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The Department of Energy issued guidance for federally funded, state-run home energy rebate programs on Friday, ending the ability for households to qualify for rebates when replacing fossil fuel-fired appliances with electric alternatives. It also removed requirements such as a consumer satisfaction survey with the aim of streamlining the programs.
“DOE continues to prioritize stewardship of taxpayer funds but has identified areas of unnecessary duplication for oversight,” the guidance said. The guidance concerns DOE’s Home Owner Managing Energy Savings and High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate programs.
DOE said it is replacing both programs’ consumer protection plan with a fraud, waste, and abuse mitigation plan and removing requirements for internal review plans, a consumer satisfaction survey, and dispute resolution procedures beyond existing state laws and regulations.
“DOE is also restricting the usage of self-attestation for income qualification to align the Tribal requirements with the fraud, waste, and abuse reduction requirements in the HEEHR Program for States and Territories,” the guidance said, and it is “removing all program requirements not required by statute related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
