Rebates and tax credits in Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.

• PPL Insulation and Air Sealing Rebates

  PPL Electric Utilities · Existing homes with an active PPL Electric meter and primary electric heat, or central air conditioning with non-electric heat

  Standard: air sealing $0.25 per CFM50 reduction, capped at $150 for electric-heat homes; attic, basement wall, exterior wall and rim joist insulation 75% of cost, capped at $500 for electric-heat homes or $200 for homes with central A/C and non-electric heat. Enhanced, for households at 0% to 250% of the federal poverty level: air sealing up to $165; each insulation type up to $575. Bonus: $350 for three or more qualifying projects in a rolling year, at least one of them insulation or air sealing. Air sealing must follow BPI standards with blower door tests before and after and show at least 10% improvement and at least 100 CFM reduction. Apply within 180 days of installation. Ventilation is not mentioned.

  Ventilation not mentioned in what we readProgram page: Promotion dates: 6/1/2026 to 5/31/2031; 2026 income levels

State tax credits

We didn’t find a Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania it’s run by Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), delivered by a local weatherization agency in each county; income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level..

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

• Duquesne Light's air sealing and insulation rebate form we found (up to $400 total) covered installs from June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2026, so that offer has ended. We did not find its form for the period that began June 1, 2026. (source s26)
• Pennsylvania's Weatherization Assistance Program lists "insulation and ventilation in attics, walls, basements, and crawlspaces" and blower-door-guided air sealing. The page does not say whether that ventilation means mechanical ventilation such as an HRV or ERV. (source s27)
• We found no Pennsylvania utility or state rebate that names HRVs or ERVs.
• 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. (sources s9, s24)