How to Fill Out the MiHER Program Application: Portal Steps and Rebate Tracks

You apply for the MiHER program at mienergyrebates.clearesult.com, the online portal run by CLEAResult for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. The Michigan Home Energy Rebates (MiHER) program application is entirely online, there is no paper form, and you must be accepted into the program before any rebate-eligible work begins on your home.¹

Before You Apply

MiHER is open to both homeowners and renters on their primary residence, and covers single-family homes as well as apartments in multifamily buildings.¹ Your household income relative to your county’s Area Median Income (AMI) decides how much the rebate covers, not whether you can apply. Under the electrification track (HEAR), households below 80% AMI can have up to 100% of a qualifying measure covered, households between 80% and 150% AMI can have up to 50% covered, and households above 150% AMI are not eligible. The whole-home efficiency track (HOMES) has no upper income cap, though higher-income households receive smaller maximum rebates.²

Do-it-yourself work is not eligible. Every rebate must go through an approved MiHER contractor, and you pick that contractor from a list inside the portal after you are accepted.³

What to Have Ready

The application asks for your property address, your household size (this determines which AMI bracket you fall into), and your income information.³

For income, federal rules give you three ways to qualify: documentation such as a tax return, proof that you are enrolled in a qualifying assistance program, or self-attestation. Whichever route you choose, you sign a statement affirming the information is accurate.²

Self-attestation is allowed, but expect it to slow you down. Federal rules require the state to verify 100% of self-attested applications, either by confirming enrollment in the program you named or by checking income through the IRS Income Verification Express Service.² Uploading a recent tax return or a benefit-enrollment letter at the start is usually the fastest way through the income check.

If you rent, get written permission from your landlord or building owner before you start the application. Federal rules require that authorization before any work can begin on a rental unit.²

Step by Step Through the Portal

1. Create an account and submit the application. Go to mienergyrebates.clearesult.com and set up an account. Enter your household size, income information, and property address. Wait for acceptance before scheduling any work; upgrades installed before you are accepted will not qualify for a rebate.³

2. Choose an approved MiHER contractor. Once you are accepted, browse the contractor list inside the portal and pick one. The contractor becomes your main point of contact for the rest of the process.³

3. Get an assessment and project scope. Your contractor evaluates the home and identifies qualifying upgrades. For a HOMES (whole-home efficiency) project, a BPI-certified Building Analyst Professional runs a BPI-2400 energy assessment to model expected savings.⁴ You will receive estimated energy savings, an estimated project cost, and a written acknowledgment that you understand the expected impact on your energy bills and any balance you would owe after the rebate.²

4. Installation. The approved contractor performs the upgrades.

5. Post-installation inspection and rebate processing. After the work is done and inspected, the contractor submits the rebate paperwork. The rebate flows through the contractor rather than arriving as a check in your mailbox, so it typically shows up as a reduction in what you owe on the job.³

Which Rebate Track Fits Your Project

MiHER runs two separate rebate tracks, and picking the right one shapes what you fill in and what the contractor plans. The Home Efficiency Rebates (HOMES) track pays for whole-home efficiency work, with the rebate size tied to modeled energy savings against a pre-retrofit baseline; single-family projects can earn up to $8,000.⁴ The Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) track pays for specific efficient electric equipment, each with its own cap: up to $8,000 for a heat pump, $4,000 for an electric panel upgrade, $2,500 for electric wiring, $1,750 for a heat pump water heater, and $1,600 for insulation, air sealing, and ventilation.⁵ If you are unsure which track fits, the call center or an approved contractor can sort it out before you commit.

Getting Help With the Application

CLEAResult runs a MiHER call center at 855-510-7080 and takes email at MiEnergyRebates@CLEAResult.com. Staff there can walk you through the online application, help with portal problems, and advise on which track your planned upgrades fall under.¹ Michigan received roughly $210 million in federal funding for the program, and that pool is finite, so applying sooner reduces the risk that funds are fully reserved before your project is approved.

A Note on Federal Tax Credits

Two federal tax credits that used to sit alongside these rebates, the Section 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit and the Section 25D Residential Clean Energy Credit, both expired on December 31, 2025.⁶ As of 2026, there is no active federal residential energy tax credit to stack on top of a MiHER rebate. Some Michigan utilities offer their own efficiency incentives that may combine with MiHER, so it is worth asking your utility before you start work.

1
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Home Energy Rebates
2
U.S. Department of Energy. Home Energy Rebates Program Requirements and Application Instructions
3
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. MiHER for Residents – How to Get Your Rebate
4
Green Home Institute. Amplify Your Savings with Michigan’s Home Energy Rebates
5
ENERGY STAR. Home Electrification and Appliances Rebate Program
6
Internal Revenue Service. Residential Clean Energy Credit