Why you should know this before your next upgrade
I want to start with a big thank-you to my North Carolina General Assembly gal pal Rep. Sarah Crawford (House District 66, Wake County)—it was her office’s email this week that put brand-new state energy efficiency rebates on my radar. If you’re not already signed up for her updates, they’re informative without being overwhelming, and she also serves as CEO of TLC (formerly Tammy Lynn Center), providing essential residential and community-based support for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Talk about wearing more than one hat these days!
Now, let’s talk energy, and money you could be saving!
🔌 Energy Saver NC: What It Is and Why It Matters
“Energy Saver NC” is a state program funded with $208 million from the Inflation Reduction Act that helps homeowners make energy efficiency upgrades that lower utility bills now and in the future—especially important as utility costs continue to climb while utility corporations post record profits and pass even more rate increases along to customers.
Here’s how the program works: homeowners may be eligible for two major rebates to help pay for upgrades:
🔹 Homeowners Managing Efficiency Savings (HOMES) Rebate
- Up to $16,000 to make whole-home energy upgrades like improved HVAC systems, insulation, air sealing, and more.
- North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) estimates recipients could save nearly $1,000 annually on utility bills.
🔹 Home Electrification & Appliance Rebate (HEAR)
- Up to $14,000 to help replace old appliances with more efficient ones — things like water heaters, dryers, stoves, and necessary electrical upgrades — to further lower energy use.
These rebates are available to residents based on household income relative to the area’s median, with two tiers of eligibility:
- Full rebate: incomes under 80% of your county’s Median Household Income (AMI)
- Partial rebate: incomes up to 150% of AMI
What These Income Thresholds Look Like Where You Live
To help you quickly benchmark, here are rough median household incomes—based on recent census and economic data—for my core clients areas (call me at 919-229-9725 if you need help looking this up and you’re outside of these counties!):
- Wake County: median household income ~ $101,763
- 80% AMI ≈ $81,400
- 150% AMI ≈ $152,600
- Johnston County: median household income ~ $79,800
- 80% AMI ≈ $63,800
- 150% AMI ≈ $119,700
- Carteret County: median household income ~ $70,235
- 80% AMI ≈ $56,200
- 150% AMI ≈ $105,300 (estimated based on county median)
(Exact APR income limits vary by household size, but these rough benchmarks help illustrate who might qualify.)
Knowing where you fall relative to these numbers can help you plan upgrades before your current system fails — and maximize your rebate potential when it matters.
Why This Is Worth Your Attention
As a homeowner myself (shout-out to my 1963-built home that never stops needing work!), I feel you when it comes to rising utility bills. It often feels like you’re spending excessive money to save just a little money—but state and federal dollars like this are rare opportunities to actually capture real savings on the backend. Planning ahead—not just reacting to a furnace breakdown (been there!)—can make a serious difference.
Upgrading inefficient systems without support is expensive. But if something can be improved now with state rebates, you might be able to:
- Replace aging HVAC earlier
- Upgrade water heating with a heat pump
- Improve insulation and air sealing
- Choose efficient appliances before old ones fail
All while having support that offsets some of the cost.
Ready to Explore Your Eligibility?
Here’s how you can take the next steps:
- Visit the official program site (energysavernc.org) to check eligibility and start your application.
- Gather income and utility bill info — these will help determine which rebates you qualify for.
- Work with a certified contractor — Energy Saver NC requires upgrades to be completed by approved professionals.
Getting informed before your next system failure puts you in control—not the utility bill.
Final Thoughts
You can’t control utility rate increases, but you can take advantage of programs designed to help you reduce energy usage and save long-term. Whether you’re updating your forever home or sizing upgrades for resale, the Energy Saver NC rebates are worth understanding—especially if you’re within one of the income tiers.
And again—thank you to Rep. Sarah Crawford for surfacing this information. Practical updates like this are actually helpful to homeowners juggling rising costs. She’s putting people first… as always!
If you’d like help estimating your eligibility or walking through rebate details for your specific property, drop me a line—I’m always happy to help you make these decisions with confidence: 919-229-9725 or Lisa@InvestinHerRealEstate.com.
