MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. — As the Mackinac Policy Conference wraps up, state leaders turned their attention to lowering utility bills for Michiganders, highlighting the announcement of the official statewide rollout of the Michigan Home Energy Rebates Program, or MiHER.
The program could bring up to $34,000 in rebates to qualifying households for energy-saving upgrades and efficient appliances.
The MiHER program has two key components:
- Home Efficiency Rebates help lower upfront costs for insulation, air sealing, windows, HVAC systems, and other whole-home energy improvements.
- Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates can be used for efficient electric appliances, including electric stoves, heat pumps, water heaters, and electrical wiring upgrades.
The program prioritizes low- to moderate-income households, covering upgrade costs for those most in need. Homeowners and renters can find more information at Michigan.gov/HomeEnergyRebates, where they’ll be connected with approved contractors to begin the upgrade process.
Phil Roos, Director of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, said lessons from the pilot phase in Marquette and Holland helped the state streamline the application and contractor selection process.
While MiHER is now fully funded thanks to the federal Inflation Reduction Act, Roos warned that other programs under EGLE — like water infrastructure upgrades and brownfield cleanups — depend on ongoing state-level funding matches to keep moving forward.
“It’s about bringing the benefits of clean energy to everyday Michiganders so they can save money, have more comfortable homes, and improve their quality of life,” Roos said. “There may be questions about what will or won’t get approved in terms of future funding. We don’t speculate much because some of it is out of our hands, but with programs like Solar for All, which are already fully funded, we’re ready to move forward and get those benefits into the hands of everyday people.”
Roos added that while saving money is a key focus of MiHER, the broader mission is about energy equity, long-term resilience, and creating healthier homes across the state.
