NHSaves rebates for 2026: what New Hampshire pays
75% off insulation and air sealing, up to $6,250 on a heat pump, and a $100 energy audit worth six times that. Here is the whole New Hampshire schedule, with the deadlines and the traps.
What NHSaves is
NHSaves is not a state agency. It is the shared brand of New Hampshire’s four regulated utilities — Eversource, Liberty Utilities, Unitil and the New Hampshire Electric Co-op — which jointly fund and administer the state’s ratepayer-funded efficiency programs. You are already paying for it through the system benefits charge on your electric bill, whether you use it or not.
In the Upper Valley that means Lebanon, Hanover and much of the river corridor are on Liberty Utilities electric, the more rural hill towns — Enfield, Canaan, Grafton, Dorchester, parts of Lyme and Orange — are largely NHEC, and Eversource picks up territory to the south and east. The rebate schedule is the same across all of them.
Weatherization: the 75% program
This is the flagship, and it is where most Upper Valley houses should start. NHSaves covers 75% of the installed cost of attic, wall and basement insulation and air sealing, with a combined cap that runs from $6,000 to $8,000 depending on your utility and the mix of measures. Income-eligible households pay nothing at all.
| Measure | What NHSaves pays | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Attic, wall, basement insulation | 75% of installed cost | Combined cap generally $6,000–$8,000 depending on utility and measure mix |
| Air sealing | 75% of installed cost | Liberty natural gas customers: 100% of air sealing cost |
| Home Performance with ENERGY STAR assessment | $100 copay | Real value $400–$600; includes $150–$400 of direct-install items |
| Income-eligible households | 100% covered | Delivered by your Community Action Agency, not the utility |
The work must be done by a participating contractor, and it must be preceded by a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR assessment. That assessment is the best-value item in the entire New Hampshire program: a $100 copay buys a $400–$600 diagnostic workup, and the technician installs $150–$400 of LEDs, smart power strips, low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators before leaving. Even if you never proceed to the insulation work, you come out ahead.
Heat pumps and equipment
New Hampshire pays per ton of capacity, and the amount depends entirely on what you are displacing.
| Equipment | Rebate | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Heat pump — standard tier | $250 per ton, max $1,250 | Replacing oil, propane or natural gas heat |
| Heat pump — enhanced tier | $1,250 per ton, max $6,250 | Replacing electric resistance heat; pre-verification required |
| Regional Heat Pump Accelerator | $650 instant discount | Stacks on top of the NHSaves rebate at point of sale |
| Central air conditioner | $70 per ton | ENERGY STAR certified equipment |
| Wi-Fi / smart thermostat | $85 | When installed alongside a qualifying heat pump |
All 2026 heat pump and AC equipment must use R-32 or R-454B refrigerant — R-410A systems are no longer eligible — and heat pumps must carry the ENERGY STAR Cold Climate designation.
The enhanced tier is worth up to $6,250 — five times the standard rebate — because replacing electric resistance heat saves the utility an enormous amount of winter peak load. It requires pre-verification before installation. A contractor who starts work first has cost you the difference, and there is no appeal.
Central air conditioning
The $70 per ton ENERGY STAR central AC rebate is real but modest, and it is worth pausing before you claim it. If your ductwork is already there and your heating system is aging, installing a ducted heat pump in the same slot gives you cooling and heating, and pulls a rebate that is several times larger. See central air conditioning and heat pumps side by side.
Income-qualified: the 100% program
If your household income is at or below roughly 200% of the federal poverty level — or you already receive fuel assistance, SSI, or similar support — you may qualify to have your home weatherized at no cost at all, including insulation, air sealing and replacement of failing heating equipment. This is administered through regional Community Action Agencies:
- Grafton County (Hanover, Lebanon, Enfield, Canaan, Lyme, Orford, Plainfield, Haverhill): Tri-County Community Action Program
- Sullivan County (Claremont, Newport, Cornish, Charlestown, Grantham, Springfield, Sunapee): Southwestern Community Services
Both agencies run waiting lists, sometimes long ones. Apply in spring or summer rather than waiting for the first cold snap.
Deadlines that matter in 2026
- Equipment must be installed between January 1 and December 30, 2026.
- Rebate forms and supporting documents must be postmarked by January 30, 2027.
- Enhanced-tier heat pump rebates require pre-verification before installation.
- Program budgets are finite; enhanced offers can be suspended mid-year when funding is exhausted.
Towns we cover on the New Hampshire side
Grafton County — Hanover, Lebanon, Enfield, Canaan, Lyme, Orford. Sullivan County — Claremont, Newport, Plainfield & Meriden, Grantham, Charlestown.
Figures checked July 2026. Rebate programs change their amounts, caps and equipment requirements during the year, and several are capped by available funding. Confirm the current offer with the program or your contractor before you sign anything.
New Hampshire rebate questions
Does it matter which utility I have?
Less than you would expect. Eversource, Liberty Utilities, Unitil and the New Hampshire Electric Co-op jointly fund NHSaves, and a homeowner in Enfield on NHEC accesses the same programs at the same rebate levels as an Eversource customer in Manchester. Where it does matter is natural gas: Liberty gas customers have access to a separate, more generous air sealing offer — 100% of installed air sealing cost and 75% of insulation, to a combined $6,000 — and natural gas service in the Upper Valley is essentially limited to parts of Lebanon and Hanover.
What is the difference between the standard and enhanced heat pump rebate?
What you are replacing. If you are displacing oil, propane or natural gas, the standard tier pays $250 per ton up to $1,250. If you are displacing electric resistance heat — baseboard, ceiling cable, an electric furnace — the enhanced tier pays $1,250 per ton up to $6,250, because the utility saves far more winter electricity. The enhanced tier requires pre-verification before installation, so do not let a contractor start work first.
My contractor says my quoted system is not eligible. Why?
Almost certainly refrigerant. For 2026 installs, qualifying systems must use R-32 or R-454B; R-410A equipment is no longer eligible. Equipment must also carry the ENERGY STAR Cold Climate designation, which is a stricter list than plain ENERGY STAR. If you were quoted from old stock, ask for the AHRI certificate before you sign.
How do I get the 100% income-eligible weatherization?
Through your Community Action Agency, not through NHSaves directly. Grafton County is served by Tri-County Community Action Program; Sullivan County by Southwestern Community Services. The Home Energy Assistance program covers the full cost of weatherizing the homes of income-eligible owners and renters and replacing failing equipment. Households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level generally qualify, and receiving fuel assistance is usually enough to establish eligibility. Expect a waiting list.
When is the deadline?
For 2026 equipment rebates: the system must be installed between January 1 and December 30, 2026, and the completed rebate form with supporting documents must be postmarked no later than January 30, 2027. Weatherization incentives run through the participating contractor and are usually netted off the invoice rather than filed by you, but program funding is finite and the enhanced offers do get suspended when budgets are hit.
Get your NHSaves rebates confirmed
We’ll check your utility, your eligibility tier and the current caps, then connect you with a participating contractor in your town.