Marcus Webb has heated his two-story house in Rochester with oil for almost thirty years. Every October he calls his fuel company and braces for the bill. Last winter’s first delivery ran him close to $700, and he’s on a fixed income now that he’s retired from driving a school bus. A furnace that old only gets more expensive.
Marcus doesn’t know it yet, but New York just made his next winter cheaper. The state is now funding free heat pumps for New York homeowners who qualify, and finding out costs him nothing.
On September 22, during Climate Week, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the second installment of the state’s Sustainable Future Program: nearly $1 billion for bills like the one Marcus dreads, alongside rebate checks going out to more than 8 million New Yorkers starting late this month.
Free Heat Pumps for New York: Where the Money Goes
Half a billion dollars targets energy costs in homes and schools:
- $150 million for EmPower+, which covers free home energy assessments and, for income-qualifying households, heat pumps, insulation, and air sealing with no upfront cost.
- $150 million for weatherization in affordable housing, including public housing and Mitchell-Lama developments.
- $150 million for shared neighborhood heating and cooling systems that skip fossil fuel entirely.
- $50 million for solar and efficiency upgrades in public schools.
Another $300 million goes to renewable power: $200 million through NY-Sun to lower solar costs, and $100 million for public clean energy projects through the state power authority.
For Marcus, the number that matters is $12,000. That’s the cap on no-cost EmPower+ upgrades for a qualifying low-income household upstate, $14,000 downstate. No loan, no lien on the house. If his income and his oil furnace both qualify, he could swap that furnace for a heat pump and never see a delivery bill again.
Who Gets Helped First
New York widened EmPower+ eligibility back in March, swapping a statewide income test for a local one. A two-person household earning up to roughly $77,760 can now qualify in high-cost areas like New York City, where the old formula shut most people out.
It shows in the numbers. Only 7 percent of EmPower+ retrofits since 2010 happened in the five boroughs, according to reporting from City Limits. Housing advocate Rebekah Morris says the change helps, but doesn’t erase years of underinvestment in the neighborhoods that need it most.
“The rules are going to change, and more people will be considered eligible,” Morris said, while cautioning that outreach and contractor availability still lag in the city.
Renters aren’t left out either. If your landlord won’t put solar on the roof, New York’s community solar expansion already lets you subscribe to a shared solar farm and see savings on your own utility bill, no roof required.
The Part Worth Watching
Here’s the honest catch. Some of this funding leans on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, whose revenue isn’t guaranteed to hold steady. EmPower+’s budget could fall from roughly $234 million this year to $124 million in 2027 if that money dries up. Advocates are already asking Albany for $200 million more. That’s the difference between a program that reaches Marcus this winter and one that runs dry before it reaches his neighbor.
Watch two dates. Rebate checks start landing in late September, no application needed if your utility already has your address. And before you sign a contract for a furnace, a solar quote, or attic insulation, check your household’s eligibility at NYSERDA first. Up to $14,000 in free upgrades is worth ten minutes on a form.