Colorado Home Energy Rebate Program (HEAR/HER)
Historical reference for Colorado’s closed 2026 HEAR single-family rebate cycle. Colorado Energy Office reports both regions closed; no new single-family round is announced.
Overview
Colorado’s Home Energy Rebate Program is administered by the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) with federal Home Energy Rebates funding. This page is a historical reference for its 2026 Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) single-family cycle. The state has closed that intake in both funding regions. Its current program update says that applications and project proposals submitted for Region 2 after August 1, 2026 will not be reviewed and will be denied. The official page does not announce a new single-family application round or a replacement deadline. The archived date below records the real final date for that cycle; it is not an invitation to apply now.
The program had two regions. Region 1 was the Front Range and closed earlier after its allocation was committed. Region 2 included the remaining Colorado counties and had accepted applications through August 1, unless its funds were reserved sooner. The Colorado Energy Office’s later update states both single-family regions are closed. A household that did not receive a formal project reservation should not treat an earlier application, contractor estimate, or eligibility profile as an award. Contact the program help center for the status of a proposal already submitted.
Colorado’s broader Home Energy Rebate Program also includes separate HEAR and Home Efficiency Rebates (HER) pathways. The state describes future opportunities for small multifamily buildings and for whole-home efficiency work in manufactured/mobile homes and large multifamily buildings, but it has not provided a new opening date for a household single-family cycle on the official page. Check the state page and dashboard for any later notice before planning a project around those tracks.
At a glance
| Item | Archived cycle information |
|---|---|
| Program administrator | Colorado Energy Office |
| Archived opportunity | HEAR single-family rebates |
| Current status | Closed in Region 1 and Region 2; no new single-family round announced |
| Archived Region 2 deadline | August 1, 2026, unless funding was reserved earlier |
| Maximum HEAR rebate | Up to $14,000 per household, subject to measure caps and income rules |
| Delivery method | Registered contractor applied the approved rebate as a discount to qualified project cost |
| Current application status | Closed; later Region 2 submissions are not reviewed and are denied |
| Official status pages | Colorado Home Energy Rebate Program and HEAR funding dashboard |
What the closed HEAR cycle covered
HEAR was designed to lower the up-front price of certain efficient electric appliances and related home upgrades. For the single-family offering, the state listed heat pump water heaters, heat pumps for space heating and cooling, electric stoves, cooktops, ranges or ovens, electric load service centers (electrical panels), insulation, air sealing, ventilation, and electric wiring. Equipment and measures had to meet the program requirements, including ENERGY STAR certification for the listed upgrades. The program was not a general-purpose home repair grant: unrelated remodeling, cosmetic work, and repairs outside an approved measure were not covered simply because they took place in the same home.
The advertised $14,000 was a combined household maximum across eligible measures, not a guaranteed payment or a flat cash award. Each measure had its own maximum, and the household’s income tier limited what share of the qualified project cost could be covered. The published caps included up to $8,000 for a cold-climate heat pump for space heating and cooling, $3,000 for a heat pump for space heating and cooling, $1,750 for a heat pump water heater, $840 for an electric stove, cooktop, range, or oven, $4,000 for an electric load service center, $1,600 for insulation, air sealing, and ventilation, and $2,500 for electric wiring. The maximum total did not mean every project included every measure, nor could the household receive more than its qualified cost.
For the historic single-family pathway, households below 80% of county Area Median Income could receive up to 100% of qualified project cost, within the measure caps. Households from 80% through 150% of county AMI could receive up to 50% of qualified cost, also within those caps. Applicants above the program’s HEAR income limit did not qualify through this household route. County AMI and household size mattered, so the program’s income verification determined an applicant’s tier rather than a statewide dollar threshold that applied equally to everyone.
Who the single-family offer was for
The HEAR single-family route covered existing Colorado homes, including a single-family house, apartment, condo, or manufactured/mobile home. The state said participants needed to reside in the Colorado home for at least half of the year; new construction, secondary homes, and vacation homes were not eligible. An owner-occupied home and a rental home with an income-qualified tenant could be considered, subject to the program’s other requirements. A renter applying directly needed the property owner’s written authorization to participate.
Household income was verified against county AMI. The program page also described approved income-qualified programs as an alternate way to demonstrate eligibility and listed supporting records for applicants using income documentation. Property type and project scope mattered as much as income. A Colorado address alone did not make a project eligible, and a household should not assume a multifamily building can be filed as a single-family home. Small multifamily HEAR and whole-building HER use different eligibility rules and must be checked separately when those tracks are available.
Applicants also needed to use a Colorado Energy Office registered contractor. The contractor network was a program requirement, not just a directory of recommended installers: registered contractors helped determine eligible work, submitted project proposals, and passed the rebate through as a discount. A contractor’s general license or experience with heat pumps did not, by itself, establish registration in this program.
How applications worked during the closed round
The steps below explain the former process for readers with an existing reservation or for understanding prior application records. They are not current instructions to submit a new single-family application.
- Check the home and income. The household checked that the home type, primary-residence rules, and income fit HEAR. Renters arranged written owner permission. Households with more than eight people were directed to ask the help center for the applicable income limit.
- Choose a registered program contractor. The contractor confirmed service area and registration, reviewed the household’s upgrade goals, and helped identify potentially eligible measures. Applicants needed an actual contractor relationship and an upgrade plan to finish the income-verification application.
- Complete household income verification. Applicants used the online application and provided proof of identity, home ownership or renter status, address, landlord permission where relevant, and acceptable income proof or proof of enrollment in an approved qualifying program. An incomplete application without a home upgrade plan could expire, so a profile alone was not equivalent to a submitted project.
- Get a home assessment and define the scope. The contractor assessed the home, considered its existing equipment and conditions, and shaped a project proposal around eligible measures. The proposal identified the work, equipment, expected cost, and applicable rebate caps.
- Wait for the project’s formal reservation or approval. The contractor submitted proposed upgrades through the online portal. Households were not guaranteed funding just because they completed a profile, had an assessment, or sent in a proposal. The official program warned that a formal reservation notice was the meaningful confirmation of funding.
- Install only the approved work. After approval, the contractor installed the measures included in the authorized scope and subtracted the approved rebate from qualified project cost. Changes to models or work scope needed review before installation; a different job was not automatically covered by the original approval.
- Keep closing records. The household retained the reservation notice, approved scope, equipment details, final invoice, income decision, and completion records. The invoice should show how the contractor applied the rebate and the remaining customer balance.
This order protected applicants from a common and costly error: buying equipment or starting installation before receiving the approval required by the program. During the open cycle, the state warned that applications could stop when funds were reserved, even before the calendar deadline. That funding condition is one reason the August date cannot be used to imply that applications remain open today.
Documents and records from the former process
For a past applicant checking a file or responding to a program follow-up, the official checklist included a photo ID; proof of ownership for owners; proof of address; and proof of renter status or address for renters. Renters also needed the Landlord Authorization for Participation Form. Applicants seeking income-qualified rebates provided proof of income unless they used a qualifying program enrollment route. The state accepted various kinds of proof, including a recent tax return, wage forms, consecutive recent pay statements, current benefits letters, and other documentation listed on its page. The live official checklist should be consulted for any request involving an application already in progress, because this archive does not replace the administrator’s requirements.
The state also allowed specified program enrollment letters to demonstrate income qualification, provided the letter was current when the application was made. Examples on the program page included Medicaid, SNAP, LEAP, Head Start, SSI, and certain other listed assistance programs. For a multifamily building, the income documentation requirement applied to at least half of the households in the building. These details are included as records of the former program design; they do not reopen an expired intake.
Applicants and contractors should retain copies of what was actually submitted rather than relying only on an account screen or an email acknowledgment. Useful records include a complete application, proof documents, assessment notes, the final project proposal, the reservation notice, equipment specifications, inspection or completion evidence, and the final invoice. If the contractor submitted items for the household, request a copy. If the household already has an approved reservation, the help center can clarify any outstanding deadlines or completion requirements that apply to that reservation.
Closed cycle and other Colorado pathways
For single-family HEAR, Region 1 and Region 2 are closed. The Colorado Energy Office’s program update says Region 2 applications or project proposals submitted after August 1, 2026 will not be reviewed and will be denied. New applicants should not fill out old forms expecting them to create a place in the closed single-family queue. A household that applied before closure but never received a reservation notice should contact the program administrator to find out whether the project was reviewed and reserved; it should not infer approval from a submission receipt.
The official state material describes additional program tracks, but these are not the same as a reopened single-family HEAR round. Small multifamily buildings under 50,000 square feet were identified as a future HEAR audience. The HER program was described for whole-home efficiency improvements in manufactured/mobile homes and large multifamily buildings, with amounts tied to energy savings and, for income-qualified households, project cost. The official material does not confirm an application opening date for those pathways in the current notice. Prospective multifamily owners and manufactured-home households should check whether a current application portal and contractor process have actually opened before scheduling paid work.
Utility rebates, local incentives, tax credits, and weatherization services may exist separately from CEO’s federal rebate program. They have their own administrators, eligibility criteria, budgets, and application timing. A closed state HEAR allocation does not establish whether another program is open, and this page does not promise that a replacement benefit is available. For current alternatives, the Colorado Energy Office links to the Colorado Energy Savings Navigator and its other home energy resources.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the 2026 single-family HEAR rebate now?
No. The Colorado Energy Office reports that the single-family program is closed in both regions. The archived Region 2 deadline is August 1, 2026, and the state says later Region 2 submissions will not be reviewed and will be denied. The official page does not announce a new single-family round.
Was the full $14,000 paid to every approved household?
No. It was the maximum across eligible measures. The final rebate depended on the equipment or upgrades in the approved proposal, the measure caps, the household’s income tier, and qualified project cost. The amount was applied as a contractor discount rather than a promised flat award.
What if I already submitted an application?
Check whether the contractor submitted a project proposal and whether the household received a formal reservation notice. If the status is unclear, contact the program help center at 866-336-0016 or [email protected]. Keep the application confirmation and any contractor correspondence available when asking about the file.
Are multifamily or HER rebates open instead?
The Colorado Energy Office describes small multifamily HEAR and HER opportunities for particular building types, but its published material does not give a confirmed new opening date in the current status update. Use the official program page and dashboard to verify whether the relevant track has opened before proceeding.
Is the archived deadline a deadline for every Colorado county?
It applied to the final Region 2 single-family intake. Region 1 closed earlier. Both regions are now reported closed, so the archived date should not be treated as an active filing window anywhere in the state.
Official information
The program page and funding dashboard are the primary places to check for an official reopening, new multifamily intake, or updated instructions. Automated requests to the program URL may return an HTTP 403 response, but the official address remains the Colorado Energy Office page linked above. For application-specific questions, use the help center contact information published by the office.