United States · audit-first home energy upgrades
Find a certified home energy auditor, see what an audit costs where you live and check which rebates are actually open after this year’s federal changes, across the 26 largest U.S. metro areas.
What changed in 2026
The 25C home improvement credit, including its $150 audit credit, and the 25D clean energy credit don’t apply to work after December 31, 2025. Public Law 119-21, signed July 4, 2025, moved their end dates up from 2032 and 2034.
DOE’s new program notices for the Home Energy Rebates removed federal rebates for switching from gas, oil or propane to electric equipment, and put insulation and air sealing before heating and cooling upgrades. Programs already running had about three months to comply.
On October 12, 2026, at least one federal rebate pathway was taking applications in 10 states plus DC: Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, often with income limits or only some measures. Elsewhere they’re paused, closed or not launched.
26 metro areas
The audit program most homeowners in each metro can start with, and what it costs. Each metro guide adds the other programs, the rebates open now, local rules and energy prices.
How an audit works
Most of the 26 metros have a utility or state assessment, often free. Many rebates require one first.
A full diagnostic audit adds a blower door test, an infrared scan and combustion safety checks on gas appliances.
The report ranks upgrades for your house. Take it to the program’s contractors and rebates.
The testing guide
An auditor’s tests find where the energy goes. Radon, carbon monoxide, lead and well water are about health, and some you can start yourself.
Airtightness measured at 50 pascals
Finds missing or damaged insulation
Venting and CO checks on gas appliances
Leaks measured at 25 pascals
EPA: fix at 4 pCi/L or more
Alarms on every level
Homes built before 1978
EPA: test every year
The complete testing guide → Which tests does my home need? →
Not for an audit done in 2026. The credit of up to $150 a year for a home energy audit was part of the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C). Public Law 119-21, signed July 4, 2025, ended 25C for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, and the IRS says the audit credit can’t be claimed for audits paid for or done after that date. The Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D) also ended for expenditures after December 31, 2025. An audit done in 2025 is claimed on the 2025 return with Form 5695.
It depends on the state, because each state runs its own program. Checking state pages on October 12, 2026, we found at least one rebate pathway taking applications in 10 states plus DC: Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, often with income limits, waitlists or only some measures. The Building Performance Association’s June 2026 map counts twelve states plus DC as launched. DOE no longer publishes a current state-by-state list, and it rewrote the program rules effective May 29, 2026, so check your state’s own page before you buy anything.
No DOE, EPA or HUD page gives a national typical price, and DOE says Home Energy Score fees vary across the country. Utility and state programs often pay for most or all of an assessment: in our research, 13 of the 26 largest metros have a free in-person utility or state assessment open to all incomes. Where a fee is published it is modest, for example $49 for an SRP in-home assessment in Phoenix, $70 or $100 for a Home Energy Squad visit in Minnesota and $100 for a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR audit from BGE or Pepco in Maryland. For a private audit, Nicor Gas says an energy audit may cost between $100 and $500 or more, and Austin Energy estimates about $200–$300 for the audit Austin requires at most home sales (a typical home of 1,800 sq ft or less).
Look for a recognized credential: a RESNET HERS Rater, a Building Performance Institute (BPI) Building Analyst Professional or Home Energy Professional Energy Auditor, or a DOE Home Energy Score Certified Assessor. Each has an official directory or verification page. Utility programs use their own trained staff or participating contractors, and some, like SRP’s audit discount in Phoenix, require a BPI-certified contractor.
Yes. The federal Weatherization Assistance Program, run through state agencies and local providers, pays for an energy audit and cost-effective upgrades for eligible households; under federal rules that includes households at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines ($66,000 a year for a family of four under the 2026 guidelines, as Pennsylvania’s program publishes it). The Program Year 2026 average spending limit is $8,813 per home. All 26 metro guides also list utility, city or state programs for income-qualified households, many with free assessments.
Tell us your ZIP code, the kind of home you have and what you’re planning. A person reads every message and replies with the certified auditors and utility programs that serve your area.