Does Your Home Qualify for the Duke Energy Window Rebate? Here’s How to Get Up to $3,250 Back.
If you’re looking for ways to save on new windows, you’ve probably already learned that the federal tax credit ended in 2025 (IRS). The good news is that Raleigh homeowners still have another option. Duke Energy’s Smart $aver program pays up to $3,250 toward new windows, and for a lot of local homes, it’s worth more than the tax credit ever was.
You can read the full program details on Duke’s Smart $aver window rebate page. Below, we’ll walk through how much you can get, who qualifies, what the windows have to meet, and why the contractor you choose makes all the difference.
How much is the Duke Energy window rebate?
Duke pays $250 per qualifying window. The cap is 13 windows per home, which comes to $3,250.
Duke sends the money as a Mastercard. You can pick a virtual card you add to your phone, or a physical card in the mail.
What do I need to qualify for the Duke Energy window rebate?
You qualify if all of these are true:
- You’re a Duke Energy residential electric customer.
- You live in a single-family home. Condos, townhomes, and duplexes count. New construction, manufactured homes, and multifamily buildings don’t.
- Your whole home is heated by a heat pump, an electric furnace, or radiant electric heat.
- The work is done by a Smart $aver participating contractor.
- It’s a complete window replacement, not a repair of an existing window.
The heat source trips a lot of people up. If your home is heated with natural gas or propane, the rebate doesn’t apply, even though Duke supplies your electricity.
Do I have to use a Duke approved contractor to get the rebate?
Yes, and this is the part most people miss. Duke only pays the rebate when a Smart $aver participating contractor does the work. If you buy windows from a big box store and install them yourself, or hire a contractor who isn’t in the program, you don’t get the rebate. Even if the windows are exactly the same.
Participating contractors have met Duke’s license and insurance requirements and are approved to do rebate eligible work. Window Works is a Smart $aver participating contractor, so when we replace your windows, they can count toward the rebate.
If you’re getting quotes from more than one company, ask each one directly: are you a Duke Energy Smart $aver participating contractor? It’s a fair question, and the answer could be worth up to $3,250. Duke’s program page also has a contractor finder if you want to check for yourself.
What U-factor and SHGC do windows need for the Duke Energy rebate?
In the Carolinas, every window on your rebate application needs:
- A U-factor of 0.28 or lower
- A solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.23 or lower
Those two numbers come from the NFRC label, the white sticker on every new window. NFRC stands for the National Fenestration Rating Council, an independent group that tests and rates windows. Here’s what each number means for your house.
U-factor is how well the window holds in your heat. It measures how fast heat moves through the whole window, glass and frame together. Lower is better. A window at 0.28 lets heat escape much more slowly than an older double pane window, which often rates much higher. In January, that’s the difference between a cozy chair by the window and one you avoid because it’s too chilly.
SHGC is how much of the sun’s heat gets through. It’s a number between 0 and 1. A window with an SHGC of 0.23 lets in about 23 percent of the sun’s heat that hits it. In Raleigh, where summer runs long and hot, that matters more than most people think. A low SHGC keeps a west-facing room from turning into an oven at 5 p.m. It also takes a load off your heat pump, and it helps protect your floors, rugs, and furniture from fading.
What gets a window to those numbers is mostly the glass. Low-E coatings, which are microscopically thin metal layers on the glass, reflect heat back where it came from. Gas fills between the panes, like argon, slow heat moving through the glass. Insulated spacers and frames do the rest.
Here’s the practical part: not every window meets both numbers. Some glass packages hit the U-factor but miss on SHGC, or the other way around. So if you want your new windows to qualify for the Duke rebate, be sure to tell us when you book your visit. That way we can be certain we quote you the right glass package from the start, and you’ll know before you sign exactly which windows qualify.
Which windows don’t count toward the rebate?
A few things are not eligible for the windows:
- North-facing windows
- Windows smaller than 12 square feet, about the size of a window 3 feet wide and 4 feet tall
- Windows in a garage or any space that isn’t heated and cooled
- Window repairs where no new window is installed
A detail most people don’t know: windows that face northeast or northwest still count. Duke has diagonal windows listed as east or west on the application. So it’s only the windows facing straight north that are out.
The size rule is the other one to watch. Many bathroom windows and small accent windows fall under 12 square feet. When we measure, we’ll note the size and direction of every window, so you know up front which ones count.
How does the Duke Energy rebate process work?
- Work with a participating contractor. That’s us!
- We install your windows. Complete replacement, done right.
- Apply within 60 days. The application is online at smartsaverincentives.com. You’ll need your Duke Energy account number, a paid invoice, Duke’s Carolinas Windows Form (we can give you this), and a photo of the NFRC label. If all your windows have the same ratings, one label is enough. If some have different ratings, include one label for each.
- Get your rebate. Processing takes about 4 to 6 weeks. A physical card can take up to 6 more weeks to arrive by mail, so the virtual card is the faster choice.
Hang on to those NFRC stickers until your application is in. They’re the proof Duke needs.
Want to know if your home qualifies?
We’re happy to look at your windows, tell you which ones count, and walk you through the rebate. If the Duke rebate is part of your plan, just add a quick note when you book, something like “interested in the Duke rebate,” so we can come prepared with the right glass options and get your direction and size information together for you.
To get started, schedule a visit using the calendar below.
