Longmont Heat Pumps: Stacking Rebates, 2026

In most of the Denver metro, a heat pump rebate conversation starts with Xcel Energy. In Longmont, it starts with the city. Longmont owns its electric utility, Longmont Power & Communications, and the city offers rebates to electric customers through its partner Efficiency Works, a collaboration between Platte River Power Authority and the utilities of Longmont, Estes Park, Fort Collins and Loveland. The result is a different rulebook, with paperwork details that can cost you money if you miss them.

How the incentives line up in 2026

Efficiency Works' HVAC incentive sheet, effective January 1, 2026, includes a table that sets its own rebate beside an Xcel rebate and Colorado's tax credit discount, with a total for each measure:

Treat the totals as the sheet's illustration, not a promise. Each program sets its own eligibility, and the Xcel amounts depend on Xcel's program rules, so confirm with Xcel whether your household qualifies. The Colorado amounts are the minimum discounts registered contractors must give customers under the state's heat pump tax credit for 2026 installations.

The rules that trip people up

The same Efficiency Works sheet lists requirements worth reading before you sign a contract:

• Use a listed contractor. Equipment must be installed by an Efficiency Works Homes listed service provider.
• Pre-approval over $2,500. Total incentive amounts over $2,500 require pre-approval before upgrades begin. Applications over $2,500 that didn't get pre-approval are capped at $2,500. With a Tier 2 ducted system or a multi-ton ductless job, it's easy to exceed that, so get pre-approval first.
• Home age. The home must be at least one year old.
• New equipment only, with proof of purchase showing the date, price paid, model information and shipping details.
• Caps and changes. Incentives are limited to 100% of project cost, funds are limited, and Efficiency Works reserves the right to change measure values without notice.

For ducted systems, the sheet also sets efficiency criteria, such as a minimum of 15.2 SEER2 and 7.8 HSPF2 with an AHRI-matched indoor and outdoor coil.

Choosing the system in Longmont

The table rewards certain choices. A non-ducted system replacing electric baseboard heat gets the larger per-ton Efficiency Works rebate, which makes ductless heat pumps attractive in older Longmont homes and additions heated by baseboard. Tier 2 ducted equipment earns more than Tier 1, so ask your contractor to price both and compare the difference in equipment cost against the difference in rebate.

Hiring in Longmont

Longmont licenses contractors, and mechanical contractors must pass exams, with ICC certificates accepted. Electricians must hold Colorado licenses. Ask any HVAC bidder for:

1. their Longmont license and Efficiency Works listing;
2. their registration in the state heat pump tax credit program;
3. the equipment's AHRI certificate and tier;
4. who files for pre-approval and rebates, and when.

For heat pump costs and cold-weather performance, see the heat pumps and HVAC guide. For Longmont's permits and floodplain notes, see the Longmont area page.