Use the house and region to frame the site visit.
For a coastal Virginia house, ask about humidity control and outdoor exposure. For a mountain property, ask for its specific winter design temperature and cold-weather output. For a Piedmont home with existing ducts, include the return-air path and problem rooms in the survey.
These are starting questions, not three standard equipment sizes. Have the contractor use your address, insulation, windows, room layout, and planned improvements in the load calculation. Ask what equipment remains and what role it serves.
Virginia’s state Home Energy Rebates are not available yet.
Virginia Energy’s current FAQ says the programs have not launched and no estimated availability date can be provided. It is updating application documents after the May 2026 federal guidance. The page also distinguishes future eligibility rules from programs available now.
Do not include a future state payment in the confirmed net price. If state assistance is necessary for the project, use the official update channel and wait for the actual application and approval instructions before committing to a rebate-dependent purchase.
Virginia Energy: current Home Energy Rebate FAQ · Source checked 2026-09-06
Dominion Virginia has existing audit and assistance pathways.
Dominion’s Virginia efficiency page links participating-contractor home energy audits and income- and age-qualified weatherization. Its assistance program lists measures such as duct sealing, insulation, and heat-pump or AC tune-ups, subject to eligibility.
Ask the program to identify the applicable scope before hiring for replacement. This is not the same as Dominion’s South Carolina equipment-rebate schedule. If your provider is Appalachian Power, a cooperative, or a municipal utility, begin with that provider’s own current program.
Dominion Virginia: home audits and qualifying programs · Source checked 2026-09-06
Make winter operation visible in the quote.
Request the house’s heating load, exact matched equipment output, and the backup contribution at the selected design temperature. For dual fuel, ask for the proposed changeover logic and fuel-price assumptions. For an all-electric plan, have the bidder include backup electricity and required circuits.
If a small ductless system is added for cooling, ask how the other rooms stay heated and what happens with bedroom doors closed. A supplemental system should not be represented as replacing the whole heating bill.
Compare the same complete project.
| Line item | What to establish |
|---|---|
| Room coverage | Same rooms and comfort goals in each bid |
| Distribution | Duct/return work or indoor-unit layout |
| Site work | Electrical, permits, mounting and drainage |
| Winter plan | Primary heat, backup, and controls |
| Program help | Current eligibility and approval sequence |
| Handover | Testing, certificate, instructions and application copy |
Keep future offers outside the amount you depend on. Ask for the gross price and any confirmed credits separately, and verify program rules again if timing or models change.
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