BPA Responds to DOE’s Request for Information regarding HOMES & HEEHR Rebates in the Inflation Reduction Act

On behalf of the industry, the Building Performance Association submitted a response to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Home Energy Rebate Request for Information (RFI) regarding the $4.3 billion HOMES rebate program and $4.5 billion High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program (HEEHR).

Our response included the recommendation that DOE should ensure that dollars for the Home Energy Rebate programs are rolled out to states, territories, and tribes with the following top-level priorities:

• Maximize Energy Efficiency: Encourage energy efficiency across all HOMES and HEEHR projects for reducing household energy use, bills, emissions, and grid impacts.
• Maximize Simplicity In The Rebate Transaction – Homeowners and contractors need to be able to simply access the rebates, and understand how to stack them with other incentives (tax credits, utility rebates).
• Support Equity: Prioritize low-income households, with flexibility for states to exceed targets and not leave homeowners with higher post-retrofit bills.
• Maximize Speed: Roll out rebates quickly to meet household needs and minimize work stoppage, providing guidelines, options, models, and tools as they become available.
• Offer States Flexibility and Options: Provide flexibility for state programs with detailed program elements, pre-approved tools, and optional requirements to ease adoption.
• Allow States to Pursue a Tech Neutral Approach for Home Performance-Based Efficiency (HOMES) Rebates: Allow States to keep their HOMES programs technology neutral.

Over 250 organizations, companies, individuals, and industry leaders from nearly 40 states signed on to submit these comments to DOE. Thank you to everyone who signed in support!

Click here to view and download the response.