The NYSERDA EmPower+ Income Guidelines Explained

Most people who qualify for NYSERDA’s EmPower+ programme never apply. Not because the process is hard. Not because the benefits are unclear. But because they assume – based on a number they once heard or a guideline that was last updated years ago – that they earn too much.

If that sounds like you, this is worth five minutes of your time.

The income limits for EmPower+ are higher than most people realise, they changed significantly at the start of 2026, and the programme now uses a different calculation method for New York City households that shifts the threshold considerably. A family of four in NYC earning over $100,000 may still qualify. A two-person household in the Bronx earning $77,000 may be eligible for fully covered improvements at no cost.

This guide explains exactly how the income guidelines work, what the 2026 numbers look like, and how to check your eligibility in about ten minutes.

What Is NYSERDA EmPower+ and What Does It Pay For?

EmPower+ is New York State’s primary home energy improvement programme for low- and moderate-income households, run by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. It is not a voucher or a discount – it is a programme that sends a certified contractor to your home, identifies where energy is being wasted, and then funds the improvements.

For households that qualify at the low-income tier, those improvements are covered at no cost. For moderate-income households, the programme covers up to half the cost.

The improvements covered include:

• Insulation installation in attics, walls, floors, and basements – which alone can reduce heating and cooling costs by 20 to 30 percent
• Air sealing services – sealing the gaps, cracks, and leaks that let conditioned air escape
• Heat pump installations for space heating and cooling
• Heat pump water heater installation – using up to 60 percent less energy than a standard electric water heater
• Indoor air quality improvements including ventilation systems, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and mould prevention
• Electrical service and wiring upgrades needed to support efficient equipment
• Direct install measures during the assessment visit itself – LED lighting, efficient showerheads, door sweeps

In 2024 and 2025, the programme served more than 22,000 New York households per year – up from 7,000 in 2023, driven by federal Inflation Reduction Act funding. For 2026, NYSERDA has $120 million allocated to the programme. The Public Service Commission has also approved $445.5 million to be distributed over the next five years. There is no indication the programme is winding down.

The 2026 Rule Change That Affects NYC Households Most

Key Change: From 2026, NYSERDA now uses whichever is higher between 60% of the State Median Income (SMI) and 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) to determine low-income eligibility. For NYC households, AMI is significantly higher than SMI – meaning many families that previously did not qualify now do.

Before this year, income eligibility for the low-income (full coverage) tier was measured only against the State Median Income – a single number that applies across all of New York. The problem was that the SMI does not reflect the cost of living in New York City, where housing, food, and utilities cost considerably more than in upstate areas.

The practical impact of that rule: only 7 percent of EmPower+ retrofit projects between 2010 and 2023 were completed in New York City, despite the city holding nearly half the state’s population and more than 863,000 eligible one- to four-family buildings. The Pratt Center for Community Development had been documenting and challenging this disparity for years.

With the AMI-based expansion in 2026, the numbers shift meaningfully. In New York City, 60 percent of the State Median Income for a single person is approximately $39,864. Under the AMI calculation, the same threshold rises to approximately $67,800 – a gap of nearly $28,000. For a two-person household, the AMI-based low-income threshold in NYC is around $77,760, compared to roughly $52,140 under SMI alone.

City Limits, which covers New York housing and policy, confirmed this expansion took effect in early 2026. If you looked at your income against EmPower+ guidelines in 2024 or 2025 and concluded you did not qualify, it is worth checking again with the current figures.

How the Two Income Tiers Work

EmPower+ uses a two-tier structure. Your income relative to the applicable median determines which tier you fall into, and that determines how much the programme covers.

Tier 1 – Low-Income (Full Cost Coverage)

Your household income is at or below 60 percent of the State Median Income or Area Median Income – whichever is greater in your county.

At this tier, eligible improvements are covered at 100 percent – zero cost to you. The base project funding cap for a single-family home is $10,000. With additional Home Electrification Appliance Rebate (HEAR) funding stacked on top through the federal Inflation Reduction Act, total support can reach $14,000 or more for qualifying households. For some whole-home projects, the combined total climbs toward $24,000.

Tier 2 – Moderate-Income (Up to 50% Cost Coverage)

Your household income falls between 60 and 80 percent of the SMI or AMI – whichever is greater in your county.

At this tier, the programme covers up to 50 percent of eligible project costs. The base cap for a single-family home is $5,000. For two- to four-family rental buildings, caps are calculated per unit.

Note: For two- to four-family buildings, if at least 50 percent of the units are income-eligible – either Tier 1 or Tier 2 – the entire building qualifies. This matters for landlords and multi-unit property owners.

2026 EmPower+ Income Limits at a Glance

The table below shows approximate income thresholds for both tiers. The upstate Tier 1 column uses 60 percent of State Median Income. The NYC Tier 1 column reflects the 2026 AMI-based expansion – these are approximate figures; exact limits vary by county and should be confirmed at nyserda.ny.gov.

Household Size	Tier 1 Limit (Upstate – 60% SMI)	Tier 1 Limit (NYC – 60% AMI example)	Tier 2 Limit (80% SMI/AMI)	Coverage
1 person	~$39,864	~$67,800	Up to ~$53,152+	100% / 50%
2 people	~$52,140	~$77,760	Up to ~$69,520+	100% / 50%
3 people	~$64,404	~$87,720+	Up to ~$85,872+	100% / 50%
4 people	~$76,680	~$101,400+	Up to ~$102,240+	100% / 50%
5 people	~$88,944	~$109,440+	Up to ~$118,592+	100% / 50%

Sources: NYSERDA EmPower+ 2026 eligibility guidelines, Upstate Spray Foam contractor reference data, Pratt Center NYC AMI/SMI comparison data, City Limits March 2026 reporting. NYC AMI figures are approximations – verify your exact county at nyserda.ny.gov.

You Might Not Need to Prove Your Income at All

Here is one of the most under-known facts about EmPower+: if anyone in your household already receives benefits from certain government programmes, you automatically qualify for the low-income tier. No income calculation, no pay stubs, no tax returns.

The qualifying programmes are:

• HEAP – Home Energy Assistance Programme
• SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (Food Stamps)
• TANF – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

If you have an award letter from any of these programmes dated within the past 12 months, that single document is your proof of eligibility. It bypasses the entire income verification process.

This matters because a significant number of households receive one of these benefits without connecting it to EmPower+ eligibility. If your household receives SNAP and you have not applied for EmPower+, you have left money on the table.

What Income Is Counted – and What Is Not

NYSERDA calculates eligibility based on gross household income – total income before taxes, from every adult member of the household combined. Here is what is included:

• Wages and salaries from employment
• Net self-employment income
• Social Security retirement and disability benefits
• Pension, annuity, and retirement account distributions
• Unemployment insurance
• Net rental income
• Veterans benefits
• Worker’s compensation and disability payments
• Maintenance (alimony) payments received

Child support payments you make out are generally not counted as income. Certain other deductions may also apply. If your gross income puts you right on the borderline of a tier, it is worth having a conversation with a certified contractor before concluding you do not qualify – the details can make a meaningful difference.

How to Document Your Income

If you do not have a qualifying benefits award letter, you need one of the following:

• Option 1 – Recent pay stubs: four consecutive weeks of pay stubs dated within the last 60 days, plus documentation of all other income sources. Social Security award letters, disability documentation, pension statements, and records of any other income all need to be included.
• Option 2 – Tax returns: the most recent federal income tax return (Form 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ) for every household member who was required to file. If you have rental, business, or farm income, the corresponding schedules (C, E, and F) are also required. This option is only available if all household members who were required to file a return did so.

You will also need a copy of your gas utility bill, or a bill from your fuel supplier if you heat with oil, propane, kerosene, wood, or coal.

Note: Self-employed? NYSERDA requires IRS quarterly earnings reports for the last three months in addition to any applicable tax return schedules.

Who Can Apply – It Is Not Just Homeowners

This is the most common misconception about EmPower+. Both owners and renters of one- to four-family buildings are eligible, as long as the property is your primary residence.

For renters, improvements that require physical changes to the building generally need landlord approval. NYSERDA acknowledges this creates friction and specifically designs the programme to serve renters directly where possible. For two- to four-family buildings, landlord participation is encouraged to enable whole-building upgrades.

The programme also now serves KEDLI customers on Long Island following the end of the KEDLI Heat programme in October 2025.

Priority is given to:

• Households with residents aged 60 or older
• Families with young children
• Households that include someone with a disability
• High energy burden households – those spending more than 6 percent of their income on energy costs

What Actually Happens After You Apply

Understanding the process helps set expectations. It is not complicated, but it does move in a specific order.

• Application: You create a profile on NYSERDA’s MyEnergy Portal and submit an EmPower+ application with your income documentation (or benefits award letter).
• Approval and contractor assignment: Once approved, NYSERDA contacts you with details of your assigned EmPower+ contractor.
• Free home energy assessment: The contractor visits your home and conducts a thorough audit – blower door tests for air leakage, insulation checks, safety inspections. This is the step that tells you what your home actually needs. You can also schedule this directly by visiting nyweatherizationprogram.com or calling 929-232-1130.
• Improvement recommendations: The contractor submits a recommended scope of improvements to EmPower+ for review and approval.
• Your review: You receive an overview of approved incentive amounts and the proposed work before anything starts.
• Work completed: Improvements are carried out. For Tier 1 households, eligible work is completed at zero cost.

The full process from application to completed work typically takes four to eight weeks. NYSERDA’s helpline – 1-866-NYSERDA – can assist with the application and answer questions at any stage.

Stacking EmPower+ with Other Programmes

EmPower+ does not have to cover everything on its own. Here is what you can layer on top:

• HEAR rebates (IRA-funded, included within EmPower+): up to $840 toward energy-efficient appliances including clothes dryers, on top of standard EmPower+ incentives
• Con Edison, National Grid, NYSEG, Central Hudson, and Orange and Rockland utility rebates: all five utilities run their own rebate programmes that stack with EmPower+ on qualifying improvements
• NYSERDA Green Jobs Green New York financing: low-interest loans from $1,500 to $25,000 at rates from 3.49 percent for lower-income households, for any project cost gap after rebates are applied
• NY Weatherization Assistance Programme (WAP): the federally funded programme that has helped over 744,000 New York households since 1977. WAP focuses on insulation, air sealing, and heating system upgrades for households at or below 60 percent of SMI. For income-eligible households, WAP and EmPower+ can work alongside each other to achieve more comprehensive improvements

One important change for 2026: the federal Section 25C tax credit – which previously provided up to $2,000 for qualifying heat pump installations – expired on December 31, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It is not available for 2026 improvements. State and utility programmes are now the primary source of financial support.

What Do the Savings Look Like in Practice?

NYSERDA’s own residential retrofit impact evaluation – covering more than 5,400 homes served between 2017 and 2019 – found that the average EmPower-served home saved 357 kilowatt-hours per year in electricity. Homes receiving full heating upgrades alongside insulation and air sealing typically see total energy use fall by 20 percent or more.

In New York City, where electricity rates run 54 percent above the national average and natural gas costs 23 percent above the US average, those reductions have an outsized impact on household budgets. For a family spending $200 a month on heating and cooling, a 20 percent reduction is $480 per year – permanently, year after year.

The improvements that consistently deliver the strongest results are air sealing combined with insulation. Done together, they can cut heating and cooling loss by 30 to 50 percent. Adding a heat pump water heater on top of that reduces hot water costs – typically 15 to 20 percent of a household’s total energy use – by up to 60 percent.

None of this requires an upfront investment from a Tier 1 household. The programme covers it. The savings start immediately after the work is done.

Questions People Actually Ask About EmPower+ Eligibility

My income varies year to year. Which year does NYSERDA look at?

NYSERDA uses current income, not last year’s figures. The documentation required – four weeks of recent pay stubs or the most recent tax return – reflects where your income is now rather than where it was twelve months ago. If your income dropped recently, current documentation is your friend.

We are a multi-generational household. Does everyone’s income count?

Yes – all adults living in the home who contribute income are counted together. However, if some household members have no income (for example, children or non-working adults), only the income of those who do earn is included. Child support you pay out is generally excluded from the calculation.

I checked in 2024 and did not qualify. Should I check again?

Yes, especially if you are in New York City or another high-cost county. The 2026 AMI-based expansion for the Tier 1 threshold has moved the qualifying income significantly higher in these areas. A household that was $5,000 to $10,000 over the old SMI limit may now qualify comfortably under the AMI calculation.

What if I own a two-family house – can I apply for both units?

If both units are income-eligible, both can receive improvements. For two- to four-family rental properties, the project funding caps are structured per unit: $10,000 for the first unit at the low-income tier, plus $5,000 for each additional income-eligible unit. If 50 percent or more of units qualify, the whole building is eligible.

Is there a deadline to apply?

There is no application window – the programme accepts applications on an ongoing basis. However, funding is finite in any given programme year. With $120 million allocated for 2026 and strong demand following the AMI expansion, applying sooner rather than later is sensible.

One Step to Find Out If You Qualify

The single most useful thing you can do if you are unsure about eligibility is to schedule a free home energy assessment. It costs nothing, there is no obligation, and it gives you a concrete answer – not a general guideline, but a specific assessment of your home and your situation.

During the assessment, a NYSERDA-certified contractor will review your income documentation, confirm which tier you fall into, identify what improvements your home needs, and explain exactly what the programme will cover. By the end of that visit you will know whether your improvements are fully covered, partially covered, or better suited to another programme.

Visit nyweatherizationprogram.com to book your assessment, or call 929-232-1130. We are a NYSERDA-approved contractor serving NYC households with insulation, air sealing, heat pump water heaters, indoor air quality improvements, and heating upgrades. We handle the application, the documentation, and the rebate paperwork from start to finish.

Sources

• NYSERDA EmPower+ official programme page and 2026 eligibility guidelines – nyserda.ny.gov
• City Limits – More NYC Households to Qualify for Energy Efficiency Upgrades Under Tweaked State Programme (March 2026)
• Pratt Center for Community Development – How EmPower+ Shortchanges Low-Income Residents (SMI vs AMI analysis)
• NYSERDA Residential Retrofit Impact Evaluation (2017 to Q1 2019) – 357 kWh average savings figure
• EPA EmPower+ Programme Profile (2024) – household data and fossil fuel consumption figures
• Smart Energy Choices / Upstate Spray Foam – 2025 income limit reference data
• NYSERDA EmPower+ for Renters and 2-4 Family Households page – funding cap reference