Colorado HEAR Rebates: What You Actually Need to Know (2026)

The Colorado HEAR program (Home Electrification & Appliance Rebate) is closed statewide. The Region 1 (Front Range) Single-Family Program (which covers UniColorado's entire service area) closed on April 28, 2026, and the rest of the state (Region 2) closed to new applications on August 1, 2026.

For a complete overview of all Colorado rebate programs (Xcel, state tax credit, Power Ahead Colorado, HEAR, and local programs), see our Colorado Heat Pump Rebates & Incentives guide. This article focuses specifically on HEAR.

TL;DR

• Region 1 (Front Range): HEAR Single-Family Program closed April 28, 2026. Proposals submitted after April 27 will be denied. UniColorado no longer including HEAR on new projects.
• Region 2 (non-Front-Range counties): Closed to new applications August 1, 2026 (Colorado Energy Office). HEAR is now closed statewide.
• New Front Range customers: Xcel Energy rebates, Power Ahead Colorado ($1,500, no income limit, opened June 29, 2026) and the Colorado state tax credit today, around $7,000 stacked on a 3-ton cold-climate install.
• If you already have a HEAR application with us, check your April 24 email and see our customer update.

HEAR provided up-front, point-of-sale rebates for income-qualified households making electric upgrades in existing homes until it closed statewide on August 1, 2026. Below is the list of measures that were eligible under Colorado Energy Office guidance.

Electrification & Appliances

• Cold-climate heat pumps (space heating and cooling)
• Ductless heat pumps
• Heat pump water heaters
• Electric stoves, cooktops, ranges, and ovens
• Electric clothes dryers

Electrical System Upgrades

• Electrical panel upgrades (load service center)
• Electrical wiring upgrades
• New or modified circuits required for eligible electric appliances

Building Shell & Efficiency Measures

• Insulation improvements
• Air sealing
• Ventilation upgrades
• Indoor air quality (IAQ) improvements

Important Requirements

• Replacements only; no new construction
• Heat pumps must replace an existing heating system
• Heat pumps cannot replace an existing heat pump (pending final CEO clarification)

UniColorado offered cold climate heat pumps and electrical panel upgrades (in conjunction with heat pumps, no standalone projects).

HEAR was open to households where:

• Your household income is at or below 150% AMI, and
• The upgrade is happening in an existing home (no new construction)

Homes eligible for HEAR included:

• Single-family homes
• Townhomes
• Condos (expanding late March 2026)
• Apartments (expanding late March 2026)
• Manufactured/mobile homes (expanding late March 2026)

Renter households could participate with landlord permission using the official authorization form included in the state application. HEAR is now closed statewide.

HEAR is closed statewide, so income no longer changes what you can get. Pick your county below to see the programs still open for a cold climate heat pump.

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Based on3-ton cold climate heat pumpPower Ahead Colorado is now available

How we calculate this

+Power Ahead Eligibility Requirements

Households ≤80% AMI could receive up to 100% of project cost. Households at 80-150% AMI received up to 50%. Total HEAR rebates could not exceed $14,000 per household. For a sense of what projects cost before incentives, see our heat pump installation cost guide. For full HEAR program details, see the HEAR rebates page.

HEAR is closed statewide as of August 1, 2026. This is how the process worked while it was open.

1. Verify income in the state portal
2. Meet with a registered contractor to scope eligible upgrades
3. Contractor reserves your rebate before installation
4. Contractor installs the system and applies your up-front discount
5. Contractor submits documentation; rebate is processed in the background

This is different from a tax credit as you receive the discount immediately.

1. Region 1 (Front Range) closed April 28

“The HEAR Single-Family Program for Region 1 - the Front Range […] is now closed. Any project proposals submitted after April 27, 2026 for Region 1 will not be reviewed and will be denied.”

- Colorado Home Energy Rebate Partners (CLEAResult), contractor communication, April 28, 2026

Region 1 covers Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, El Paso, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer, Teller, and Weld counties. That's UniColorado's entire service area. CLEAResult told contractors that if Region 1 funding becomes available again, registered contractors will be notified.

2. April 17: state had already frozen new income verifications

On April 17, 2026, the Colorado Energy Office announced it would no longer review new income verifications unless an approved Project Proposal was already on file. By the time Region 1 formally closed on April 28, the new-application path had been functionally shut for over a week.

3. Regional funding breakdown

• Region 1 (Front Range): Closed April 28, 2026. Project proposals submitted after April 27 will be denied. UniColorado no longer including HEAR on new projects.
• Region 2 (all other Colorado counties): Closed to new applications August 1, 2026 (Colorado Energy Office).

With both regions closed, HEAR is closed statewide. The official HEAR funding dashboard carries the state's own figures.

4. Alternatives for new Front Range customers

With HEAR closed for new Front Range applications, these programs are what we stack instead:

• Xcel Energy utility rebates: $1,500/ton for cold-climate heat pumps
• Colorado state heat pump tax credit — $1,000
• Power Ahead Colorado (DRCOG) — $1,500, no income limit. DRCOG launched the heat pump incentives June 29, 2026; it's live now and stacks on top.
• Local programs (EnergySmart, United Power, etc.)

Typical stack on a 3-ton cold-climate install today: around $7,000 (Xcel, Power Ahead Colorado and the state tax credit) in the Denver metro. For a full breakdown of alternatives, see our Colorado Heat Pump Rebates guide.

HER (Home Efficiency Rebates) is a separate $56 million program for manufactured/mobile homes and large multifamily buildings (50,000+ sq ft). It rewards whole-home efficiency projects that achieve 20%+ energy savings. HER is expected to open in Q1 2026.

If you live in a site-built single-family home, HER does not apply to you. HEAR was the program for those homes until it closed statewide on August 1, 2026. Key differences:

• HEAR = individual appliance rebates (income-based), closed statewide August 1, 2026
• HER = whole-home efficiency, manufactured homes & large multifamily only (not yet open)

HEAR created a gold rush while it was open. Some companies ran aggressive ads promising low prices on heat pump installs, specifically targeting income-qualified homeowners who could get $8,000 off.

Here's what we're seeing: bottom-tier equipment, minimal engineering, and smoke-and-mirrors pricing designed to maximize the contractor's cut of the rebate. The homeowner gets a system that technically qualifies but won't last. A cold-climate heat pump is a 15-20 year investment. The cheapest option upfront is rarely the cheapest option over the life of the system.

What to ask before you sign:

• What brand and model? Look up its HSPF2 rating and cold-climate performance specs.
• Is it a true cold-climate heat pump, or a standard unit being sold as one?
• Does the quote include a Manual J load calculation?
• What warranty comes with it, and who backs it if the company disappears?

A good contractor will show you why a system fits your home, not just that it qualifies for a rebate.

If you already have a HEAR project we've submitted

Your project proposal stays in the state review queue if it was submitted on or before April 27 — Region 1's April 28 closure doesn't pull existing proposals. CLEAResult has noted that review times have extended due to high demand, so it may take longer than it would have earlier in the year. We'll notify you when your reservation notice comes through. See our customer update for the approved / pending / expired bucket details.

If you're starting fresh on the Front Range

UniColorado is no longer including HEAR on new Front Range projects (Region 1 is closed). You can still get a heat pump with Xcel Energy rebates, Power Ahead Colorado ($1,500, no income limit, opened June 29, 2026) and the Colorado state tax credit, around $7,000 stacked on a 3-ton cold-climate install in the Denver metro.

Request a free estimate — we'll show you the net price after all non-HEAR rebates that apply to your situation.

If you're on the Western Slope or outside the Front Range

HEAR is closed there too. The Colorado Energy Office closed Region 2 (all Colorado counties outside the Front Range) to new applications on August 1, 2026, so there is no longer a HEAR application to start anywhere in the state. Utility rebates and the Colorado state heat pump tax credit are the programs left to check.

UniColorado is the most experienced heat pump installer in Colorado. We've designed and installed thousands of systems across the Front Range.

While Region 1 HEAR closed on April 28 and we're no longer including HEAR on new Front Range projects, we still apply Xcel Energy rebates and the Colorado state tax credit as upfront discounts. DRCOG opened Power Ahead Colorado on June 29, 2026, and we add it to qualifying estimates automatically.

If you're planning a heat pump upgrade, you're in the right place.

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Xcel, Power Ahead and the State Credit Still Stack

HEAR closed on the Front Range April 28, 2026 and in the rest of the state August 1, 2026, but Xcel rebates, Power Ahead Colorado, and the state credit are still open and still stack to thousands off a heat pump install. We price the exact numbers for your address and file everything.

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