Topic · 3 pages
Heating Rebates and Rules, 2026
Heating rebates in the Roaring Fork Valley for 2026 mean utility money from Holy Cross Energy and Black Hills Energy, a contractor-claimed Colorado heat pump credit, and REMP fees on outdoor heat.
Written by the Upvalley Heat desk from manuals and official pages · how figures are sourced · Rechecked
First tracks
- Holy Cross Energy's 2026 heat pump rebate is $3,500, doubled to $7,000 for members under 150% of area median income (Holy Cross Energy, read October 2026).
- Black Hills Energy pays $260 to $375 for a 90 to 97% AFUE gas furnace installed in 2026, with forms due January 31, 2027.
- The federal 25C and 25D home energy credits do not cover anything installed after December 31, 2025.
- Colorado's 2026 heat pump credit is $1,000 for air-source units, claimed by a registered contractor who must hand at least $333 of it to you.
- CORE paused residential rebates in Garfield County and unincorporated Roaring Fork Eagle County from September 30, 2026; Basalt and Pitkin County projects remain eligible.
- Aspen and Pitkin County charge $52.62 per sq ft for new residential snowmelt under REMP.
Money for heating upgrades in this valley moves on three tracks: utility rebates paid after the work, a state credit taken off the invoice, and local fees owed before a permit for outdoor heat. The federal track closed at the end of 2025. Each amount on these pages carries the date it was read. Programs change; check before you buy.
Valley heating money at a glance, 2026
- $3,500Holy Cross heat pump rebate for all membersHoly Cross Energy 2026 rebates
- $1,000Black Hills rebate for a 95% AFUE gas boilerBlack Hills Energy, 2026 rebate form
- $1,000Colorado tax credit per air-source heat pump, via the contractorColorado Energy Office
- $52.62REMP fee per sq ft of residential snowmeltPitkin County REMP calculator 2025.1
Which heating rebates do Roaring Fork Valley utilities pay?
Holy Cross Energy pays for heat pumps and Black Hills Energy pays for efficient gas furnaces, boilers and thermostats, per their 2026 programs. Holy Cross also pays $1,000 for a heat pump water heater and caps each account at $5,000 a year; Black Hills pays up to $1,000 for a condensing boiler, but only where it supplies the home's main heating fuel, according to its 2026 Colorado application. CORE adds half the cost of a cold-climate heat pump, up to $7,500, where its 2026 budget lasts. Glenwood Springs Electric's rebates have been waitlisted since July 1, 2026.
Which tax credits are left in 2026?
Only Colorado's heat pump credit is left; the federal 25C and 25D credits ended for 2026 installs, per the IRS. The state credit is $1,000 for an air-source heat pump, $2,000 for ground-source and $250 for a heat pump water heater, and you see it as a "State of Colorado Heat Pump Discount" line on the invoice rather than on your return. Colorado's single-family HEAR rebates closed on August 1, 2026. For lower-income households, LEAP bill help opens November 1, 2026 and the Weatherization Assistance Program serves all three valley counties.
What is REMP and who pays it?
REMP is the Renewable Energy Mitigation Program in Pitkin County's and the City of Aspen's energy codes, and owners who add snowmelt, outdoor pools, spas, heat tape or outdoor heaters pay it, per Pitkin's Title 11. Owners can offset it with on-site renewables or efficient equipment instead. All exterior energy on a Pitkin parcel is capped at 200,000,000 Btu a year. Snowmass Village runs a separate 2011 offset program, and its figures should be checked against the Town's May 2026 code update.
Rebates and rules: Pitkin County REMP, Aspen REMP and Snowmass REOP compared
Radiant and snowmelt: How snowmelt systems work and what they cost
Do heating rebates need a permit or a registered contractor?
Usually both: Aspen and Glenwood Springs require a mechanical permit to replace heating equipment, and the Colorado credit can only be claimed by a contractor registered with the Colorado Energy Office. Pitkin County, Basalt and Carbondale publish mechanical permit applications, so expect a permit and ask the building department. December 31, 2026 is the last day a contractor can register to claim credits for 2026 installs. Holy Cross also wants a Manual J load calculation and the outdoor unit raised at least 12 inches.
| Program | Run by | Main heating amount | Paid how |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat pump rebate | Holy Cross Energy | $3,500 ($7,000 income-qualified) | Check after you apply, within 90 days of invoice |
| Gas heating rebate | Black Hills Energy | $260–$375 furnace; $675–$1,000 boiler | Rebate after you apply, by January 31, 2027 |
| Cold-climate heat pump rebate | CORE | Half of cost, capped at $7,500 | Rebate; on hold in Garfield County and the unincorporated Eagle County part of the valley |
| Heat pump tax credit | State of Colorado | $1,000 air-source, $2,000 ground-source | At least a third off the contractor's invoice |
| REMP fee | Pitkin County and City of Aspen | $52.62 per sq ft of snowmelt | Owner pays at permit, or offsets with renewables |
How do you stack rebates without losing one?
Stack by keeping each program's own deadline and paperwork, because they do not share one clock. A single Holy Cross application also applies for its Energy Smart Colorado partner's rebate, which in this valley is CORE, but CORE counts only scope beyond code on permitted jobs. Holy Cross and CORE word their dual fuel switchover rules differently (Holy Cross: "a minimum of 5°F"; CORE: "no greater than 5 degrees"), so hand both rules to the installer. Federal credits no longer enter the math for 2026 work.
Avalanche report: how this page was checked
This overview draws on the same October 2026 readings as the three pages it links: Holy Cross Energy's 2026 residential rebate page, Black Hills Energy's 2026 Colorado application, CORE's 2026 residential rebate page and funding notices, the IRS 25C page, the Colorado Energy Office's credit and rebate pages, Pitkin County's Title 11 and REMP calculator, and town building pages. The utility, IRS and state pages were reopened October 27, 2026. Left out: Xcel Energy programs (no source shows Xcel serving these towns), City of Aspen/MEAN amounts newer than its fall/winter 2024 flyer, and cost estimates.
Lift-line questions
Which rebate should you look at first for a heat pump in Basalt?
Start with Holy Cross Energy's $3,500 rebate if Holy Cross sends your electric bill, then CORE, which still funds Town of Basalt projects first come, first served. Ask the contractor whether it is registered for the Colorado credit too.
Is there any federal money left for heating upgrades in 2026?
Not through the 25C or 25D tax credits, which ended after 2025. The federally funded HEAR rebates for single-family homes in Colorado also closed on August 1, 2026.
Does a new snowmelt driveway qualify for any rebate?
Black Hills pays $1,815 for a hydronic driveway snowmelt boiler of at least 95% AFUE. Holy Cross has no residential snowmelt rebate, and CORE helps only when a heat pump replaces fossil-fuel snowmelt.
Do second homes qualify for valley heating rebates?
It depends on the program. Colorado's HEAR rebates excluded secondary and vacation homes; the utility programs set their own rules, so read each 2026 rule sheet before you buy.
Where do Glenwood Springs residents stand in 2026?
Glenwood Springs Electric rebates are on a waitlist and CORE has paused Garfield County rebates for the rest of 2026. Black Hills gas rebates and the Colorado heat pump credit still apply.
Does REMP apply in Glenwood Springs or Carbondale?
None of the Glenwood Springs, Carbondale or Basalt building pages read for this site shows a REMP-type fee; the fees found apply in Pitkin County, the City of Aspen and, under its own REOP, Snowmass Village. Those towns still expect permits for heating work.
Back to the base lodge: Roaring Fork Valley heating, town by town