Checked October 19, 2026

Rebates and tax credits in North Carolina

Federal tax credits ended for work done after 2025. What still helps pay for fresh air in North Carolina 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.

We didn’t find a program in North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina

Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (also called HEEHR)

OpenVentilation category

Energy Saver North Carolina's HEAR launched January 16, 2025 and is now offered in all 100 counties. The state's update page tells current and new HEAR applicants to keep applying; from September 1, 2026, rebates no longer pay to replace gas or other fossil-fuel appliances, and insulation and air sealing may be required alongside a heat pump project. The 'Insulation, air sealing, ventilation' category pays up to $1,600. The state fact sheet names 'ventilation fans' among qualifying ENERGY STAR upgrades and does not name HRVs or ERVs; no product list was checked. A registered contractor must install, and funding is first come, first served.

Who qualifies: Below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI): up to 100% of project costs, up to $14,000. 80% to 150% of AMI: up to 50% of project costs, up to $7,000. Above 150% of AMI: not eligible. Enrollment in LIEAP or Medicaid may qualify a household for larger rebates without extra income verification.

State’s page: 2026-09-01

HOMES in North Carolina

Whole-home rebates, based on modeled or measured savings

OpenVentilation not confirmed

Energy Saver North Carolina's HOMES rebates pay for whole-home upgrades with at least 20% modeled energy savings, starting with a free home assessment. Below 80% of AMI: up to $16,000 or 100% of project cost. 80% to 150% of AMI: up to $2,000 (20% to 34% savings) or $4,000 (35% or more), or 50% of project cost. The state says the program runs until 2031 or until funds run out. The fact sheet's tables are not clearly labeled, so whether HOMES itself pays for ventilation is unknown.

State’s page: Fact sheet updated 2025-01-16; page cites DOE guidance of 2026-05-29

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.

We didn’t find a statewide or large-utility air sealing program in North Carolina. Check your utilities’ rebate pages.

State tax credits

We didn’t find a North Carolina 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 North Carolina it’s run by N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, State Energy Office, through local service providers (subgrantees).

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

  • Duke Energy, the state's largest utility, has pages for attic insulation rebates, audit-based home energy upgrades and free weatherization for households at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. The pages that opened did not say which state's amounts they show, and its main Home Improvement Rebates page could not be opened, so no Duke amounts are listed here. (sources s25, s26, s27)
  • Dominion Energy North Carolina and the electric cooperatives were not checked.
  • No North Carolina utility rebate naming HRVs or ERVs was found, but the search was not complete.
  • The WAP link comes from the Energy Saver North Carolina page and was not opened.

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