New York State and its counties offer many different rebates to encourage greater energy efficiency or the use of renewable energy. The state administers some of the programs while local utilities provide others. In addition, federal tax rebates are available for adding renewable energy sources or making energy efficiency improvements to your home.


The New York Energy Conservation Improvements Property Tax Exemption exempts property value increases derived from efficient air conditioners, electric, natural gas, propane or oil water heaters, biomass fueled stoves, and solar and wind energy from taxation.


National Grid's High Efficiency Heating Rebates are available to residential gas heating customers for up to $560 for furnaces and boilers, $18 for programmable thermostats, $210 for indirect water heaters attached to a hot water boiler, and $240 for duct and air sealing.


National Fuel offers rebates for natural gas equipment, water heaters, furnaces, boilers, programmable thermostats, and duct/air sealing ranging from $25 to $400. In addition, low income customers might be eligible for free weatherization assistance.


Central Hudson Gas & Electric offers rebate programs for both its gas and electric customers. Gas customers may be eligible for up to $1,400 for air conditioners, air-source heat pumps, water heaters, boilers, furnaces, ECM furnace fans, programmable thermostats, and duct/air sealing. Electric customers may be eligible for up to $1,825 for natural gas equipment, water heaters, furnaces, boilers, programmable thermostats, and duct/air sealing.


The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has many financing and rebate programs to help homeowners manage the capital costs associated with renewable energy installations. geothermal installations can receive low interest rate financing through the NYSERDA Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program by working with certified contractors to build the geothermal system.


The NYSERDA – PV Incentive Program provides rebates up to $12,250 for grid-connected solar panel systems at $1.75/watt DC up to a maximum of 5kW per site based on system capacity. There is also a bonus of $0.50/W available for ENERGY STAR homes and building integrated PV systems.


The NYSERDA - On-Site Small Wind Incentive Program provides incentives for residential wind power installations. The currently eligible models (this may change over time) range in size from 920 W to 179 kilowatts (kW rating at 11 m/s) although a customer may receive incentives for up to 600 kW per site/customer. The incentive itself is based on the expected annual energy output of the system as calculated by the New York State Small windExplorer, as follows:

• Tier I (first 10,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of annual energy output): $3.50/annual kWh ($35,000 maximum)
• Tier II (next 115,000 kWh of annual energy output): $1.00/annual kWh ($150,000 maximum)
• Tier III (annual energy output above 125,000 kWh): $0.30/annual kWh

The incentives are additive, such that a wind turbine which is expected to produce 125,000 kWh annually receives the maximum Tier I incentive ($35,000 at 10,000 kWh) plus $1.00/annual kWh for up to 115,000 kWh through Tier II ($115,000 maximum), leading to a total maximum incentive of $150,000 ($35,000 + $115,000).


The Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit provides a tax credit of 10 percent, up to $500, of energy efficiency upgrades such as heat pumps, furnaces, air conditioners, insulation, water heaters, windows, doors and roofs. Starting in 2011, $500 is the lifetime limit for this tax credit. This means that if you received any Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credits between 2006 and 2010, those count towards this $500 lifetime limit. Thus, if you've received $500 or more in these credits previously, you would be ineligible for further tax credits under this program. The credit also only applies to your primary residence, and it must be an existing home. Act fast, because the tax credit expires at the end of 2011.


The Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit is a 30 percent credit of the total cost for solar panels, wind energy, solar water heaters and geothermal heat pumps. There is no cap to the total dollar amount of the credit towards these items. In addition, fuel cell installations also qualify for a 30 percent tax credit, but the credit is capped at $500 for each 0.5 kilowatt of capacity. Each of these rebate programs expires at the end of 2016, giving you time to plan a renewable energy project to cut your energy bills.