Which Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy rebates apply to my HVAC project in 2026?
In Minnesota for 2026, furnace rebates come from your gas utility and AC and heat pump rebates from your electric utility. CenterPoint lets you pick the dealer; for Xcel's gas furnace rebates, check whether a participating contractor is required. Xcel's AC and most heat pump rebates need an enrolled contractor.
Key points
- Your gas bill decides the furnace rebate; your electric bill decides the AC and heat pump rebate.
- CenterPoint furnace rebates: a licensed heating dealer of your choice; check CenterPoint's current deadline.
- Xcel gas furnace rebates: check whether the program requires a participating contractor before you sign.
- Xcel AC and heat pump rebates: participating or Trade Partner Network contractor, except DIY mini-splits.
- The federal 25C credit ended after December 31, 2025; Minnesota's HEAR rebates haven't launched.
In Minnesota, your gas utility pays furnace rebates and your electric utility pays AC and heat pump rebates, and each program has its own contractor rule and deadline. Rebate programs run on a calendar year, so check the utility's current program page for its deadline before you schedule an install.
This page is a map, not a price list. We leave rebate amounts out on purpose, because they change every year, and Xcel's own cooling rebate page warns that its programs can change. The hubs are Xcel Energy's Minnesota heating and cooling page and CenterPoint Energy's efficiency page. Each program named below has its own page linked from those hubs, and that page has this year's amounts.
How do you find out which utilities serve your home?
Your bills are the only reliable guide. Look at who sends the gas bill and who sends the electric bill:
- Minneapolis: CenterPoint Energy for gas, Xcel Energy for electricity.
- Saint Paul: Xcel Energy for both.
- Suburbs and outlying towns: it depends on your address. Gas may come from CenterPoint, Xcel, Minnesota Energy Resources or another utility, and electricity from Xcel, a co-op such as Connexus Energy, Dakota Electric or Wright-Hennepin, or a municipal utility. Co-op programs run on their own rules; our Dakota County rebate walkthrough covers Dakota Electric's.
- Propane homes: there's no gas utility rebate for the furnace, but your electric utility's heat pump rebates may still apply.
- Western Wisconsin: different programs, including Focus on Energy, so this map doesn't apply there.
For the rebate picture in each city alongside what the equipment costs, see our pages on HVAC costs in Minneapolis and HVAC costs in Saint Paul.
The 2026 map
| Equipment | Program | Who can install it |
|---|---|---|
| Gas furnace or boiler, CenterPoint gas | CenterPoint residential heating rebates | Heating dealer of your choice |
| Gas furnace or boiler, Xcel gas | Xcel Heating Equipment Rebates | Check whether a participating contractor is required |
| Central AC, Xcel electric | Xcel Residential Cooling Rebates | Participating contractor, who tests and submits |
| Heat pump, Xcel electric | Xcel Heat Pump Rebates | Trade Partner Network contractor; DIY for mini-splits only |
| Heat pump added to a gas furnace, CenterPoint gas | CenterPoint Ducted Air Source Heat Pump Rebates | Heating dealer of your choice |
| Smart thermostat | CenterPoint thermostat rebates; Xcel smart thermostat rebate for AC Rewards models | Check each program page |
Deadlines, efficiency minimums and amounts all change, so confirm them on each utility's current program page before you sign.
Furnaces and boilers: the two gas programs differ
Both gas utilities rebate high-efficiency furnaces and boilers, but their rules differ. CenterPoint lets you pick any heating dealer and tiers its furnace rebate by AFUE, while Xcel may require a participating contractor, so ask before you sign. In both cases the model number on the invoice has to match the AHRI listing exactly. Our CenterPoint furnace rebate guide walks through that program's claim steps and the paperwork mistakes that get applications denied. For Xcel, read its current heating equipment page for the contractor rule and deadline. Rentals can qualify too, since a tenant who pays the gas bill may be able to sign the rebate over to the owner.
The rebate is a reason to check the exact model's AHRI rating before you sign, not a reason to buy more furnace than the house needs. Our furnace installation page covers sizing and venting.
What does Xcel require for a central AC rebate?
Xcel's central AC rebates require a participating contractor, who starts the system, tests it and submits the paperwork. Some of those tests need warm outdoor weather, so a fall or winter install may wait until spring for its rebate. The efficiency tiers are judged on the AHRI certificate for the whole installed package, meaning the outdoor unit, the indoor coil or air handler, and the furnace, so a new condenser on an old coil may not reach the tier you expected. Xcel says rebate qualifications and amounts can change at any time. Our AC installation page explains how we match equipment.
Heat pumps: two utilities, two approaches
Xcel pays heat pump rebates through its Trade Partner Network, or directly to you for a non-ducted mini-split you install yourself. CenterPoint pays only for a ducted heat pump paired with its gas furnace as a dual-fuel system. The contractor rules, the switchover requirement, the reduced heating rate and the co-op programs are all laid out in our Minnesota heat pump rebate update, and our heat pump installation cost guide covers what the install itself runs.
Which thermostat rebates do CenterPoint and Xcel offer?
CenterPoint offers a rebate on basic programmable, Wi-Fi and smart thermostats. Xcel's smart thermostat rebate is tied to the models eligible for AC Rewards, its summer demand-response program. Our AC Rewards review covers whether that trade suits your house, and our thermostat service page covers wiring and installation.
How to line up the paperwork
- Read both bills and note which utility supplies each fuel.
- Get a written quote with exact model numbers for every piece of equipment, and ask for the AHRI certificate for the matched system.
- Check each program's contractor rule before you sign: dealer of your choice, participating contractor, or enrolled with Xcel.
- Check the invoice. It should show the brand and complete model numbers, matching the application exactly.
- Look up each deadline on the program page and put it on your calendar before the install, because they differ between utilities and thermostats.
- Keep copies and expect weeks. Processing takes time, and each utility's page gives its current estimate.
Which HVAC incentives are no longer available?
The federal 25C credit ended for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025, and some utility pages still mention federal incentives that no longer apply. Minnesota's IRA-funded HEAR and HOMES rebates hadn't launched as of mid-2026, so don't count on them for a project. Our post on the federal credits that ended and the state rebates still waiting covers both.
What to do next
Get a written quote with exact model numbers for every piece of equipment, then check each program's contractor rule before you sign. We help with utility rebate paperwork where the program allows it; for Xcel's AC and heat pump rebates, ask whether the rebate needs a registered contractor before you count on it. Call 612-429-3465 any day between 7am and 9pm.
Common questions about rebates
I live in Minneapolis. Which utility pays for a new furnace and AC?
In Minneapolis, CenterPoint Energy supplies natural gas and Xcel Energy supplies electricity. So a furnace rebate comes from CenterPoint, where you can use the heating dealer of your choice, and a central AC rebate comes from Xcel, which requires a participating contractor and a startup test. One project, two applications, two sets of rules.
I live in Saint Paul. Is it all Xcel?
For most Saint Paul homes, yes: Xcel Energy supplies both gas and electricity. For Xcel's gas furnace and boiler rebates, check whether the program requires a participating contractor, and check Xcel's current application deadline. Its central AC and heat pump rebates run on different contractor rules, so check each one before you sign.
Why hasn't my Xcel AC rebate been paid?
Xcel doesn't pay central AC rebates until the contractor has tested the unit, and some of those tests need warm outdoor weather. If your AC went in during late fall or winter, the rebate may not arrive until spring. Check with the contractor that the test and paperwork were submitted.
Can I get both an Xcel and a CenterPoint rebate on the same project?
Yes, if each program covers a different piece of equipment and you meet each one's rules. A gas furnace can earn a rebate from the gas utility, while an AC or heat pump earns one from the electric utility. Each program has its own paperwork, contractor rule and deadline, so check each utility's current page before you buy.
Sources
- Xcel Energy mn.my.xcelenergy.com
- CenterPoint Energy centerpointenergy.com
- AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance ahridirectory.org
- Focus on Energy home energy rebates focusonenergy.com