What NYSEG and RG&E pay in 2026
The table is the same for both utilities. Pick the one on your electric bill; your project is submitted under that utility.
NYSEG air-source heat pump
Non-DAC: Category 2 $4,000 ($8,000 Weatherized Tier); 2b $7,000 ($12,000). DAC: Category 2 $5,000 ($9,000); 2b $8,000 ($13,000). Apartments about half. Partial to full load $3,000, or $1,500 for an apartment.
RG&E air-source heat pump
The same table as NYSEG, applied to Rochester-area electric customers.
Ground-source retrofit
$15,000, or $20,000 in the Weatherized Tier, outside a disadvantaged community; $16,000 or $21,000 inside one.
Heat pump water heater
A limited-time offer from September 1 to November 30, 2026 raises distributor and installer payments.
Weatherized Tier
Reached by building after 2010, past participation in an approved weatherization program such as NYSEG and RG&E Home Insulation and Air Sealing, or a heating-load test.
NYSEG's own page showed up to $10,000 for air-source and up to $18,000 for ground-source on October 3, 2026. Those are the earlier amounts. The manual governs the contractor's submission.
One table, two utilities
RG&E and NYSEG are separate utilities with separate service territories, so the first thing to check is the name on your bill. Rochester city and parts of Monroe County are RG&E. Many surrounding towns and the Southern Tier are NYSEG. The Clean Heat amounts do not differ between them, but a contractor registered for one may need to submit under the other.
How disadvantaged-community status works
NYSERDA maps disadvantaged communities by census tract. If your address is in one, the DAC column applies and the cap rises from 70% to 85% of project cost. The lookup is on NYSERDA's disadvantaged communities page, and a contractor can check it for you. A household can live next to a DAC tract and not be in one, so check the address instead of assuming.
Heat pump water heaters in the limited-time window
From September 1 to November 30, 2026 the utility raises what distributors and installers are paid on water heaters. The homeowner figure is $1,250, so the offer helps most when the installer's price drops with the extra payment. Ask for a quote with and without the offer. A homeowner can apply directly and install a unit themselves if codes are followed, though installers must be NYS licensed.
Insulation and sealing come first
Because the Weatherized Tier pays up to $4,000 more for the same equipment, sealing first is worth pricing. NYSEG and RG&E run a Home Insulation and Air Sealing program that counts, and NYSERDA's Comfort Home pays $2,500 to $3,000 for seal-and-insulate packages. Ask whether finishing one of them before the heat pump qualifies the home.
How to claim NYSEG or RG&E Clean Heat
- Find the utility on your electric bill: NYSEG or RG&E.
- Check whether your address is in a disadvantaged community.
- Request quotes from NYS Clean Heat participating contractors and ask which category and tier each quote uses.
- Make sure the quote includes a Manual J load calculation.
- The contractor submits the project and shows the incentive on your invoice.
Our pages for NYSEG and RG&E customers
- Rochester: RG&E territory. Our existing Rochester page sits with the upstate hub.
Guides
Common questions
Do NYSEG and RG&E pay the same?
Yes. The manual lists identical amounts for both.
Why is the NYSEG website different?
It still showed the pre-September figures on October 3, 2026.
How much more does the Weatherized Tier pay?
$4,000 more on Category 2 and $5,000 more on 2b for a single-family non-DAC home.
What is the water heater offer?
$1,250, with a limited-time offer from September 1 to November 30, 2026 that raises distributor and installer payments.
Can I get EmPower+ too?
Ask the contractor; stacking rules vary, and NYSERDA sets them.
By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 3, 2026: NYS Clean Heat Program Manual, version 3, NYS Clean Heat, NYSERDA disadvantaged communities, NYSERDA EmPower+. All rebate programs →