CenterPoint Energy Rebates: The Houston Homeowner's 2026 Guide
Houston runs its air conditioning harder than almost any city in America, and CenterPoint — the utility that delivers electricity to greater Houston no matter who sells it to you — pays homeowners to run it more efficiently. Two programs matter for most homes: a free professional A/C tune-up (the ComfortCheck program) and HVAC replacement incentives applied directly to your installation invoice when the work goes through a participating contractor. That second detail is the whole game: no participating contractor, no incentive.
The free one first: ComfortCheck A/C Tune-Up
Before you spend anything, CenterPoint will send an independent certified technician to assess your system, find efficiency losses, and implement improvements — at no cost. The eligibility rules are simple:
- Residential customer in the CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric service area (apartments excluded)
- Central A/C or heat pump at least one year old and currently operational
- No tune-up through the program in the past five years
For an older-but-running system, this is the cheapest efficiency gain in Houston — and the assessment tells you honestly whether a tune-up is enough or the unit is past saving.
HVAC replacement incentives — how the money works
When it's time to replace, CenterPoint's incentives come off the invoice, not in the mail:
CenterPoint also offers incentives on heat pump water heaters and efficient pool pumps on the same participating-contractor model.
Who qualifies
Homes in the CenterPoint Houston Electric delivery territory — that's determined by who delivers your power, not who bills you. Reliant, TXU, Green Mountain and every other retail provider all ride on CenterPoint's wires in greater Houston, so their customers all qualify. The equipment threshold (15.2 SEER2+) is the other gate: the incentive exists specifically to push installations above the code minimum, which is also where the monthly bill savings live.
The participating-contractor rule
Like every invoice-discount program in Texas, the decision that determines whether you get paid happens before installation: the contractor must be enrolled with CenterPoint's program, and the incentive is theirs to apply to your invoice. An installer outside the network can put in the identical unit and you'll simply pay more for it.
This is the part Upgrade Rebates handles. Check your ZIP, and we confirm eligibility, match the equipment tier, and connect you with a licensed contractor set up to apply CenterPoint's incentive — before any work begins.
Stack it: incentive + the Houston bill math
A 7+ year old system in a Houston summer is the most expensive appliance most homeowners own. Replacing it at 15.2 SEER2 or better cuts consumption on every one of the ~2,800 cooling hours a Houston year throws at it. When those monthly savings meet or beat a financing payment, the upgrade pays its own way — the invoice incentive and the free tune-up on your remaining equipment are on top. Duct sealing is worth asking about in the same visit: ENERGY STAR pegs duct improvements at up to 20% efficiency gains, and Houston's attic ducts are notorious.
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CenterPoint Energy Rebates questions
Do I apply for a rebate after installation?
No — the incentive is applied to your invoice by the participating contractor at installation time. Choosing the right contractor IS the application.
I buy power from Reliant/TXU/etc. Do I still qualify?
Yes. CenterPoint is the delivery utility for greater Houston; the retail provider on your bill doesn't affect eligibility.
Is the tune-up really free?
Yes, through the ComfortCheck program — for operational systems at least a year old, once every five years, excluding apartments.
How big is the replacement incentive?
CenterPoint publishes a starting point — $200 — and says it can increase depending on the installation. The participating contractor quotes your exact net price.