Inflation Reduction Act Rebates For Renewable Energy Appliances A Year Away

By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH

HAMPTON, NH — Inflation Reduction Act rebates for heat pumps, induction or electric stoves and heat pump dryers, which could mean hundreds of dollars to New Hampshire consumers this winter, will not be given out likely until next summer.

Executive Councilors and Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte were told Wednesday that $34 million in Inflation Reduction Act energy efficiency rebates for New Hampshire homes is in the bank, but the program needs to be stood up first and get additional federal authorization, which means the rebates won't be available any time soon. The council approved extending the current deadline to accept the funds.

"We've been talking about it for a year and half," said Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield, of the funding in the Biden era act. He said the state Department of Energy is setting up a "bureaucratic" program which may be hard for some people to access and he was concerned about the timing with winter heating season only a few months away.

Officials for the department said there are some things beyond their control involving federal approvals and the best estimate is next summer to start rolling out appliance rebates.

During the meeting at the Seashell Building at Hampton State Park, Christopher Ellms Jr., deputy commissioner of the Department of Energy, said this request is a reauthorization to expend federal dollars which have already been brought in.

Asked pointedly by Kenney if any consumers have money in their pocket from the program, Ellms said the answer is "no."

"There has not been money that has gone out to consumers, there have been administrative expenses," Ellms said, involving the crafting of requests for proposals.

He introduced to the council Josh Elliott, director of the DOE's division of policy and programs, who explained this is a rebate for appliances.

Upgrades to homes which are energy efficient including heat pumps and stoves qualify for rebates as do upgrades to electric panels, and insulation, Elliott said.

The program is means tested, meaning it is weighted and benefits those who are most in financial need, he said.

People will have to say what their income is which will calculate out the rebate amount, he explained.

Elliott said DOE is in the process of procuring an "implementer" for the program but for legal reasons could not say much at this time about that process.

"Our implementer will be the forward face of this program," who will do income verification and work with contractors to help install the appliances depending on which one is involved among other tasks, Elliott said.

"So you are going to have a very bureaucratic program that could be very popular," Kenney said.

"People might not know how to access it. So, whether you are at senior centers or food pantries where ever it is that the low- to moderate-income people are likely going to be at," that is where this implementer should go and work with those agencies, the counselor said.

Elliott said the selection criteria for this implementer will focus on that and he gave as an example Community Action Programs throughout the state.

"They have already done means testing for fuel assistance and weatherization," and they can help connect the need with the resource in that way.

Asked what is the up and running date, Elliott said "it will depend on a lot of things including approvals by U.S. DOE, certain things we have outside our control at the agency. We have to have the RFP out for at least 60 days...and then it has to be approved..." by the federal government, he said, so ballpark "early summer 2026 weighing on a number of factors."

Kenney said "people are going to be interested in 34 million dollars."

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.