Rebates and tax credits in Maryland

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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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.

• MEEHA EmPower Program (multifamily energy efficiency)

  Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) · Multifamily buildings; the owner applies through a DHCD Qualified Energy Professional. Not a program for single-family homeowners.

  Air sealing is required, and after the retrofit the project must meet ASHRAE ventilation requirements. ERV/HRV can be funded as a Health and Safety measure, up to 10% of the project's energy efficiency funding, approved case by case. ENERGY STAR bath fans up to $300 ($325 with controls) when none exist and they are needed for ASHRAE compliance.

  Requires and pays toward ventilationProgram page: Guidance dated 1/1/2025, 2024-2026 program cycle

• BGE Home Performance with ENERGY STAR

  BGE (EmPOWER Maryland) · BGE residential electric and/or gas customers

  Air sealing and insulation: rebate based on modeled energy savings, "up to $10,000 or 75% of total project cost," or up to $15,000 or 75% of job cost if the project switches a combustion furnace, boiler or water heater to a qualifying electric heat pump. Duct sealing $500, or $750 with air sealing and insulation. Smart thermostats $100 each (up to three). The home energy audit is $400 reduced to $100 (one discounted audit per address every 5 years). Air sealing must reach at least a 10% leakage reduction and be done before insulation, by a participating contractor. BGE says: "Most projects require installation of programmable ventilation to comply with indoor air quality standards," and its incentive table says projects may be subject to mechanical ventilation under ASHRAE 62.2-2013. Neither document lists a separate rebate for an HRV, ERV or bath fan.

  Requires ventilation after sealingProgram page: Incentive table code BGE-HPwES-0126; web page undated

• Pepco Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (Maryland)

  Pepco (EmPOWER Maryland) · Pepco Maryland residential customers in single-family, town or row homes, or 1 to 4 unit primary residences; tenants need written landlord permission

  Air sealing and insulation, heating and cooling equipment, ENERGY STAR windows and doors, and heat pump water heaters: rebate based on modeled savings, up to $10,000 or 75% of total project cost, or $15,000 or 75% when switching a combustion furnace, boiler or water heater to a qualifying electric heat pump; up to $15,000 total per customer. Duct sealing $500, or $750 with air sealing and insulation. Smart thermostats $100 each (up to three). Participating contractor required for the assessment and the work. Pepco's incentive table (copyright 2020) lists a $400 assessment for $100, a minimum 10% air leakage reduction, and says projects "may also be subject to mechanical ventilation installation in compliance with ASHRAE 62.2-2013 Standards." No separate HRV, ERV or bath fan rebate is listed.

  Requires ventilation after sealingProgram page: Web page undated (copyright 2026); incentive table copyright 2020

• EmPOWER Maryland Limited Income Energy Efficiency Program

  Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) · Income-eligible households with an account at BGE, Delmarva Power, FirstEnergy, Pepco, SMECO or Washington Gas

  Free in-home energy audit and installation "at no charge." Listed measures include attic, floor and wall insulation, hot water improvements, lighting, furnace cleaning, tuning and safety repairs, refrigerator retrofits and health and safety items; air sealing and ventilation are not mentioned. Maximum household income, for example $74,800 for 1 person and $106,800 for 4 (updated 07/14/2026). Application status shown as "Open."

  Ventilation not mentioned in what we readProgram page: Income limits updated 07/14/2026; page modified 2026-10-08

State tax credits

We didn’t find a Maryland 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 Maryland it’s run by Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Its limited-income EmPOWER page links to the Weatherization Assistance Program and announced a September 15, 2026 public hearing on the Weatherization State Plan..

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

• BGE and Pepco do not list a rebate for an HRV or ERV, but both say a project may need mechanical ventilation (ASHRAE 62.2) after air sealing. Ask the contractor whether that ventilation is included in the modeled rebate. (sources s2, s3, s5)
• Maryland's Office of People's Counsel says recent law changes require BGE and Washington Gas to phase out their EmPOWER programs for gas customers by December 31, 2026. (source s6)
• The MEEHA entry is a multifamily program carried over from the first pass (retrieved 2026-10-18); it was not re-checked yet. (source s8)
• 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, homes generally must use rebates for insulation and air sealing before other upgrades, and ventilation is still a HEAR project type. Programs that had not launched must follow the new rules. (source s9)