Rebates and tax credits in California

Money toward an HRV or ERV

Programs that pay toward the unit itself. Some take the money off at the distributor, so ask whether an installer’s price already includes it.

We didn’t find a program in California that names HRVs or ERVs. Your electric and gas utilities are still worth asking: search “[utility] HRV rebate” and “[utility] ERV rebate”.

Federal home energy rebates

Federal money that California runs. HEAR has a category for “insulation, air sealing, and ventilation” worth up to $1,600 for households under 150% of area median income; each state decides what counts as ventilation. ENERGY STAR’s table for HEAR says this category requires ENERGY STAR certification, and ENERGY STAR’s U.S. criteria for ventilation cover fans, not HRVs or ERVs, so ask the program whether an HRV or ERV counts before relying on it. HOMES pays toward whole-home upgrades modeled to save energy.

Air sealing and insulation

These programs are more common than ventilation rebates, and sealing a house is often what makes it need planned fresh air. If a program is sealing yours, ask whether it requires ventilation afterward and whether it pays for it.

• Energy Savings Assistance (ESA)

  California utility program overseen by the CPUC (described on TECH Clean California's related-programs page) · Households meeting CARE income limits

  No cost. TECH describes it as no-cost weatherization including attic insulation, weatherstripping, caulking, and door and envelope repairs to reduce air leaks.

  Ventilation not mentioned in what we readProgram page: Page copyright 2026

• EASE Home (replaced Home+)

  BayREN (Bay Area Regional Energy Network) · PG&E customers in nine Bay Area counties, homes built before 2010, household income at or below 120% of AMI

  80% of project cost (co-pay capped at 20%) for insulation, air sealing and duct work through partner contractors

  From HouseExhale's October 12, 2026 research; the page could not be reopened on October 18. Partner contractors only. Its only ventilation item then was kitchen or bathroom vent replacement; no HRV or ERV.

  Also pays toward ventilationProgram page: Copyright 2026 (as read on 2026-10-12)

State tax credits

We didn’t find a California tax credit for ventilation, air sealing or insulation, and couldn’t confirm there is none.

Low-income help

The federal Weatherization Assistance Program can pay for air sealing and insulation for households that qualify by income. Your state energy office can say who runs it.

Before you sign

1. Don’t start work yet. Many programs need pre-approval, a participating contractor or a test first, and work begun early often can’t qualify.
2. Write down your electric and gas utilities. Rebates usually follow the utility, not the town.
3. Read the conditions: a listed contractor, a qualifying model, your heating fuel, income limits, and install and claim deadlines.
4. Ask each installer whether any discount is already in their price, and who files the paperwork.
5. Get it in writing: each rebate, who applies for it, and what happens to the price if it’s denied.

More on costs and how to check: What drives the cost of ventilation and How to compare quotes.

Worth knowing

• No California program was found that pays toward an HRV or ERV. TECH Clean California pays only for heat pump HVAC and heat pump water heaters, and its single-family incentives have been fully reserved statewide since November 14, 2025 (ca4).
• HEEHRA rules on TECH's pages: a HEEHRA-trained TECH contractor is required, installing before the reservation is approved makes a project ineligible, and projects must be claimed within 120 days of approval. A project cannot get both a TECH incentive and a HEEHRA rebate (since July 15, 2025) (ca1, ca6). Trade press reports no confirmed reopening date (ca10).
• PG&E, SCE and SDG&E rebate pages were not verified. A third-party site says PG&E no longer lists its own insulation rebates (energyrebatecalculator.com, October 13, 2026; not official) (ca9). The same site claims California HEAR has a $1,600 insulation category, which conflicts with the Energy Commission and TECH; do not use it.
• Weatherization Assistance Program administrator not verified this session; confirm with the state before publishing.
• State tax: the Franchise Tax Board was not checked, so state tax help is unknown.