Energy Trust of Oregon
Ratepayer-funded cash incentives for equipment, weatherization and solar, plus home energy assessments. Covers customers of PGE, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista.
Program detailsOregon home energy costs & incentives
Cheap electricity, a strong ratepayer-funded incentive body, and one of the clearest heat pump cases in the country — provided your utility is one of the five it covers.
Prices pulled August 16, 2026
What energy costs here
15.37¢
per kWh, residential electricity
11% below the national average of 17.3¢. 26th most expensive of 51.
Up 35% since 2021 (7.8% a year), against 27% nationally.
$1.61
per therm, residential natural gas
$16.71 per thousand cubic feet, 2025 annual. National average $1.48/therm.
Up 42% since 2021 (9.2% a year).
Heat pump vs. gas furnace — Heat pump favored
Oregon's electricity-to-gas price ratio works out at 2.8-to-1. At these prices a heat pump should cost less to run than a gas furnace across the heating season, before counting the air conditioning it also replaces.
Below roughly 3.5-to-1 a heat pump usually wins on running cost; above roughly 5-to-1 a furnace may be cheaper through winter. How that comparison works · run it with these rates
State averages from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (electricity, gas), pulled 2026-08-16. Real bills vary substantially by utility within a state, and by rate plan within a utility — check a recent bill for your own numbers before relying on any of this. The heat pump verdict above follows from these averages, so it moves if your rates differ.
What's different in Oregon
Energy Trust of Oregon is a nonprofit funded by utility ratepayers, offering cash incentives for efficient equipment, weatherization, solar and home energy assessments, plus income-qualified rebates.
The catch worth checking first: it serves customers of five utilities — Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista. If your power or gas comes from a municipal utility or a co-op outside that list, Energy Trust incentives are not available to you, whatever a contractor implies.
Oregon's electricity-to-gas ratio is among the most favorable in the country, so a heat pump here tends to win on running cost on its own merits, before any incentive.
Check with the administrator before you sign anything. Program budgets run out, terms change without notice, and most require approval before work starts — a rebate you apply for afterwards is usually a rebate you don't get. Treat this page as a starting point for your own call, not as confirmation that you qualify. We last checked these programs on August 16, 2026.
Oregon programs
The federal position — the same everywhere
- Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D)Ended
Ended. No credit for expenditures made after 31 December 2025.
- Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (Section 25C)Ended
Ended. No credit for property placed in service after 31 December 2025.
Full detail, sources and changelog on the national incentive tracker.
Where to check for your address
- Energy Trust of Oregon
- DSIRE — search state, local and utility programs by ZIP
- ENERGY STAR Rebate Finder
- U.S. DOE — Home Energy Rebates, by state
Your own utility is worth checking separately — utility rebates are often the largest remaining incentive and rarely appear in any central listing.
Not tax advice
Everything here is general information gathered from public sources. It is not tax, financial or engineering advice, and it cannot account for your utility, your income, your equipment or your return. Energy prices are state averages that move; program terms and budgets change without notice. Confirm anything you plan to budget around directly with the program administrator, your utility and a licensed professional before you commit money.
If you find something on this page that is out of date, tell us at minchangyi@me.com and we will correct it.
Run the numbers for your house
These open with Oregon's average rates already filled in. Correct them from a recent bill before you rely on the result — state averages hide a lot of variation between utilities.
Guides behind these numbers
- Heat Pump vs. Gas Furnace: The Real 2026 Cost ComparisonUpfront cost, operating cost, and total cost of ownership for heat pumps vs. gas furnaces in 2026 — with the trade-offs most guides skip.HVAC · 6 min read
- The Gas-to-Heat-Pump Rebate Is Gone. The Electric-to-Heat-Pump One Isn't.DOE Program Notice 26-2 removed fuel switching from the HEAR rebates. Here's exactly what changed, who is still eligible, and what to do if your project is already underway.HVAC · 6 min read
- How to Tell If Your HVAC System Is Properly Sized (Manual J Explained)An oversized or undersized HVAC system wastes money and comfort. Here's what proper sizing means and how to know if yours is right.HVAC · 4 min read
- Insulation vs. HVAC Upgrades: Which Should You Prioritize First?Before spending on a new HVAC system, it's often smarter to fix your home's envelope first. Here's how to decide the right order.HVAC · 3 min read
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