Heat pump news, rebates, and straight answers
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What a heat pump is, and the three decisions that follow
A heat pump is one machine that both heats and cools a house. Instead of burning fuel it moves heat — pulling it out of the outdoor air in winter, pushing it back out in summer. That is why a good one delivers roughly two-and-a-half to four units of heat for every unit of electricity it draws, and why cold-climate models keep working well below zero. Those are the systems we design and install across the Front Range, the Colorado mountains, and Minnesota.
Most of what a homeowner actually has to decide comes down to three questions, and each one has a guide here: whether it is time to replace the furnace at all, heat pump or gas furnace, and ducted or ductless. Starting from scratch, the heat pump guide is the long version.
Rebates are the part that moves fastest. Utilities change multipliers and deadlines mid-year, so each program guide below says when we last checked it against the utility’s own published terms, and the rebate programs hub lists what is open right now.
Xcel is cutting Colorado heat pump rebates on October 1, 2026
The rebate multiplier that ran through most of 2026 steps down on October 1, taking the payment from $2,250 to $1,500 per heating ton. On a whole-home system that is a four-figure difference. Here is exactly what changes, who it affects, and what it means if your project is already underway.
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Program · Mountain CO
Xcel's Mountain Energy Project: what mountain homeowners can get
Xcel's Mountain Energy Project pays up to $7,500 per heating ton for a heat pump in eight Colorado mountain towns, and the largest amounts go to homeowners who replace before the equipment fails.
Aug 28, 2026
Program · Aurora
Xcel's Aurora F-3 Project: what it covers and who qualifies
Xcel's Aurora F-3 Project covers 100% of project cost, up to set caps, on heat pumps, insulation, and air sealing inside one Aurora boundary. Here's who qualifies.
Aug 28, 2026
Deadline · Oct 1
Xcel is cutting Colorado heat pump rebates on October 1, 2026
Xcel's Colorado heat pump rebate drops from $2,250 to $1,500 per heating ton on October 1, 2026. Install and invoice by September 30 to keep the higher amount.
Aug 21, 2026
Rebates · Minnesota
Great River Energy heat pump rebates: a 2026 MN guide
Great River Energy co-op members can get heat pump rebates from Connexus, Dakota Electric, Wright-Hennepin, and more in 2026. Here's the current list.
Jul 20, 2026
Rebates · Co-ops
Electrify and Save: Tri-State heat pump rebates explained
Electrify and Save is Tri-State's rebate and $0-down financing program for Colorado co-op members. See the 7 participating co-ops and how it stacks.
Jul 20, 2026
Comfort fix
Hot upstairs, cold downstairs? What it means and what actually fixes it
A hot upstairs and cold downstairs usually traces to physics plus an aging, single-zone HVAC system, not your thermostat. Here's what actually fixes it.
Jul 20, 2026
Financing · $0 down
On-bill repayment in Colorado: heat pump financing with $0 down
Finance a heat pump in Colorado with $0 down through on-bill repayment. See which utilities participate and how the application works.
Jul 7, 2026
Company
Zero Homes Raises $16.8M to Digitize Home Upgrades for Homeowners and Contractors
The company is targeting a nationwide scale for its digital home upgrade platform, with an initial focus on heat pumps for residential homes
Feb 17, 2026
Program · Xcel
Xcel Energy heat pump rebates in Colorado: 2026 guide
Xcel Energy pays $2,250 per heating ton at 5°F for cold-climate heat pumps in Colorado: $6,750 on a typical 3-ton system. Install by Dec 31, 2026.
Feb 17, 2026
Heat pump vs. everything else
| If you are weighing | The short answer | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Heat pump vs. gas furnace | A heat pump heats and cools; a furnace only heats. A cold-climate model carries a Colorado winter on its own, and dual fuel is a fallback rather than a requirement. | Read |
| Heat pump vs. air conditioner | Same outdoor box, same summer efficiency. The heat pump adds winter heating for a modest equipment premium — which is why replacing a dying AC is the cheapest moment to switch. | Read |
| Heat pump vs. electric baseboard | Baseboard converts electricity to heat one-for-one. A heat pump delivers several times that per unit, so this swap produces the largest bill drop on the list. | Read |
| Dual fuel vs. all-electric | Dual fuel keeps the furnace for the coldest hours. It earns its keep with cheap gas or a maxed-out electrical panel, and not much otherwise. | Read |
| Ducted vs. ductless | If usable ducts exist, use them. Additions, finished attics, and one stubborn room are ductless jobs. | Read |
| Mini-split basics | What a mini-split actually is, where a single head makes sense, and when you need a multi-zone system. | Read |
| Gas vs. electric water heater | A heat pump water heater beats both on running cost and is rebated separately from the HVAC system. | Read |
Which programs are open, and where
| Program | Territory | Why it matters | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xcel Energy statewide | Colorado | The multiplier steps down on October 1, 2026. | Read |
| Xcel Mountain Energy Project | Colorado mountain counties | Per-ton payments well above the statewide program, for a limited set of counties. | Read |
| Xcel Aurora F-3 | Aurora | A neighborhood program that runs separately from the statewide rebate. | Read |
| Xcel Residential Retrofit | Colorado | The older retrofit path, still named on quotes and invoices. | Read |
| Denver city rebates | Denver | Stack on top of the Xcel amounts. | Read |
| Tri-State: Electrify and Save | Colorado co-op territory | Covers the areas Xcel does not serve. | Read |
| Mountain View Electric | El Paso and Elbert counties | Co-op rebate, separate application. | Read |
| Gunnison County Electric | Gunnison County | Co-op rebate, separate application. | Read |
| San Luis Valley REC | San Luis Valley | Co-op rebate, separate application. | Read |
| Great River Energy | Minnesota metro co-ops | The off-peak electric rate is often worth more than the rebate itself. | Read |
| CCEF on-bill repayment | Colorado | Puts the balance on the utility bill instead of a loan. | Read |
Heat pumps 101
The heat pump guide — how the equipment works, the types, and what the ratings on the spec sheet actually mean.
How to choose an installer — the questions that separate a real load calculation from a guess.
Signs it is time to replace the furnace — the repair-or-replace math, before the emergency.
Hot upstairs, cold downstairs — why it happens and which fixes hold.
Upgrading HVAC without a home visit — how a remote design and a fixed quote work.
Heat pumps with $0 down — on-bill repayment, explained.
Common questions
Heat pump questions homeowners actually ask
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