In the Wenatchee Valley, your rebate depends on your utility. Chelan County PUD's 2026–27 program pays up to $3,300 for converting electric-resistance heat to a ducted heat pump, with additional rebates for ductless conversions and variable-speed upgrades. Douglas County PUD — East Wenatchee's utility — currently offers no heat pump rebates at all.
- Chelan PUD (2026–27): $3,300 first-time electric-resistance-to-ducted-heat-pump conversion; ductless first-time conversion rebates; $600 variable-speed upgrade.
- Douglas PUD: no heat pump rebates currently — its main 2026 residential rebate is attic insulation.
- Stacked with seasonal or manufacturer promotions (up to $1,000), qualifying projects reach up to $4,300.
- No federal tax credits exist in 2026 — treat any quote claiming them as a red flag.
Chelan County PUD: what the 2026–27 program actually pays
For the program year running April 2026 through March 2027, Chelan PUD's headline rebates are: $3,300 for a first-time conversion from electric-resistance heating (electric air handlers or baseboards) to a ducted heat pump; ductless mini-split first-time conversion rebates of $1,600 for site-built homes, $2,000 for manufactured homes, and $1,000 per unit for multifamily; and $600 for upgrading to a variable-speed inverter heat pump. Amounts and terms are the PUD's to change — we confirm current figures on every estimate.
The fine print that catches people
Two program rules matter most. Ducted conversions require pre-authorization — the PUD must approve the project before installation, not after, or the rebate is gone. And the contractor must submit within one year of installation. This is why who files matters as much as what qualifies: we handle the pre-authorization and the paperwork as part of the job, and it's reflected on the quote before you sign.
East Wenatchee: the Douglas PUD reality
Douglas County PUD — serving East Wenatchee and much of the east side — currently offers no heat pump rebate. Its primary 2026 residential offering is attic insulation ($1,000–$2,500). That doesn't make a heat pump a bad idea in East Wenatchee — Douglas rates are also very low, so operating costs stay excellent — it just means your project math relies on manufacturer promotions and efficiency, not utility cash. We'll show you both versions of the math honestly.
How projects reach 'up to $4,300'
The biggest stacks combine a Chelan PUD conversion rebate (up to $3,300) with a seasonal or manufacturer promotion — up to $1,000 on qualifying systems. Not every project stacks, and not every home qualifies for the largest conversion rebate (it targets first-time conversions from electric-resistance heat). A quote should show each rebate as its own line with its program name — if yours shows one vague 'discount,' ask what it actually is.
Key terms
The vocabulary you'll hear on estimates and service calls — defined in plain language in our glossary.
Where it goes wrong
Losing the rebate to a paperwork mistake
Skipped pre-authorization is the expensive one: install first, apply second, receive nothing. The fix is procedural, not technical — work with a contractor who files the pre-authorization before scheduling the install and shows you the confirmation.
Being sold savings that don't exist
Federal tax credits for this equipment ended; quotes still advertising them in 2026 are either out of date or counting on you not to check. Ask for the program name and current program-year documentation behind every discount line. If it can't be named, it isn't real.
How we build this guidance
- Written from real service and install work across the Wenatchee Valley — the orchard-dust, hydro-rate, dual-peak-climate conditions in this guide are the ones our techs work in daily.
- Rebate figures reflect published utility program terms at the date below and are re-verified on every estimate — programs change annually.
- No invented pricing: dollar figures appear only where a program publishes them.
Last updated: 2026-07-03 · Central Washington Heating and Air, licensed & insured (LIC# CENTRWH742JN)
Ready to decide?
Get real numbers for your home — free, written, and itemized. And if you already have a quote, we'll review it free.