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Home energy incentives and tax credits
Incentives are the part of a green-energy project that changes the most. Credits expire, rebate budgets run out, and eligibility can depend on income, location, or which contractor you hire. Use this page as a map to official sources — not as a substitute for the current rule text or a tax professional.
Federal tax credits
The IRS groups several household provisions under home energy tax credits. Two pages most homeowners need are the Residential Clean Energy Credit (solar, and in some cases batteries and other on-site generation) and the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (certain efficiency equipment and building upgrades). Claims typically use Form 5695. Vehicle credits are separate: see the new clean vehicle credit and the used clean vehicle credit, plus the FuelEconomy.gov tax-credit center.
ENERGY STAR's federal tax credits page is a consumer-oriented companion to the IRS instructions. DOE Home Upgrades also points to credit and rebate categories. For an independent calculator that applies published federal rules to a household profile, Rewiring America hosts an incentives calculator; treat any calculator as a starting estimate and confirm against IRS and state program text. Background on the federal law that created many current provisions is summarized in Rewiring America's Inflation Reduction Act research page.
State, utility, and local programs
DSIRE (the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency) is the standard national directory. You can browse all programs or go straight to Texas programs. Utility rebates may also appear in the ENERGY STAR rebate finder.
Some federal rebate dollars are administered by states through DOE's Home Energy Rebates program, overseen with other state work by the Office of State and Community Energy Programs. Availability is not uniform — check your state energy office. In Texas, the State Energy Conservation Office sits with the comptroller: SECO and its programs list. Households under income limits may also look at the Texas Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP).
Texas-specific extras
Austin Electric Utility customers should read Austin Energy residential rebates and, for solar, For Your Home. Property tax treatment of some energy equipment is described in the comptroller's exemptions index. If you buy electricity in a competitive area, compare plans on Power to Choose — a greener supply plan will not replace a tax credit, but it is part of the same household energy picture. See Choosing greener electricity in Texas.
Nothing on this site is tax, legal, or rebate-application advice. Program amounts, dates, and income limits are omitted here on purpose so they are not copied out of date. Follow the official pages, and consider a qualified tax preparer for credit claims.
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