Federal rebates for gas-to-electric heating conversions have ended — but electric-to-heat-pump upgrades still qualify. What changed
The rebates are not open and Virginia Energy says the application process has not been established yet. Use the state's incentives browser instead.
Prices pulled August 16, 2026
15.28¢
per kWh, residential electricity
12% below the national average of 17.3¢. 28th most expensive of 51.
Up 28% since 2021 (6.3% a year), against 27% nationally.
$1.62
per therm, residential natural gas
$16.79 per thousand cubic feet, 2025 annual. National average $1.48/therm.
Up 23% since 2021 (5.3% a year).
Heat pump vs. gas furnace — Heat pump favored
Virginia'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.
Virginia Energy is unusually direct about where things stand: launching the programs is contingent on federal review and approval of the state's application documents, and "the process by which eligible recipients will access the rebates has not yet been established." That is a clearer answer than most states give, and the right one to plan around — there is nothing to apply for.
The eligibility outline that has been published is still useful for planning. Owners and tenants of single-family and multifamily buildings both qualify, manufactured and mobile homes are included, and renters need written landlord permission. The appliance track is income-limited; the whole-home track is defined by savings — a measured energy saving threshold or a higher modelled one — rather than by income.
In the meantime the thing actually worth using is Virginia Energy Connect, the state's own incentives browser. It pulls together utility efficiency rebates, rooftop and shared solar programs, and EV incentives, filtered to your situation. Most states make you hunt utility by utility; Virginia gives you one place to look.
Shared solar deserves a specific mention, because it is genuinely different from what most states offer. If your roof is shaded, north-facing, or you rent, a shared solar subscription is a route to solar economics without owning panels — and Virginia has a program for it rather than leaving it to the market.
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.
The state's own searchable list of utility efficiency rebates, rooftop and shared solar programs, and EV incentives. The practical starting point while the rebate programs remain unlaunched.
Program detailsAwaiting federal approval. Virginia Energy states the process for accessing the rebates has not yet been established, so there is nothing to apply for and no queue to join.
Program detailsEnded. No credit for expenditures made after 31 December 2025.
Ended. No credit for property placed in service after 31 December 2025.
Full detail, sources and changelog on the national incentive tracker.
Your own utility is worth checking separately — utility rebates are often the largest remaining incentive and rarely appear in any central listing.
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.
These open with Virginia'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.
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