What TECO and Duke Energy Rebates Actually Cover for Tampa Bay Homeowners in 2026

Published August 26, 2026 · Tampa Bay, FL

If you’re planning a roof replacement or energy upgrade in Tampa Bay this year, you’ve probably heard that utility rebates can help offset the cost. That’s true — but the landscape changed dramatically in 2025, and most homeowners haven’t caught up.

The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (Section 25C), which covered 30 percent of insulation, cool roofs, and other energy upgrades, was terminated by the One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law on July 4, 2025. No credit is available for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. The Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) for solar panels met the same fate.

That means for 2026, your utility company’s rebate programs are the primary financial incentive left. Here’s exactly what Tampa Electric (TECO) and Duke Energy Florida offer — and what they don’t.

Which Utility Serves Your Home?

Before you start researching rebates, you need to know which company sends your bill. Florida’s electricity market is regulated — you can’t choose your provider.

• Tampa Electric (TECO) serves most of Hillsborough County, including Brandon, Riverview, Valrico, Temple Terrace, and central Tampa.
• Duke Energy Florida serves parts of northern Hillsborough, most of Pasco and Pinellas counties, and areas of St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

Check your electric bill if you’re not sure. The rebate programs are completely separate — you can only use the programs from your provider.

TECO Rebates for Tampa Electric Customers

Tampa Electric’s residential energy efficiency programs are modest but real. Here’s what’s currently available:

Ceiling Insulation — $0.16 per Square Foot

If your attic insulation is below recommended levels, TECO will pay $0.16 per square foot per R-11 of insulation installed. For a typical 1,800-square-foot Brandon home that needs an insulation upgrade, that works out to roughly $288.

The catch: you must schedule a free TECO energy analyst inspection first. If the analyst recommends insulation, you’ll receive a rebate certificate valid for one year and a list of approved contractors. The contractor deducts the rebate directly from your invoice. DIY installation also qualifies — just submit receipts within 90 days.

Call TECO at 813-275-3909 to schedule the attic inspection.

Heating and Cooling — $40 to $550

TECO recently quadrupled their top HVAC rebate, from $135 to $550. The tiers work like this:

• $40 rebate — Systems with SEER 16.00+ or SEER2 15.20+ (heat pumps, straight cool, or natural gas)
• $550 rebate — Systems with SEER 17.00+ or SEER2 16.20+ (same categories plus geothermal at 15.00+ EER)

If you’re replacing an air conditioning system during a reroof — which is common when attic access is open and the old unit was straining against poor insulation — the $550 rebate on a high-efficiency system is worth pursuing.

Ductwork Repair — $125 Flat Rate

TECO’s ductwork program offers professional duct sealing for a flat $125 per HVAC unit — well below the typical market price of $400 to $700. Seven out of ten Florida homes have duct leaks that increase cooling costs by up to 20 percent. TECO covers a free pre-approval inspection, and if your system qualifies, an approved contractor handles the sealing.

This is one of the most underused programs in Hillsborough County. If your electric bill spikes every summer despite a relatively new AC, leaky ducts in a hot attic are often the culprit.

What TECO Doesn’t Cover

TECO does not offer residential rebates for cool roofs, radiant barriers, window upgrades, or water heaters. Their cool-roof program exists, but it’s limited to commercial and industrial customers. There is also no TECO rebate for roof-related materials specifically — shingles, underlayment, or metal roofing don’t qualify regardless of energy rating.

Duke Energy Rebates (Pinellas, Pasco, and North Hillsborough)

Duke Energy Florida’s Home Energy Improvement program is significantly more generous than TECO’s, with up to $3,800 in combined rebates for qualifying upgrades. If you live in the Duke service area — including parts of St. Petersburg, Clearwater, New Port Richey, and northern Hillsborough — here’s the breakdown:

Attic Insulation — Up to $800

Duke’s insulation rebates are tiered based on your starting R-value:

• $0.25/sq ft (up to $600) — Upgrading from R-19 or less to minimum R-38
• $0.27/sq ft (up to $700) — Upgrading from R-12 or less to minimum R-38
• $0.31/sq ft (up to $800) — Upgrading from R-2 or less to minimum R-38

These rates were improved effective May 7, 2025, and represent substantially better incentives than TECO’s program.

HVAC — Up to $1,000

Duke offers up to $1,000 for qualifying high-efficiency HVAC replacements in single-family homes (up to $600 for multifamily).

Windows — Up to $800

Duke is one of the few Florida utilities offering window replacement rebates — up to $800 for energy-efficient window upgrades. TECO doesn’t match this.

Duct Test and Repair — Up to $450

Professional duct testing and sealing, with rebates up to $450.

The Prerequisite

Every Duke rebate requires a free Home Energy Check completed within the prior 24 months. Schedule it first — you cannot apply for rebates without it. Visit Duke Energy’s website or call 800-254-8535.

The Federal Credits That Disappeared

Many Tampa Bay homeowners still assume they can claim a 30 percent federal tax credit for insulation, energy-efficient roofing, or solar panels. That is no longer the case.

The One Big Beautiful Bill (Public Law 119-21), signed July 4, 2025, accelerated the termination of both the Section 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit and the Section 25D Residential Clean Energy Credit. Neither applies to property placed in service after December 31, 2025.

What this means practically: if you installed qualifying insulation or a cool roof in 2025, you can still claim the credit on your 2025 tax return. But any work completed in 2026 — no matter how energy-efficient — gets no federal tax benefit.

This is a significant loss. The 25C credit previously covered up to $1,200 annually for insulation, air sealing, and building envelope improvements at 30 percent of cost. Homeowners who were planning to stack that with utility rebates have lost roughly half their total incentive.

How to Stack What’s Left

Even without the federal credits, Tampa Bay homeowners can still combine several incentives during a roof project:

1. Utility insulation rebate — Have the energy audit done before your reroof. If your attic insulation is subpar (and in most pre-2000 Hillsborough County homes, it is), adding insulation while the attic is accessible during a reroof is the most cost-effective time.
2. HVAC rebate — If your AC is over 10 years old and you’re reroofing, the open-attic window is ideal for HVAC replacement. The $550 TECO rebate (or up to $1,000 Duke) offsets a meaningful portion of the upgrade.
3. Ductwork repair — At $125 through TECO (or up to $450 in Duke territory), fixing duct leaks during a roof project when the attic is already open is a no-brainer.
4. Insurance savings — A new roof with current code compliance (FBC 8th Edition hip-roof and nailing-pattern credits) typically qualifies for maximum wind mitigation discounts, saving Tampa Bay homeowners an estimated $800 to $2,200 per year on homeowners insurance.

The insurance savings alone dwarf any utility rebate, but the rebates still reduce your upfront cost — and the energy improvements lower your monthly bills permanently.

What Tampa Bay Homeowners Should Do Now

If you’re considering a reroof or major energy upgrade in 2026, start with the free energy audit from your utility provider. Both TECO and Duke require it before any rebates are approved, and the audit itself often identifies savings opportunities you didn’t know existed.

Don’t wait for the federal credits to come back — there’s no legislation pending to reinstate them. The utility rebates are the incentive landscape for 2026, and they’re worth capturing while you’re already investing in your home.

Brandon Roofing coordinates with TECO’s insulation and ductwork programs regularly. If you’re planning a roof replacement in Brandon, Riverview, Valrico, or anywhere in Hillsborough County, call us at (813) 321-2340 for a free inspection — and we’ll help you time the project to maximize every rebate available.

Disclaimer: Utility rebate programs, amounts, and eligibility requirements are subject to change. Federal tax provisions reflect law as of August 2026. Consult a tax professional for individual tax advice. Verify current program details with your utility provider before scheduling work.