the state's power grid," Stein said.
So far, 4,818 households have applied for the Energy Saver program, with 1,709 being approved. Work is underway at 51 households, with upgrades at those homes totaling an estimated $770,000, or about $15,000 apiece.
About 800 of the submitted applications and 319 of those approved are from Halifax County, in northeastern North Carolina. That's largely due to the work of the Center for Energy Education, a nonprofit whose CEO, Mozine Lowe, spoke Tuesday.
Lowe said her team touts the program's benefit at public meetings, speaks at churches and visits senior centers. The Center for Energy Education is, Lowe added, seeking to extend the Energy Saver program's reach into other northeastern North Carolina counties.
"Energy Saver North Carolina allows everyday people to see clean energy technology in their homes. It connects the dots for people so they can experience the benefits of clean energy firsthand," Lowe said.
Stein also announced a new website, www.100strong.nc.gov that shows information down to the county level about job creation, medical debt relief and infrastructure investment since Stein took office.
"We live in times when many people are disillusioned with government. They don't always know that if the people they elect are serving and working on their behalf. As leaders, we owe transparency on the progress we are making," Stein said.
