Florida has a slippery history with energy efficiency — but state-led initiatives will soon get a beneficial boost.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on $346 million in federal funding in June for energy efficiency upgrades, retrofits and high-efficiency appliances in Florida. It’s a change from last year, when he vetoed nearly $30 million in state money meant for energy-saving programs, costing the state access to the full $346 million from the Biden Administration’s Rewiring America program.
Now, the approved money will go toward the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s Office of Energy, which will jointly administer two energy efficiency-related programs stemming from the U.S. Department of Energy: Florida’s Whole Home Rebates (HOMES) and Florida’s Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR).
HOMES will be broadly available for single-family and multifamily households, promising discounts for efficiency upgrades that save at least 20% of the home’s energy usage. Rebates for related retrofits range from $2,000 to $4,000 for individual households and $2,000 to $4,000 per dwelling in multifamily buildings, depending on the energy savings achieved and the home’s income level.
HEAR, on the other hand, will be exclusively available to low- and moderate-income households — or those making less than 150% area median income — for purchasing high-efficiency equipment. Rebates will be capped at $14,000 per household.
Rebates from both programs will likely apply to devices like electric heat pumps for clothes dryers, space heating and cooling, and water heaters; electric panel and wiring upgrades; and electric stoves, cooktops, ranges and ovens. They may also be available for home retrofits like air and duct sealing, insulation and ventilation improvements.
FDACS expects households to be able to access these rebates by early 2025, although the timeline is subject to change based on federal guidance. The programs will run through 2032 or until all funds are used.
“Efficiency is an equity issue,” says Susan Glickman, vice president of policy and partnerships for the CLEO Institute. “These rebates, in the absence of meaningful energy efficiency goals ... are even more essential because of the historical lack of action on energy efficiency.”