Checked October 19, 2026

Rebates and tax credits in Minnesota

Federal tax credits ended for work done after 2025. What still helps pay for fresh air in Minnesota is below, checked October 19, 2026. Programs change and money runs out, so check each one’s own page before you buy or sign.

Money toward an HRV or ERVOther states
HRV or ERV, in plain words
  • Fresh in, stale out Two fans swap stale indoor air for outdoor air all night, and can supply a closed bedroom.
  • Keeps much of the heat The two streams pass through a core, so winter air comes in warmed. An open window can’t.
  • HRV or ERV? HRV: heat recovery ventilator (heat). ERV: energy recovery ventilator (heat and some moisture).
  • Not a purifier A purifier cleans the air you have but brings none in, so CO2 stays put.

Measure first: you may not need one.HRV vs ERV guideUnits we’ve reviewed

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.

  • Heating system rebates: Heat/Energy Recovery Ventilation (HRV/ERV)

    Minnesota Energy Resources (natural gas utility) · Minnesota Energy Resources residential customers

    $400

    Whole-house HRV or ERV where no HRV existed before. Minimum 65% SRE and 75 CFM at 32°F heating mode, as listed in the HVI directory; the model must be on the utility's approved HRV or ERV list. Apply within 60 days of service. Not for homes built in the past two years. Cannot exceed the cost of the improvement or be combined with other offers. Funding is limited, first-come first-served, and can change or end at any time. The page gives no end date.

    Names HRVs or ERVs

  • Energy/Heat Recovery Ventilators (ERV/HRV) Rebate

    Minnesota Power · Residential retail customers of a participating utility whose home uses electricity as its primary heating source

    $300, and the rebate cannot exceed 75% of project cost including product and labor

    Purchased and installed January 1 through December 31, 2026. Must use a program-participating contractor, who files the rebate. Unit must have a minimum Sensible Recovery Efficiency of 60% at 32°F/0°C and serve the home's entire conditioned space. Reconditioned or resale equipment does not qualify. The offer may be withdrawn without notice.

    Names HRVs or ERVsProgram page: 2026 program year

Federal home energy rebates

Federal money that Minnesota 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.

HEAR in Minnesota

Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (also called HEEHR)

Not launched yetVentilation category

Save Energy Minnesota (the state's HEAR and HOMES programs) has not launched and has no estimated launch date. Minnesota is waiting for formal U.S. Department of Energy approval; Commerce submitted a revised application in August 2026 after new federal guidance in May 2026. The planned HEAR table includes "ENERGY STAR certified insulation, air sealing, and/or ventilation" up to $1,600 for households under 80% AMI and $800 for 80% to 150% AMI, not for new construction. No product list is published yet, so we cannot say whether HRVs or ERVs will count.

Who qualifies: Households at or below 80% or 150% of Area Median Income (AMI) for their county, using Commerce's 2026 AMI look-up table.

State’s page: 2026-10-12 (Save Energy Minnesota current update); HEAR page current update 2026-06-12

HOMES in Minnesota

Whole-home rebates, based on modeled or measured savings

Not launched yetVentilation not confirmed

HOMES has not launched and has no estimated launch date. Planned single-family rebates depend on income (below 80%, 80% to 150%, above 150% AMI) and modeled savings: up to $6,000, $4,000 or $2,000 at 20% to 34% savings, and up to $12,000, $8,000 or $4,000 at 35% or more, limited to 100%, 80% or 50% of project cost. The eligible upgrade list (air sealing, insulation, duct sealing and others) does not mention ventilation.

State’s page: 2026-10-12 (page current update)

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.

  • Insulation and air sealing rebates (2024-2026 residential rebate summary)

    Xcel Energy · Minnesota customers who heat with Xcel natural gas or Xcel electricity (smaller amounts for Xcel electric customers with central AC who heat with another fuel)

    Air sealing: 40% of project cost up to $600, with at least a 15% reduction in CFM50 shown by blower door tests before and after. Wall insulation: 40% up to $1,200. Attic insulation: 40% up to $1,200 (R19 or less before, R49 or more after). Air sealing is paid only together with attic or wall insulation. A $600 bonus applies if insulation and air sealing are followed by a qualifying Xcel heat pump within two years.

    Ventilation not mentioned in what we readProgram page: Effective 2024-01-01; covers 2024 to 2026

  • Air Sealing and Insulation Rebates

    CenterPoint Energy · CenterPoint Energy Minnesota customers

    Attic air sealing $750; attic air sealing plus qualifying attic insulation $1,300; qualifying wall insulation $1,500; rim joist insulation $200 only with an attic or wall project. Attic insulation alone gets no rebate. Advertised as up to $3,000.

    Ventilation not mentioned in what we readProgram page: Install January 1 to December 31; apply by December 31 of the install year

  • Insulation rebates

    Minnesota Energy Resources · Existing homes with natural gas heat served by Minnesota Energy Resources

    50% of cost up to: air sealing only $300 (plus $150 bonus), air sealing and attic insulation $650 (plus $550 bonus), sidewall $750 (plus $450 bonus), foundation/rim joist $425 (plus $375 bonus), rim joist $125 (plus $125 bonus), floor over unconditioned space $200 (plus $150 bonus). Bonus applies to installs July 15 to November 15, 2026, applied for by December 4, 2026.

    Ventilation not mentioned in what we readProgram page: Bonus period 2026-07-15 to 2026-11-15

State tax credits

We didn’t find a Minnesota 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 Minnesota it’s run by Minnesota Department of Commerce, through local service providers (joint Energy Assistance and Weatherization application).

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

  • Minnesota Power's $300 ERV/HRV rebate requires the unit to be purchased and installed by December 31, 2026. [s_mnpower_erv]
  • Xcel Energy's air sealing rebate requires blower door tests before and after; Minnesota Energy Resources' insulation rebates require them too and require a participating Authorized Insulation Contractor. [s_xcel_mn_summary, s_merc_insul]
  • CenterPoint recommends, but does not require, a Home Energy Squad visit before insulation work. [s_cnp_mn_ias]
  • None of the Minnesota utility insulation or air sealing pages we read mention a ventilation requirement or payment after air sealing. [s_xcel_mn_summary, s_cnp_mn_ias, s_cnp_mn_terms, s_merc_insul]
  • Xcel's posted rebate summary covers 2024 to 2026; check for 2027 terms. [s_xcel_mn_summary]

Not tax or legal advice. We list what each program’s own pages said on the date shown, never which to choose, and we don’t know whether you qualify.

Sources