Overview
The Georgia Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) program is a federally funded, income-eligible rebate program administered by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA). Contractors submit HEAR rebate applications through the Neighborly software portal.
HEAR is income-tiered. Households below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) can receive up to 100% of project cost, and households between 80% and 150% AMI can receive up to 50% of project cost. The maximum HEAR rebate is $8,000 for a heat pump for space heating or cooling and $1,750 for a heat pump water heater.
Sign up for the contractor network.
Before you can submit a HEAR application, you must be approved into the Georgia Home Energy Rebates contractor network and create a Neighborly account. You cannot self-register cold. GEFA's implementer creates your company in Neighborly and sends you an invitation link.
Step 1: Apply and meet the requirements
Apply to join the program at energyrebates.georgia.gov. To be approved, your company must meet these requirements:
Background checks for all field staff and subcontractor staff.
Valid Georgia trade licenses that match the trades you will offer (for example, HVAC contractors must hold conditioned-air licensure).
General Liability Insurance of $1,000,000.
Auto Insurance of $1,000,000 (if you use company vehicles).
Workers' Compensation of $1,000,000 (sole proprietors provide a WC-10 instead).
Step 2: Complete the required training
Complete a 90-minute program overview training (available in person or virtually). Then complete a 1-hour program-specific training for each program you plan to run. If you plan to run both HER and HEAR, complete a 1-hour training for each.
Step 3: Create your Neighborly account from the invite
After you are admitted, GEFA's implementer (UES) creates your company profile in Neighborly and emails your point of contact an enrollment link. Then follow these steps:
Step 4: Wait for profile approval
Once your Contractor and Payment Profiles are complete, your profile is sent to the Home Energy Rebates team for review and approval. Approval takes about 1 to 2 business days after submission. Once you profile is approved share you login credentials with us. Review this article on How to Securely Share Credentials with Rock Rabbit.
Submitting a HEAR application using Rock Rabbit
Rock Rabbit helps you check eligibility, collect every required document in the correct order, and package the completed application for submission to Neighborly. Income is verified by GEFA, not by you, so you never collect the homeowner's income documents.
Step 1: Confirm eligibility in Rock Rabbit
Enter the project details in Rock Rabbit to confirm the property and equipment are eligible and to see which HEAR incentive applies. Rock Rabbit shows the matching incentive based on the household's AMI tier (below 80% AMI, or 80% to 150% AMI).
Step 2: Submit Eligibility Check
Create the project and complete the eligibility checklist under the application tab and submit. This submission will prompt the homeowner to upload their Income eligibility.
Categorical eligibility: the household provides a benefits letter for a qualifying assistance program (such as LIHEAP, SNAP, Medicaid, WAP, or WIC) dated within one calendar year. This bypasses further income checks.
Direct income verification: if there is no benefits letter, income is verified for all household members aged 18 and older using documents such as tax returns or pay stubs dated within the last 60 days.
Step 3: Get a reservation approved before installing
Collect the reservation-phase documents in Rock Rabbit (including the equipment AHRI or ENERGY STAR certificate, the Manual J sizing document, the Georgia HEAR Fuel Switching Calculator, and photos of the existing equipment). Submit the reservation, and the Review Team reviews the application and documents. Once the homeowner and project are verified as eligible, a rebate reservation (coupon) is created and you receive an email confirming approval and the rebate amount.
Step 4: Install and submit the completed application
Install the equipment with 90 days after the reservation is approved. You are able to request a renewel if the install is outside this 90 day period. Then add the documents needed under the submission checklist in Rock Rabbit (including installation date, new equipment model and serial numbers, equipment and labor costs, photos of the newly installed equipment, and the signed project invoice) and submit the application.
Key Program information
Invoice requirements
The invoice must be signed and dated by the homeowner or building owner and must show the rebate applied to the bill. A compliant HEAR invoice includes:
Contractor company name.
Address where the work was performed.
Date the work was completed.
Model numbers, AHRI reference numbers, or universal product codes (UPCs) for all rebated equipment.
Line-item costs of rebated equipment and materials.
Line-item costs for any audits, inspections, testing, or modeling.
Labor costs for the specific work performed.
Total project cost before the rebate, and the rebate amount.
Customer signature and date.
Timelines
Contractor profile approval: about 1 to 2 business days after submission.
Reservation: required before installation; the Review Team reviews the application, then issues a reservation coupon with an expiration date.
Completion application: must be submitted within 90 days of coupon issuance.
Reimbursement: must be applied for no less than 30 days before the coupon expiration date.
Application deadline: all HEAR applications must be submitted within 90 days of the project invoice date.
I have questions. Who can I contact?
Rock Rabbit has a knowledgeable staff who can help answer questions related to the program. You can reach us via email at [email protected] or by messaging us through the Support Chat app on the platform. For program-specific questions, you can also contact the Georgia Home Energy Rebates program at energyrebates.georgia.gov/contact-us.