The federal tax credit that used to reward homeowners for a new heat pump, better insulation, or efficient windows is gone. Congress let the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit and the Residential Clean Energy Credit expire after December 31, 2025, closing one of the most generous home energy incentives in years.

That does not mean the savings disappeared. If you finished qualifying work before the cutoff, you can still claim it. If you are planning upgrades now, the money has moved to a different set of programs, and those are worth just as much digging.

What Actually Ended

Through 2025, homeowners could claim 30% of qualifying costs on things like heat pumps, insulation, windows, and doors, up to yearly caps as high as $3,200. Solar and battery storage carried their own 30% credit with no cap. Both expired for anything placed in service after December 31, 2025. The IRS's home energy tax credits page confirms the cutoff and what still qualifies for a 2025 return.

If You Already Made the Upgrade

Installed a heat pump, new insulation, or efficient windows sometime in 2025? You can still file for the credit using Form 5695 with your 2025 taxes, the return you're filing this year. The equipment had to be placed in service, not just purchased, before the end of the year.

If You're Still Planning

The federal credit is off the table, but state, local, and utility rebates were never part of that program and many are still running. The DSIRE database lets you search by zip code for every active incentive in your area, state and utility programs included.

Whichever situation you're in, keep your paperwork. Receipts, install dates, and manufacturer certifications matter for warranty claims and resale value even without a tax credit attached. HomeZada is a home management tool built for exactly this, tracking your systems, upgrades, and documentation in one place instead of a shoebox of receipts.

Copy this into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini:

You are a home energy rebate and documentation assistant. Federal tax credits for home energy upgrades ended after 2025, so help me find what savings are still available and keep my records straight.

Here is my situation: home type [INSERT], state and utility provider [INSERT], upgrades already completed or being planned [INSERT], approximate timing [INSERT].

Please give me: (1) whether any upgrades I completed in 2025 might still qualify for the expired federal credit on this year's return, (2) state, local, or utility rebates worth checking in my area, (3) what documentation I should save for warranty, resale, and insurance purposes, (4) a short checklist for applying to any current rebate programs.

If you upgraded last year, the deadline that matters now is your tax filing date, not a project timeline. If you're still planning, the DSIRE search takes ten minutes and could turn up more than the old federal credit did.

This week: pull your 2025 receipts if you upgraded, or run a DSIRE zip code search if you're still deciding. Fifteen minutes either way.

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