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California · checked October 21, 2026
Electrical panel upgrade rebates in California
1 program pays toward an electrical panel upgrade in California right now, with 1 offer between them. The largest stated amount is $4,000 (a maximum), from SMUD heat pump HVAC rebates (Go Electric panel and circuits, with a gas-to-electric conversion). These offers are tied to SMUD customers; the other California utilities' own programs have not been read yet. The federal 25C credit for this upgrade ended on December 31, 2025, so the state and utility money below is what is left.
What California pays for electrical panel upgrades
SMUD heat pump HVAC rebates Open
Run by Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) · for customers of 1 utility
- Go Electric panel and circuits, with a gas-to-electric conversion: Up to $4,000 for a smart panel, subpanel or new circuit (heating and cooling page); the water heater page lists a $2,000 Go Electric Bonus/Panel upgrade for a gas-to-electric water heater
Conditions on the program page: Installed and submitted by a SMUD Contractor Network contractor; Two-stage (15.2 SEER2 minimum) or variable-stage system; Title 24 via HERS CF3R; mini-splits must serve the whole home; Wi-Fi connected thermostat; Active SMUD account, home individually metered by SMUD; “Gas-to-electric conversion required to qualify for panel upgrade rebates”; Subject to available funding.
Source: SMUD: Heating and cooling rebates. Last checked October 21, 2026. Official program page.
Worked example: one California home
Take one panel upgrade done with a heat pump that replaces natural gas heat. These are example inputs, not typical prices. Each program's own rule gives the amounts below; where one program has several tiers only the largest one counts, separate programs add up, and a percentage offer with no cost entered is shown at its ceiling.
| Utility | Not income-qualified | Moderate income | Low income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) | $4,000 max | $4,000 max | $4,000 max |
For a household that is not income-qualified, the example comes to $4,000 at most, made of $4,000 from SMUD heat pumps (Go Electric panel and circuits, with a gas-to-electric conversion). None of the open offers has a separate income-qualified amount, so every household gets the same figure.
Who can use these California offers
Eligibility follows your electric or gas utility. SMUD heat pumps is open to SMUD customers. Customers of Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) are not covered by any open electrical panel upgrade offer listed here; check with the utility directly. None of these program pages lists an end date, and each can change or stop while funds last.
Federal credit and state IRA rebates
The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (IRC §25C) paid 30% of panelboards, sub-panels, branch circuits and feeders that support qualifying property, up to $600 per item. The IRS page says: “can claim the credit for improvements made through December 31, 2025.” Not allowed for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Source: IRS: Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, 26 U.S.C. §25C, as amended by Public Law 119-21 (July 4, 2025). See what the credit covered and when it ended.
California HEEHRA (the state's IRA HEAR program): Closed to new applications. “As of February 24, 2026, HEEHRA single-family rebates are fully reserved for projects statewide.” Multifamily rebates were fully reserved as of September 1, 2026, and “The program is no longer accepting new reservations.” Source: TECH Clean California: HEEHRA rebates.
How California compares
California has the largest stated electrical panel upgrade amount of the 15 states this site covers. Open elsewhere: North Carolina $4,000; Massachusetts $1,700. No open, sourced offer is listed in 12 other covered states (Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin). Compare them on the electrical panel upgrade rebates by state page.
Other upgrades in California: air-source heat pump, heat pump water heater, induction range or cooktop. Background: how rebates stack and the federal credit status.
Rebates are set by each program and can change or close without notice; the program's own page and application decide what is paid. This page is information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Amounts last checked October 21, 2026.