Rebates are the most confusing part of buying a heat pump in Fort Collins, because the city has two different utilities with two different menus, a state tax credit with its own rules, and several programmes that have ended but are still quoted on contractor websites. This page is the maintained hub: what is live, what has ended, who qualifies, and where to check the primary source. Checked on 9 November 2026. Amounts change — confirm the current figure with the programme before you buy.
The confusion has a simple cause: Fort Collins is served by more than one utility, and each one runs its own rebate menu for its own customers.
Most Fort Collins homes take their electricity from Fort Collins Utilities, and their heat-pump rebates come through Efficiency Works, the programme Fort Collins Utilities runs. A smaller group of homes in Fort Collins are Xcel gas customers, and those homes qualify for Xcel’s heat-pump rebates — but only on the gas side, because Xcel does not serve Fort Collins electric. Homes outside the city in Poudre Valley REA territory have a third menu, through the co-op. And on top of all three sits the Colorado state heat-pump tax credit, which is claimed by the contractor and passed to the customer as a discount. Four live programmes, three different eligibility tests, and no single page that lists them together — until this one.
The second cause of confusion is that the menus changed recently. Xcel cut its cold-climate heat-pump rebate from $2,250 to $1,500 per heating ton on 1 October 2026, and briefly paused payments on 19 October 2026 before the pause was lifted on 21 October 2026 after the Public Utilities Commission approved extra funding. A page that quotes $2,250 a ton, or that describes the October pause as still in force, is out of date. Every figure on this page carries its November 2026 check date for exactly that reason.
The third cause is the programmes that have ended and are still quoted. The federal 25C and 25D tax credits ended for property placed in service after 31 December 2025. Colorado’s HEAR single-family rebates closed on the Front Range, including Larimer County, on 27–28 April 2026, and across the rest of the state on 1 August 2026. Xcel’s gas-furnace and boiler rebate was removed on 1 January 2026 — the $225 figure still appears on contractor pages for 2026 installs, and it is stale. Xcel’s central air conditioning rebate has been gone since 1 January 2024. Any quote that still promises one of these is wrong, and this page lists them explicitly so you can spot a stale quote when you see one.
What follows is the live picture as checked in November 2026, programme by programme, with the primary-source link for each. Rebate amounts change and several programmes are first-come, first-served, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm the current amount with the programme before you buy. We do not publish our prices on this site, and nothing here is a promise that a rebate will be paid — that decision belongs to the programme, not to us.
HVAC work in Fort Collins is licensed by the City of Fort Collins, not the state — Colorado licenses only electricians and plumbers at state level. Fort Collins licenses HVAC contractors through the City — ask us for our licence details when you call.
Four programmes are live. Each has its own eligibility test — check yours before you count on the money.
Ducted air-source heat pump Tier 1 $1,500 per unit, Tier 2 $2,000 per unit. A $2,000 bundling bonus applies for a heat pump plus envelope work within six months, and a Fort Collins-only rental double rebate exists. You must use an Efficiency Works Homes listed provider, apply within 45 days, and get pre-approval for incentives over $2,500.
Cold-climate air-source heat pump $1,500 per heating ton from 1 October 2026 (was $2,250); standard air-source $600 per cooling ton (was $900); ground-source $2,200 per heating ton. Tonnage is paid on certified heating capacity at 5°F, not nameplate. Most Fort Collins homes take electric from Fort Collins Utilities and do not qualify for Xcel electric-side rebates.
Air-source heat pump $500 (up to 1.5 tons) or $1,500 (over 1.5 tons), capped at 50% of equipment cost, at 7.8 HSPF2 or better. Ground-source $500 per ton new, $250 per ton replacement. Heat-pump water heater $350. Apply within 90 days. For co-op members.
$1,000 for an air-source heat pump, claimed by the contractor, who must pass at least $333 to the customer as an upfront discount shown on the invoice as the “State of Colorado Heat Pump Discount”. Ground, water and combined systems $2,000 (at least $667 to the customer); heat-pump water heater $250 (at least $83). No income limit.
First, find your utility: Fort Collins Utilities, Xcel gas, or PVREA. Then check the programme’s listed-provider rule — Efficiency Works requires a listed provider — and the application window: 45 days for Efficiency Works, 90 days for PVREA. Then confirm the current amount with the programme.
Efficiency Works: efficiencyworks.org/homes/rebates. Xcel: co.my.xcelenergy.com. Colorado Energy Office: energyoffice.colorado.gov/hptc and energyoffice.colorado.gov/home-energy-rebates. PVREA: pvrea.coop. Check the primary source, not a contractor’s summary, before you buy.
These are still quoted on contractor websites. Each one has ended, and any 2026 quote that promises one of them is wrong.
| Job and scope | Published range | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Federal 25C / 25D tax credits | Ended 31 December 2025 | P.L. 119-21 — terminated for property placed in service after 31 Dec 2025 |
| Colorado HEAR single-family rebates | Closed Front Range 27–28 April 2026 | Funds fully reserved; existing reservations honoured |
| Xcel gas-furnace / boiler rebate | Removed 1 January 2026 | $225 was for 2025 installs only |
| Xcel central AC rebate | Gone since 1 January 2024 | No central-AC-only rebate in the current menu |
Checked on 9 November 2026. Rebate amounts change, and several programmes are first-come, first-served. Confirm the current amount with the programme before you buy.
Primary sources: efficiencyworks.org/homes/rebates · co.my.xcelenergy.com · energyoffice.colorado.gov/hptc · energyoffice.colorado.gov/home-energy-rebates · pvrea.coop.
Most Fort Collins homes take electricity from Fort Collins Utilities. Xcel gas customers qualify for Xcel heat-pump rebates. PVREA serves the co-op territory outside the city. Your utility decides your menu.
Efficiency Works pays per unit, Xcel pays per heating ton on certified capacity at 5°F, PVREA pays by size capped at half the equipment cost, and the state credit is a contractor-claimed discount. They stack differently.
The Xcel cold-climate rate changed on 1 October 2026. The federal credits ended on 31 December 2025. HEAR closed on the Front Range on 27–28 April 2026. Any figure without a date is a figure you cannot trust.
Check efficiencyworks.org, Xcel, the Colorado Energy Office or PVREA directly before you buy. This page is checked monthly and dated November 2026.
Call (970) 932-2324 and tell us who supplies your electricity and gas and what system you are considering. We will talk through which rebates apply to your house.
Most Fort Collins homes take electricity from Fort Collins Utilities. Xcel gas customers qualify for Xcel heat-pump rebates. PVREA serves the co-op territory outside the city. Your utility decides your menu.
It depends on your utility. Most Fort Collins homes take electricity from Fort Collins Utilities, so Efficiency Works is their programme. Xcel gas customers in Fort Collins qualify for Xcel’s heat-pump rebates. Homes in Poudre Valley REA territory use PVREA’s menu. The Colorado state heat-pump tax credit applies on top, through the contractor.
No. Federal 25C and 25D credits ended for property placed in service after 31 December 2025. Any page promising a $2,000 federal heat-pump credit for a 2026 install is wrong.
No, not as a new applicant. Colorado HEAR single-family rebates closed on the Front Range, including Larimer County, on 27–28 April 2026, and across the rest of the state on 1 August 2026. Existing reservations are honoured.
No. Xcel’s gas-furnace and boiler rebate was removed on 1 January 2026. The $225 figure still appears on some contractor pages for 2026 installs and is stale. The live rebates are for heat pumps.
Call (970) 932-2324 any time, day or night. Tell us who supplies your electricity and gas, and what system you are considering — we will talk through which rebates apply to your house.
Call Now (970) 932-2324 →Call (970) 932-2324 any time, day or night. DNA Refrigeration Heating & Cooling is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, for Fort Collins homes and businesses. There is no email address for the business, so the phone is the way to reach us.