Choose the comparison that fits your existing heat.
For a St. Louis-area house with gas service, compare a heat pump paired with a furnace against an all-electric option. For a rural propane home, add delivered-fuel records and tank-related charges to the discussion. Use the same rooms, temperature settings, and weather assumptions in both bids.
Ask the contractor to separate equipment price from duct, electrical, and backup work. The useful comparison is the full project that meets your comfort needs, not two outdoor units with different efficiency labels.
Ameren Missouri PAYS includes a bill charge.
Ameren Missouri’s FastTrack HVAC PAYS combines qualifying efficiency incentives with recovery of project costs through a charge on the utility bill. It is not a free replacement. The program qualifies work using estimated savings, may require a copay, and says actual energy savings are not guaranteed.
The charge is tied to the meter and can pass to a subsequent occupant. Before accepting, read the Easy Plan and participant agreement, including the charge, term, maintenance obligations, and disclosure requirements if you move. Ask for a cash-price comparison for the same work.
Ameren Missouri: FastTrack HVAC PAYS terms · Source checked 2026-09-06
Read savings claims alongside the control plan.
Ask how much heat the system is expected to supply from electricity and from gas or propane. For dual fuel, require the proposed changeover logic and the rates used to justify it. For an all-electric proposal, require the expected contribution and electricity use of backup heat.
Use a full year of bills and delivered-fuel purchases, not one unusually expensive month. Have the bidder identify fixed charges that remain if you retain gas for cooking or water heating. Ask for the estimate with both current and less favorable fuel-price assumptions.
Define what happens to the existing equipment.
| Item | Question for the written scope |
|---|---|
| Furnace | Retained, repaired, replaced, or removed? |
| Venting and fuel service | What work is included, and by whom? |
| Indoor coil and blower | Does the final pairing match its rating? |
| Ducts | Which measured problems will be corrected? |
| Electrical supply | Which circuits or service changes are needed? |
| Controls | Who tests the transition between heating sources? |
If an old furnace stays, include its expected maintenance in the ownership comparison.
Check the Missouri program for your utility.
An Ameren Illinois page is not an Ameren Missouri award, and an Evergy Kansas offer is not a Missouri rebate. Have the bidder identify the actual utility, state, measure, and installation-date rules on the proposal.
For PAYS or any other assistance route, obtain program approval and the complete terms before work begins when required. Keep any contractor discount, program incentive, and amount recovered through future payments separate. At completion, collect the startup record and owner instructions as well as the invoice.
Bring a clear project brief to your installer.
Sources checked September 6, 2026. Confirm current funding and installation-date rules with the administrator before signing. These are selected local pathways, not an exhaustive rebate list.
Start a heating and cooling request with your existing equipment, utility, and comfort priorities. Temperaly does not approve rebates; a request is not an appointment.
Editorial review: 2026-09-06