Maine - Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) Program

Note: The Federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) created the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) Program. The IRA established the main parameters for this program but allowed the states to customize the program to meet their state-specific needs. The program is designed to award rebates for purchase of qualifying home electrification equipment and appliances. Residents earning less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) can receive the full rebate amount, and residents earning between 80% and 150% AMI can receive a partial rebate. See summary below and program website for complete details. Maine’s HEAR program focuses itself on electrifying space heating and provides rebates for efficient heat pump systems in buildings occupied by low-income households, including new construction of affordable multifamily housing and single-family manufactured/mobile homes. Income-eligible homeowners in single-wide manufactured/mobile have the option of paying $2,000 of the up-front project costs of a ducted heat pump system or finance the project through a loan totaling $2,500 at 0% APR with $50/month over 50 months. For affordable multifamily housing, owners of multifamily buildings planned to be built within which at least 50% of units will be reserved for low-income households can apply for a funding opportunity notice and receive up to 100% of the project costs, up to $8,000/unit for whole house HVAC heat pump equipment. Installation contractors are also eligible to receive an additional installation rebate of $50/dwelling unit if they apply for and receive the rebate on behalf of the participant. Click below for more information on what offerings are provided for the different types of buildings: New Affordable Multifamily Housing Manufactured (Mobile) Homes