NJ Whole Home Energy Solutions

NJ Whole Home Energy Solutions

What it covers

Comprehensive home energy upgrade program — single rebate of up to $7,500 covering a coordinated package of measures: insulation and air sealing, HVAC system upgrade (often heat pump), and water heater replacement. Formerly known as Home Performance with Energy Star (HPwES).

Funded jointly by all 7 NJ utilities (electric: PSE&G, JCP&L, ACE, Rockland; gas: PSE&G, NJNG, SJG, ETG). Available statewide.

Eligibility

• Active NJ utility account (any of the 7 sponsoring utilities — electric or gas).
• Must use a participating contractor (BPI-certified energy auditor + accredited installer).
• Comprehensive BPI-certified energy audit required as the first step (the audit produces the recommended scope of work).
• Project must achieve a minimum 5% total energy savings versus current usage.
• Single-family, townhouse, and multi-family up to 4 units eligible.
• Renters not eligible directly — landlord must apply.
• Funding is first-come, first-served each program year.

Stacks with

• PSE&G Building Decarbonization is a separate program that can run concurrently. They are NOT stacked rebates — they are two separate projects on the same home. If the homeowner wants BD's heat pump rebate, heating/cooling moves from Whole Home into BD scope, which reduces the Whole Home rebate. See rules/bd-stackability-rules.md for the split-scope mechanic.
• OBR financing stacks with BD up to $75,000 combined ($25K Whole Home + $50K BD heat pump). See rules/obr-financing.md.

Does NOT stack with

Whole Home rebate is scope-tied (max $7,500), not flat. Any measure pulled out of Whole Home scope (e.g., heating/cooling moved to BD) reduces the Whole Home rebate proportionally.

Per rules/whole-home-equipment-exclusion.md:

• PSE&G $900 heat pump equipment rebate — if HVAC is included as a measure in the Whole Home scope (which is typical), the homeowner is disqualified from the equipment-only rebate covering the same equipment.
• JCP&L $750 heat pump rebate — same exclusion.
• ACE $700 heat pump / water heater rebate — same exclusion.
• NJ HPWH $750 rebate (per rules/hpwh-exclusion.md) — if HPWH is included in Whole Home scope.

Conservative default: assume the exclusion applies across all NJ utilities until per-utility rules are individually verified.

Edge cases

• Insulation + air sealing only (no HVAC measure): the equipment-only HVAC rebate becomes available again for a separately-procured equipment install. Agent should note this if user's situation suggests they're only doing envelope work.
• Multi-family up to 4 units: building owner applies; per-unit rebate stacking depends on individual unit improvements.
• Renters: ineligible directly. If the user's situation indicates they're a renter, agent should redirect to "talk to your landlord" rather than estimate rebates.
• Income-qualified pathway: a separate "Comfort Partners" program serves low-income households with no out-of-pocket cost. Out of scope for the headline estimator — agent should flag eligibility ("if your household income is under [threshold], you may qualify for the Comfort Partners program at no cost — verified during your free consultation").

Recommended for

• Comprehensive multi-measure projects (HVAC + insulation, optionally + water heater).
• Homeowners with old equipment (pre-2000) who'd benefit from a full audit identifying envelope and equipment issues together.
• Anyone whose monthly bill is high enough to suggest envelope or system inefficiency.
• The default recommendation for almost every NJ homeowner — the rebate ($7,500) far exceeds equipment-only paths ($700-$900), and the BPI audit surfaces hidden savings.