Rebates you're probably missing.

Most Florida homeowners who replace an HVAC system in 2026 are eligible for somewhere between $1,500 and $4,500 in rebates and tax credits. And yet most of them only claim one or two — because the programs are scattered across federal, state, utility, and manufacturer channels, and the paperwork looks scary. Here's the full 2026 list.

1. Federal heat pump tax credit — up to $2,000

Section 25C of the Inflation Reduction Act (and its successor programs) gives homeowners a 30% tax credit capped at $2,000 for qualifying heat pumps. The system must meet Energy Star cold-climate specs (which most SEER2 15+ heat pumps in the Florida market do). You claim it on IRS Form 5695 when you file the following April.

Gotcha: it's a non-refundabletax credit, meaning if your tax bill is only $1,200, that's the most you'll actually see. (Unused amount does NOT roll to next year.)

2. Federal electrical panel credit — up to $600

If your new heat pump requires an electrical panel upgrade (common in older Florida homes with 100-amp service), another 30% / $600 credit applies to the panel work. Same Form 5695, separate line.

3. Utility rebates (the one most people know)

These programs require pre-approval in some cases (FPL) and post-install verification in others (Duke). Your installer should handle the paperwork — ours does automatically — but confirm it before you sign anything.

4. Manufacturer instant rebates

Trane, Carrier, Lennox, Rheem, and American Standard all run seasonal instant rebates on their higher-efficiency lines. These are usually $300–$1,000 and are applied at point of sale, so they never show up on your tax return. Ask for a current rebate sheet; distributors refresh them quarterly.

5. The hidden ones

• Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing. Florida runs PACE through Ygrene and RenewFinancial — ultra-long amortization (up to 25 years) tied to your property tax bill. Not a rebate per se, but changes the cash-flow math dramatically for high-SEER2 systems.
• IRS Residential Clean Energy Credit.Separate from 25C, this one covers solar + battery + geothermal heat pumps at 30% with no cap. If you're also doing a solar install, stack this with the heat pump credit above.
• Military and senior discounts. Most Florida contractors honor 5–10% off for active/retired military and seniors. Ours applies it automatically if your customer profile indicates eligibility.
• County low-income weatherization. Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, and Broward all run income-qualified weatherization programs that can cover up to 100% of an HVAC replacement for eligible households.

How NewHVACDeals handles it

AIRA pulls every active rebate for your zip code during the assessment. By the time you see tier pricing, the rebates are already deducted from the list price. No paperwork on your end. No forms to mail in. If a rebate expires before your install date, we honor the original price — that's our efficiency-bonus guarantee.