Florida Guide

Insulation Rebates in Tampa Bay: Tampa Electric and Duke Energy Florida

Two utilities run insulation rebates in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties, and the electric company on the bill decides which one a house can use. Tampa Electric, often called TECO, lists a ceiling insulation rebate of $0.16 per square foot per R-11 insulation installed, after one of its energy analysts inspects the attic. Duke Energy Florida lists an attic insulation rebate for single-family homes that runs from $0.25 per square foot (up to $600) to $0.31 per square foot (up to $800 for attics starting at R-2 or less), after a free Home Energy Check and only for work by a contractor on Duke’s pre-qualified list. Both rebates are once per house. Withlacoochee River Electric, Peoples Gas and Clearwater Gas publish no insulation rebate, there is no federal homeowner tax credit for insulation installed in 2026, and Florida’s federally funded home energy rebates are not available.

Every rule, figure and date below comes from the utilities’ own pages, the program rules each filed with the Florida Public Service Commission, and the federal, state and county sources named in each section, all read on October 28, 2026. Program rules change, so the links to check them yourself are at the end.

Which insulation rebate can I get in Tampa Bay?

The electric bill settles it. If your electric bill says Tampa Electric, Tampa Electric’s ceiling insulation rebate applies; if it says Duke Energy, Duke’s attic insulation rebate applies. Withlacoochee River Electric does not list an insulation rebate. Read the company name at the top of the electric bill, not the gas or water bill. None of the electric companies serving these counties publishes a town-by-town service list, so the bill is the one reliable answer.

By county:

  • Hillsborough County. Tampa Electric serves the county. If the bill says Tampa Electric, its ceiling insulation rebate is the one to use.
  • Pinellas County. Most homes are on Duke Energy Florida, whose 2025 Ten-Year Site Plan, filed with the state, names St. Petersburg and Clearwater in its service area. Some homes, including Oldsmar, are on Tampa Electric. The bill settles it.
  • Pasco County. Homes are on Duke Energy Florida, Withlacoochee River Electric or Tampa Electric, so check the bill. Duke and Tampa Electric offer insulation rebates; Withlacoochee River Electric does not list one.

Gas companies do not change the answer. Peoples Gas’s rebate page lists gas appliances, not insulation, and Clearwater Gas publishes no insulation rebate. Withlacoochee River Electric’s Cooperative Rewards is a program for smart thermostats.

Both rebates ask for whole-house cooling or electric heat. Tampa Electric’s filed rules say “electric whole-house air conditioning or heating”; Duke’s say “whole-house cooling and/or electric heating.” A house cooled only by window units is a question for the utility.

Tampa Electric (TECO) ceiling insulation rebate: how it works, step by step

Tampa Electric’s Ceiling Insulation page lists “$0.16 per square foot per R-11 insulation installed.” The inspection comes before the work, so the order of the steps matters:

  1. Book the pre-approval attic inspection. The page says “A pre-approval attic inspection is required” and asks customers to call the number on that page, linked at the end, before installing insulation so an energy analyst can assess the attic. Tampa Electric’s Save Energy page offers the inspection at no cost.
  2. Get the rebate certificate and the contractor list. “If ceiling insulation is recommended, the analyst will provide you with a rebate certificate that is valid for one year and a list of approved contractors that can perform the installation.”
  3. Have the insulation installed. The rebate “is available for owner-installed insulation and work performed by a licensed contractor participating in the program.” When a contractor does the work, “The contractor will deduct the rebate from the total amount of the invoice.”
  4. Submit the application within 90 days. The page asks customers to submit the Ceiling Insulation rebate application “within 90 days after installation is complete.” It lists the Tampa Electric account number, a ceiling insulation certificate and, for self-installed insulation, a paid receipt or invoice as what the application needs. Tampa Electric then issues an enrollment number to save, because it is the way back into the application. The filing says the customer or the contractor submits it.
  5. Expect a check on the work. The page says Tampa Electric “may contact you to schedule a follow-up inspection after the work is complete.”

The rules Tampa Electric filed with the state

The rules behind the page are public. They are in Tampa Electric’s February 6, 2025 filing with the Florida Public Service Commission (Docket 20240163-EG), in the Program Participation Standards for Residential Ceiling Insulation. They say:

  • Who. Any existing residential customer in Tampa Electric’s service area. “Residences that have previously participated in any of Tampa Electric’s ceiling insulation programs, new construction programs or have made room additions are not eligible to participate.”
  • The house. “Residence must have electric whole-house air conditioning or heating.”
  • The depth. Customers “must add a minimum insulation value of R-11 based on the manufacturer’s specification card,” and the total must reach R-30 or more, “unless spray foam is used where an R-value greater than or equal to R-20 will be acceptable.” “Where roof pitch limits accessibility, a resulting R-value of R-19 will be acceptable.”
  • The rate. The rebate is figured on the square footage of qualifying insulation installed over conditioned space and “may be stacked in increments of R-11.” Tampa Electric’s program page states the amount as $0.16 per square foot per R-11.
  • Owner-installed work. For homeowner installations, “it is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure that the installation meets the product manufacturer’s specifications, and to ensure that the resulting R-value meets all Tampa Electric specifications.”
  • Payment. None until a complete application and certificate are in and the installation “has passed Tampa Electric’s verification process.” Tampa Electric field-checks “a minimum of 10 percent of participating homes.”

The filing states no maximum for the insulation already in the attic, so whether ceiling insulation is recommended is the analyst’s call. It is dated February 2025, so ask the analyst at the inspection to confirm the current rules match it.

Tampa Electric’s no-cost energy audit, duct repair and Neighborhood Weatherization

The energy audit. Tampa Electric’s Energy Audit page offers two online audits, a personalized one that needs a Tampa Electric login and a simple one that does not, and an in-home audit with one of its energy analysts. The page says the analyst “will inspect your home, identify areas where you can save” and point you to Tampa Electric’s energy-saving programs. The filing says insulation certificates are issued “through either energy audits or by direct verification of existing levels of insulation,” so ask when you book whether one visit can cover both.

Duct repair. Tampa Electric’s duct repair program is HVAC work, not insulation. The Ductwork page requires a pre-approval inspection by a Tampa Electric energy analyst; if the home is approved, the analyst gives you contact information for the contractor that serves your area. It puts the price at $125 for each heating and cooling unit and says extensive repairs will result in additional fees. Tampa Electric’s filing limits the program to homes whose certificate of occupancy came before March 15, 2012, and says Tampa Electric appoints a licensed HVAC contractor to do the sealing, so in that program the sealing is the HVAC contractor’s work.

Neighborhood Weatherization. Tampa Electric runs a no-cost weatherization program in communities it selects; ask Tampa Electric whether your street is one. Its Save Energy page describes “a free energy-saving kit with bulbs, caulk, weatherstripping and more plus possible free insulation and duct sealing,” and its filing says census data is used “to identify qualified residential blocks of low-income customers.” Homes that took part in the weatherization program before are not eligible.

Duke Energy Florida attic insulation rebate: how it works, step by step

Duke’s Attic Insulation Upgrade page says “You must have completed a free Home Energy Check within the last 24 months to qualify for any of the Home Energy Improvement rebates.” The steps run in this order:

  1. Complete Duke’s free Home Energy Check. Duke’s prerequisites page says the check “must be completed before any work begins or have occurred within the past 24 months,” and that the insulation recommendation has to come from a Duke home audit. Duke’s attic insulation handout offers a free in-home assessment, a phone assessment and an online assessment; the Home Energy Check page is linked at the end.
  2. Choose a contractor from Duke’s list. Duke keeps a list of pre-qualified, licensed and insured attic insulation contractors, and its page says a customer must use one of them “in order to qualify for the incentive.”
  3. Get the quote and have the work done. The page says the contractor “will perform all necessary work and then apply your Duke Energy instant rebate directly to your invoice.” Duke’s filed rules say the payment for an insulation upgrade goes to the contractor, and they give the customer or the contractor twelve months from the installation date to submit the required forms.
  4. Check the card in the attic. The filed rules require the contractor to attach a signed R-value certification card to an attic joist visible from the attic access, listing the manufacturer, insulation type, R-value, thickness, location, installer and date, and to give the customer a copy.
  5. Take the compliance inspection. “Free compliance inspection is available to you after your upgrades are complete,” the page says. Duke’s filed standards say “Inspections will be performed on at least 10% of all program measures.”

How much Duke pays

Duke’s page, which carries the banner “Effective May 7, 2025,” lists these rebates for single-family homes:

  • $0.25 per square foot (up to $600) to bring insulation from R-19 or less to a minimum of R-38.
  • $0.27 per square foot (up to $700) from R-12 or less to a minimum of R-38.
  • $0.31 per square foot (up to $800) from R-2 or less to a minimum of R-38.

Who qualifies

  • Single-family homes for these amounts. “This offer is for single family homes”; townhomes and other multifamily homes get lower amounts, covered below. “Manufactured homes are not eligible for participation.”
  • Thin insulation to start. The weighted average R-value of the existing insulation over the total attic square footage above the conditioned space must be R-19 or less. The one exception is that the conditioned space of a recent addition may be left out of the average.
  • Cooling or electric heat. “Eligible residences must have whole-house cooling and/or electric heating,” and the home must be a residentially metered Duke Energy customer in Florida.
  • Once per house. A residence that took part in the attic insulation program “is not eligible to participate again.” The one exception is insulation lost to an “Act of God” that insurance does not cover, which takes a letter from the insurance company.
  • Old wiring. Any home with knob-and-tube wiring must be documented or certified as not live by a Florida licensed electrician.

What the installation has to meet

The standards Duke filed with the Florida Public Service Commission (Order No. PSC-2025-0088-PAA-EG, issued March 24, 2025, Attachment B) add rules for the attic job itself:

  • “All installations must result in an insulation value equal to or greater than R-38.”
  • The insulation must follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and meet all state, county and local codes, with the minimum clearance those codes require around recessed lighting and gas-fired appliances.
  • “The insulation must be installed in the unconditioned space as a direct application to the attic area over the conditioned space.”
  • It must be installed uniformly, with the same R-value throughout the area, and any attic access panel in conditioned space must be insulated to the same R-value and permanently attached.

Townhomes, roof deck foam and ducts

Townhomes and condominiums. Duke’s pages call “buildings that have shared ceilings, walls or roofs” multifamily and put townhomes in that group. Multifamily has its own, lower amounts, according to Duke’s attic insulation handout and its filed standards: $0.27 per square foot (up to $300) from R-12 or less and $0.31 per square foot (up to $350) from R-2 or less, each to a minimum of R-38. Ask Duke how a condominium unit is classified.

Spray foam at the roof deck. Duke’s page, its handout and the attic insulation rules in its filed standards name no insulation material and never mention roof deck foam or sealed attics. Whether foam on the underside of the roof deck counts is not published, so ask Duke before planning around the rebate, and read the installation rule quoted above first. Our guide to spray foam on the roof deck in Florida covers the sealed attic itself.

Duct test and repair. Duke’s separate Duct Test & Repair rebate is HVAC work, not insulation. It pays up to $450: up to $50 toward the duct test and up to $400 toward repair per HVAC system. It is open to single-family and manufactured homes with whole-house electric heating and air conditioning, needs the Home Energy Check first and goes through a contractor from Duke’s duct repair list.

Who can install the insulation if I want the rebate?

Duke’s rebate is tied to the installer, so the contractor’s name matters as much as the price. Tampa Electric’s rebate also covers owner-installed insulation.

Duke Energy Florida’s attic rebate starts with Duke’s free Home Energy Check and is paid only on work by a contractor on Duke’s pre-qualified list, so ask any installer, including us, whether they are on that list before you sign. Duke publishes the list as a PDF titled “Prequalified Contractors for Attic Insulation” (form 260599-C 9/26). It is split into Central and Coastal sections and shows the counties each contractor serves; contractors for Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco are listed under Coastal. Check the name on the list itself rather than on a flyer or a truck.

Tampa Electric sends an analyst to inspect the attic first and hands you its list of approved contractors; the rebate comes off the invoice of a contractor on that list, and the program also accepts insulation the owner installs. A homeowner who installs it personally can apply with the analyst’s rebate certificate and a paid receipt. Duke does not allow that: its page says you must use one of its pre-qualified contractors.

A contractor’s own estimate is not Duke’s Home Energy Check or Tampa Electric’s inspection, and it does not unlock either rebate. Get at least two written quotes that state the R-value, the depth and the square footage.

What to settle before you sign

  1. Has the first step happened? For Duke, the Home Energy Check; for Tampa Electric, the analyst’s attic inspection. Both come before the work.
  2. Is the contractor on the utility’s own list? Duke requires it, so get Duke’s PDF and look for the name. For Tampa Electric, ask the analyst for the list.
  3. What R-value and depth will go in? Tampa Electric’s filed rules ask for at least R-11 added and a finished R-30 or more, or R-20 or more with spray foam; Duke’s filed standards ask for R-38 or more. Put the finished R-value, the depth and the square footage in the quote.
  4. Where will the rebate show? Both utilities describe it as coming off the contractor’s invoice, so the quote should show it as its own line.
  5. Who sends the paperwork, and by when? Tampa Electric’s application is due within 90 days after installation; Duke’s filed rules give twelve months from the installation date. Keep the certificate and enrollment number, the R-value card and the final invoice.

Is there a federal tax credit or another rebate for insulation in Florida?

No federal homeowner tax credit for 2026. The IRS page on the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit says “The credit is allowed for qualifying property placed in service on or after Jan. 1, 2023, and before December 31, 2025.” There is no federal homeowner tax credit for insulation installed in 2026. Ignore any ad or quote that counts one, and read our insulation tax credit guide for what 2025 work can still claim.

The federally funded home energy rebates are not available. Florida’s Energy Saver Program portal, run by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, says “The HEEHR and HOMES programs are expected to launch in the future” and “Applications are expected to open in the future.” Until they open there is nothing to apply for and no amount to quote.

Neither residential rebate covers radiant barrier, walls or floors. Tampa Electric’s program is Ceiling Insulation and Duke’s is Attic Insulation Upgrade, and neither lists radiant barrier, wall insulation or floor insulation as a rebate measure. Our guides cover radiant barrier in Tampa Bay and insulating concrete block walls.

A caution about financing offers. Pinellas County’s consumer alert of November 2, 2023 warns residents about offers to finance improvements such as windows, efficient heating or cooling systems, solar energy systems or a new roof through an assessment on the property tax bill, and says “there has never been an authorized residential Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program in Pinellas County.” Hillsborough and Pasco counties have not been confirmed either way, so ask your county before you sign any financing that adds a charge to the property tax bill.

How the rebate R-values compare with the Florida energy code, as of October 28, 2026

Each program sets its own finished R-value, and none of them is the energy code. Tampa Electric’s filed rules ask for R-30 or more, or R-20 or more where spray foam is used. Duke’s filed standards ask for R-38 or more. As of October 28, 2026, the Florida Building Commission gives December 31, 2023 as the effective date of the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), and the prescriptive table in its Energy Conservation volume (Form R402) lists R-38 as the ceiling minimum for new homes in Climate Zone 2, where the code’s county table puts Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco. Florida’s energy code sets minimums for new homes and major renovations. Adding insulation to an existing attic is your choice; the code does not require it. The Commission’s October 2026 workplan lists the 9th Edition (2026) as scheduled to take effect December 31, 2026. Our Florida energy code guide has the full table.

ENERGY STAR’s advice is a third, separate set of numbers: it recommends R-49 in an uninsulated Zone 2 attic and R-38 on top of 3–4 inches of existing insulation. Its modeled average savings for air sealing plus insulating to 2012 IECC levels in Zone 2 are 6% of total energy costs and 9% of heating and cooling costs. A rebate lowers the price of the job; it does not change those numbers. Our attic insulation guide covers depth, type and humidity in Tampa Bay attics.

Insulation quotes in Tampa Bay

If the rebate matters most, book the utility’s first step, get the contractor list from the utility and choose from it. If neither rebate reaches your house, such as a home on Withlacoochee River Electric or a Duke attic already averaging above R-19, we quote the work on its own. If you want spray foam at the roof deck, ask the utility first whether that work counts; the published rules of neither program say.

Our free estimate is our own walk-through. It is separate from Duke’s Home Energy Check and Tampa Electric’s no-cost energy audit, and it does not unlock either rebate. We measure the attic, check the depth and type of insulation already there, look at where air leaks and where the air handler and ducts sit, and you get the scope, the materials, the depths and the price in writing. In Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties we install open-cell and closed-cell spray foam, blown-in attic insulation in fiberglass or cellulose, fiberglass batts, rigid foam board and air sealing. Most of our projects run between $3,500 and $12,500.

Call 914-554-2289 or use the contact form. Our Florida branch covers Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. The Home Insulators is a family-owned company that has been insulating homes in the Northeast since 2015. Our own crew does the work and we never subcontract it.

Common questions about insulation rebates in Tampa Bay

How much is the Duke Energy Florida attic insulation rebate?

Duke Energy Florida lists $0.25 per square foot (up to $600) to bring an attic from R-19 or less to at least R-38, $0.27 per square foot (up to $700) from R-12 or less, and $0.31 per square foot (up to $800) from R-2 or less, for single-family homes, effective May 7, 2025. It starts with the free Home Energy Check and comes off the invoice of a contractor on the pre-qualified list Duke publishes. The attic must average R-19 or less, and a house can use it once.

How much is the Tampa Electric (TECO) insulation rebate?

Tampa Electric lists $0.16 per square foot per R-11 insulation installed. An energy analyst inspects the attic first and, if ceiling insulation is recommended, gives the homeowner a rebate certificate valid for one year and a list of approved contractors. The contractor deducts the rebate from the invoice, and the application is due within 90 days after the installation is complete. The filed rules ask for at least R-11 added and a finished R-30 or more, or R-20 or more with spray foam.

Which rebate applies to my house, and can I get both?

The electric company on your bill decides. If the bill says Tampa Electric, the Tampa Electric ceiling insulation rebate applies. If it says Duke Energy, the Duke Energy Florida attic insulation rebate applies. Withlacoochee River Electric does not list an insulation rebate. A house has one electric company, so at most one program applies, and each program can be used once per house.

Do I need a Home Energy Check or an inspection before the work?

Yes, and it comes before the work, not after. Duke Energy Florida requires a free Home Energy Check completed before any work begins or within the past 24 months, and the insulation recommendation has to come from it. Tampa Electric requires a pre-approval attic inspection by one of its energy analysts. A contractor estimate does not replace either one, and it does not unlock either rebate.

Does spray foam qualify for the Tampa Electric or Duke rebate?

The rules Tampa Electric filed with the state accept a finished R-20 or more where spray foam is used, against R-30 or more for other insulation. Duke Energy Florida sets a finished R-38 or more and names no insulation material. Neither utility mentions spray foam on the roof deck or sealed attics in its pages or filed rules, so that answer is not published. Ask the utility before you plan around a rebate for roof deck foam.

Is there a rebate for radiant barrier, wall or floor insulation?

Not through the two residential programs. Tampa Electric calls its program Ceiling Insulation and Duke Energy Florida calls its program Attic Insulation Upgrade, and neither program lists radiant barrier, wall insulation or floor insulation as a rebate measure.

Can a renter, condo owner or townhome owner get the rebate?

Duke Energy Florida lists its higher attic amounts for single-family homes, and manufactured homes are not eligible. Duke defines multifamily as buildings that have shared ceilings, walls or roofs, counts townhomes in that group, and lists lower multifamily amounts. The rules Tampa Electric filed speak of an existing residential customer and do not say single-family. A renter should get the owner to agree before any work, and an association may control the attic or roof, so ask the utility and the owner first.

How long does the insulation rebate take?

When a contractor on the list the utility provides does the work, the rebate shows up on the invoice. Tampa Electric asks for the application within 90 days after installation is complete, and it pays only after the installation passes its verification. Duke Energy Florida gives the customer or contractor twelve months from the installation date to submit the forms. Neither utility publishes a payment timeline.

Is there a federal tax credit for insulation in 2026?

No, not for homeowners. The IRS says the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit is allowed for qualifying property placed in service on or after Jan. 1, 2023, and before December 31, 2025. There is no federal homeowner tax credit for insulation installed in 2026. The federally funded home energy rebates that Florida calls HEEHR and HOMES are not available either: the state portal says they are expected to launch in the future.

Does FPL or WREC offer an insulation rebate in Tampa Bay?

Neither lists one for Tampa Bay homes. FPL does not serve Hillsborough, Pinellas or Pasco counties: the service area map in its electric tariff, effective January 1, 2026, leaves all three unshaded. Withlacoochee River Electric (WREC) serves some Pasco County homes, and its website lists no insulation rebate. If your bill says WREC, ask the cooperative whether one has been added. Peoples Gas lists rebates for gas appliances, and Clearwater Gas publishes no insulation rebate.

How to check this yourself

Read on October 28, 2026; a page’s own date is given where it shows one.

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