Rebates and tax credits in Maine

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 Maine 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 Maine 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.

• Residential Weatherization (insulation and air sealing rebates)

  Efficiency Maine Trust · Maine homes. Low and moderate income tiers are for owner-occupied principal residences; the any-income tier is open to any owner.

  Insulation, per zone (low / moderate / any income): 250 to 499 sq ft $2,000 / $1,500 / $1,000; 500+ sq ft $4,000 / $3,000 / $2,000; mobile home underbelly (500+ sq ft) $5,000 / $4,000 / $3,000. Air sealing: attic $300 / $225 / $150; basement or mobile home underbelly $200 / $150 / $100; living-space drafts (doors and windows) $100 / $75 / $50. One insulation and one air sealing rebate per zone. Lifetime limit $5,600 per mobile home and $8,600 for other homes; the October 2026 brochure lists up to $8,600 for low and moderate income and $6,300 for any income. Low income means a household member gets HEAP, SNAP, TANF or MaineCare; moderate income means adjusted gross income up to $70,000 (individual) or $100,000 (joint). Work must be done by an Efficiency Maine Residential Registered Vendor, and the claim is due within six months of completion. Ventilation is not mentioned.

  Ventilation not mentioned in what we readProgram page: Brochure dated 10/1/2026; web page undated

State tax credits

We didn’t find a Maine 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, insulation and, where needed, ventilation at no cost to households that qualify by income. In Maine it’s run by MaineHousing, delivered by Community Action Agencies; applying for HEAP also considers you for Weatherization. Listed measures include air sealing, insulation and "ventilation improvements.".

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

• DOE changed the federal HEAR rules in May 2026 (Program Notice 26-2, effective May 29, 2026): HEAR can no longer pay to replace gas, oil or propane equipment with electric, and launched programs had three months to change. Maine's mobile home offer replaces propane or kerosene heat, so it may change. (sources s39, s40, s28)
• Efficiency Maine's residential rebates (all-rebates brochure dated 10/1/2026) include no rebate for an HRV, ERV, balanced ventilation or bath fan. ERVs appear only in its commercial and industrial table ($2.50 per CFM), which is for business customers, not homeowners. (source s42)
• MaineHousing's weatherization program lists "ventilation improvements" among its measures. That does not say it installs an HRV or ERV. (source s45)