EmPower NY Program: Eligibility, Income Tiers, and How to Apply

The EmPower New York program is now part of EmPower+, a NYSERDA initiative that pays for home energy upgrades — insulation, air sealing, heat pumps, appliance replacements, and more — for income-eligible households across the state. Low-income households pay nothing. Moderate-income households pay half. NYSERDA created EmPower+ in 2023 by merging EmPower NY with the older Assisted Home Performance program into one application, available in 16 languages.¹

Who Qualifies

Household income has to be at or below 80 percent of the State or Area Median Income for your county and household size.² The dollar amount changes by county and family size, so check NYSERDA’s current income tables to see the exact figure that applies to you.³

You can skip income verification entirely if you already participate in certain benefit programs. An award letter dated within the past 12 months from HEAP, SNAP, TANF, or Supplemental Security Income is enough on its own.⁴ Homes in certain Census block groups also qualify under “geo-eligibility,” which looks at neighborhood demographics rather than your individual paperwork.¹

Owners and renters of one- to four-family homes can apply. The property has to be your primary residence, and you need electric or gas service from a participating utility. Participating providers include Central Hudson, Con Edison, National Grid, NYSEG, Orange and Rockland, RG&E, and PSEG Long Island. If you buy power from a municipal utility, contact NYSERDA to confirm whether your service qualifies.

What You Pay Depends on Your Income Tier

The program splits eligible households into two tiers, and the split determines your out-of-pocket cost.

If your household is at or below 60 percent of the State or Area Median Income, you pay nothing. NYSERDA covers up to 100 percent of eligible improvements, capped at $12,000 per project upstate and $14,000 downstate.⁵

If your household is above 60 percent but at or below 80 percent, NYSERDA covers 50 percent of costs, capped at $6,000 per project upstate and $7,000 downstate. You (or the property owner, if you rent) are responsible for the rest.⁵

Downstate caps are higher because construction costs there are higher. These caps apply to the core efficiency work; the electrification rebates below stack on top of them.

What the Program Installs

Most projects start with the building envelope. Contractors install high-density insulation in attics and wall cavities, then air seal around windows, doors, and plumbing penetrations to stop drafts. LED lighting replaces older bulbs and fixtures to cut electricity use.

Refrigerators and freezers can be replaced, but only when the existing appliance uses enough energy that swapping it out is cost-effective for the program.⁶ A newer, efficient fridge stays.

Once the envelope is addressed, heating and cooling upgrades open up, including heat pumps.⁵

Health and safety items come alongside the efficiency work. The program supplies smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, furnace filters, and other items needed to bring the home to a safe baseline.¹ Sealing a home tighter can trap combustion fumes if a furnace, water heater, or gas stove isn’t venting correctly, so contractors test for those risks during the assessment and fix them before the envelope work is completed.⁵

Heat Pump and Electrification Rebates on Top

Federal money from the Inflation Reduction Act’s Home Electrification Appliance Rebate (HEAR) program flows through EmPower+ and stacks on top of the project caps above.⁷ Maximum HEAR amounts per improvement:

Air source heat pumps: up to $8,000
Electrical panel/service upgrade: up to $4,000
Electrical wiring upgrade: up to $2,500
Heat pump water heaters: up to $1,750
Air sealing, insulation, and ventilation: up to $1,600

The panel and wiring numbers matter more than they look. Many older New York homes can’t support a heat pump on their existing electrical service, and a 200-amp upgrade is expensive on its own. Having up to $4,000 for the panel and $2,500 for wiring removes a barrier that otherwise stops electrification before it starts.⁷

You don’t pick these rebates off a menu. Your contractor identifies which electrification measures fit your home during the on-site energy assessment.

How to Apply

The quickest route is NYSERDA’s MyEnergy Portal. Set up a profile, complete the EmPower+ application online, upload your documents, and check your status from the same account. If you’d rather use paper, a printable PDF is available on the NYSERDA site, and the application comes in 16 languages.⁴

Have these ready:

Income documentation: either a HEAP, SNAP, TANF, or SSI award letter dated within the past 12 months (which skips the rest of income verification) or four consecutive weeks of pay stubs from the last 60 days, Social Security award letters, and documentation of any other income. Tax returns work if every household member who was required to file did so.⁴
Utility bills: your itemized electric bill and your gas bill, or a bill from your fuel supplier if you heat with propane, oil, kerosene, wood, or coal.⁴
Proof of ownership if you own, or written approval from your building owner if you rent.⁸

Self-employed applicants should also gather IRS reports of quarterly earnings for the last three months, plus the matching Schedule C, E, or F if you’re documenting business, rental, or farm income through tax returns.⁴

What Happens After You Apply

Once NYSERDA approves your application, a participating contractor schedules an on-site energy assessment. Technicians measure airflow, find thermal weak spots, and evaluate your heating and cooling equipment. The assessment determines which upgrades your home qualifies for, including any HEAR electrification rebates.

The contractor then builds a work scope and schedules installation. Low-income projects are installed at no cost. Moderate-income households arrange payment for their share before or during the work.⁵ A quality assurance inspection often follows. NYSERDA uses independent third-party Quality Assurance Services Providers to verify the work, separate from the company that installed it.⁹

From application to completed work, expect several weeks to a few months. Downstate areas with heavier demand sometimes run longer.

If You Rent

Renters can participate, but the building owner has to approve the work. Without that sign-off, the project can’t move forward.⁸

Your funding tier is set by the tenant’s income, not the landlord’s. If you qualify as low-income, eligible upgrades to your unit are covered up to 100 percent. If you’re in the moderate-income tier, the program covers up to 50 percent, and the balance falls to the property owner or is split by agreement between owner and tenant.⁸

1
Environmental Protection Agency. NYSERDA EmPower+ Program Profile
2
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. EmPower+ Eligibility Guidelines
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New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Income Guidelines
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NYSERDA. EmPower+ Application
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NYSERDA. EmPower+
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New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. EmPower New York What You Need to Know
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NYSERDA. Inflation Reduction Act Homeowners
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New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. EmPower+ for Renters and 2-4 Family Households
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NYSERDA. Residential Energy Storage Quality and Market Standards Policies and Procedures