House passes bills targeting HVAC rebates, efficiency standards

The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed two HVAC-focused bills — one that would nix a federal rebate program, and another that would reshape how energy efficiency standards are implemented. 

What’s happening: The Homeowner Energy Freedom Act, passed Wednesday, would repeal the HEAR program, one of two consumer-facing rebate programs established under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which provides low-to-moderate income households with up to $14,000 for installing qualifying equipment, including heat pumps. It would also eliminate $200 million appropriated for contractor training grants related to the program. 

Why it matters: While President Trump’s big, beautiful bill in 2025 cut a separate pair of consumer-facing HVAC tax credits, the IRA’s rebate programs have, so far, remained untouched. 

Yes, and: The Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act, passed Tuesday, would ultimately allow the Department of Energy to withdraw or revise certain rules that have not yet taken effect — and require additional cost-benefit justifications for future efficiency standards. 

• Between the lines: The bill would also switch the compliance trigger for regional efficiency standards from the date equipment is installed to the date it’s manufactured or imported — a fix that ACCA, AHRI, HARDI, and PHCC have been calling for for over a decade. 

What they’re saying: Alex Ayers, HARDI’s VP of government affairs, told Homepros on Wednesday that “install date compliance has never made sense,” noting it “only takes a colder-than-expected summer to leave millions of dollars of equipment stranded and facing an installation deadline.” 

• “This can cause massive financial hardship for a distributor or contractor left holding this inventory,” he added. 

The big picture: Republicans have said that energy regulations force consumers to spend money on new appliances, cause new-build home prices to rise, and stress the electric grid, while Democrats have countered that energy-efficient appliances save consumers money on their utility bills, and that rebate programs help families shoulder the costs.  

What’s next: The bills will need to be taken up and passed by the Senate, and signed by the president, to become law.