Know what it should cost before you call.
Real installed prices, sizing basics, and which rebates apply — plus how to sequence the project, read the quotes, and get through install day. Written by people who install this stuff for a living.
Start with the upgrade you're weighing
2 in-depth guides covering costs, rebates, sizing, and installation.
Heat Pumps
How they work, what they cost, which rebates apply, and how to size one for your climate. Written by contractors who install them.
Insulation
Types, R-values, costs, and which rebates cover the work. The envelope is the foundation — everything else performs better when insulation is right.
For the project, not just the product
The upgrade guides above cover what things cost. These cover how the whole project goes: what order, whether the quote is fair, and what happens when the crew shows up.
What size heat pump do you need?
A 30-second starting range by climate and envelope — and why the real number comes from a load calculation on your house.
Run the sizing calculatorWhat should insulation cost?
Attic, walls, or basement — a budgeting range from published per-square-foot pricing, before the rebates that often cover much of it.
Run the cost calculatorHeat pump vs furnace: running cost
Cost per million BTU for heat pumps vs gas, oil, propane, and baseboard at current prices — with the formula to run your own rates.
See the mathAttic insulation cost
Per-square-foot prices by material, worked examples by attic size, and why this is the most-subsidized work in home energy.
Read the cost guideDIY home energy audit
Five stops, one hour: find your home's leaks, thin insulation, and aging equipment before you spend a dollar on fixes.
Walk the checklistAir sealing: DIY vs contractor
The honest split: weatherstripping and outlet gaskets are yours; the attic plane and blower-door work belong to a pro.
See what's yoursWhat order to do it in
Envelope first, equipment second — why the sequence matters, and how to phase a retrofit to your budget and your rebates' deadlines.
Read the sequencing guideWeatherize before the heat pump
A tighter house needs a smaller, cheaper heat pump. The ordering decision that saves more than any equipment discount.
Read the ordering guideWhole-home electrification plan
Room by room, phase by phase: heat pump, water heater, induction, and the panel — in the order that saves money.
Read the planQuestions for your installer
The 15 questions that separate real heat pump installers from equipment swappers — same list, every walkthrough.
Get the checklistHow to read a quote
What belongs on a heat pump or insulation quote, typical installed prices, and the red flags that mean keep shopping.
Read the quote guideHeat pump installation cost
Why two bids on the same house differ by ten grand: the five drivers behind the $14,000–$25,000 whole-home range.
See the driversWhat to expect during the work
What good work looks like at each milestone, the final-payment checklist, and how to claim your rebates after install.
Read the installation guideClaim your rebates after install
The document kit, the application walkthrough, and the rejection reasons — plus the 2026 federal tax credit reality.
Get your moneyFirst-year heat pump care
Month one, the filter rhythm, what's normal in winter, and the 12-month service visit that matters most.
Read the owner's checklistThen there's the money question
The federal tax credit ended for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025. These cover what pays for the work now: rebates, state energy loans, and the borrowing routes worth using, in order of what each one costs you.
How to pay for home energy upgrades
The whole money picture in one page: rebates first, then 0% state loans, then borrowing, in order of what each one costs you.
Read the money guideFinancing a heat pump
Seven ways to pay for a heat pump in 2026, the state loan programs that beat a bank, and what the federal changes did to the math.
See the seven waysPaying for a furnace replacement
The urgent one. Six payment paths when the heat is out, plus the honest comparison against a heat pump once rebates are counted.
Read the emergency guidePaying for insulation
The most subsidized work in home energy, and the reason 2026 federal rules now put it first in line ahead of the equipment.
See what pays for itPaying for a water heater
What a replacement costs, why the heat pump model changes the math, and what to do when the tank fails today.
Read the water heater guideThe heat pump tax credit expired
25C ended for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025. What you can still claim, and what replaced it.
Get the current answerIRA home energy rebates in 2026
HEAR and HOMES in plain English: what DOE Program Notices 26-1 and 26-2 changed, who qualifies, and which states are live.
Read the rebate rulesStacking rebates and incentives
The order of operations for combining rebates, loans, and utility incentives without disqualifying yourself from one of them.
Get the order rightState energy efficiency loans
Every state and utility energy loan program we have verified at the administrator, with rates, caps, and the conditions attached.
Find your state's loanHELOC, home equity loan, or personal loan
A neutral comparison of the three borrowing routes homeowners actually use for energy work, and who each one fits.
Compare the threeHow contractor financing works
True 0% APR versus deferred interest, where the cost hides in a dealer offer, and the questions to ask before you sign.
Read the fine printFree or reduced-cost heating replacement
The Weatherization Assistance Program and the income-qualified channels inside the rebate programs, and how to reach them.
See what you qualify forAre heat pumps still worth it?
The payback question without the federal credit, run on current installed costs and current fuel prices, state by state.
See the mathReading is step one. Run your own numbers.
The guides tell you what things generally cost. These tell you what yours will.
Rebate programs change. We track the changes.
Program amounts, deadlines, and eligibility shift throughout the year. Our news feed follows the updates that affect what you can claim.
Done reading? Get real numbers for your home.
Tell us about your project and we'll match you with up to 3 licensed local contractors. Every quote itemizes the rebates you qualify for. Free, no obligation.
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