Cool Roof Rebate Act Offers Up to $0.75/Sq Ft for Homeowners in High-Heat Zones

The newly proposed Cool Roof Rebate Act of 2025 is designed to help homeowners in the hottest parts of the country lower their energy bills by upgrading their roofs. This isn't a general tax credit; the bill sets up a targeted federal rebate program, run by the Department of Energy, specifically for buying and installing certain energy-efficient “cool roof” materials. The program is authorized to run from 2026 through September 30, 2030, with a budget of $25 million authorized annually.

The Fine Print on Who Gets the Check

This is where the eligibility gets specific. To qualify for a rebate, you have to meet two major criteria, which tie this policy directly to affordability and climate risk. First, your household income must be less than 200% of the median income for your ZIP Code. Second, you must live in a ZIP Code that ranks in the top 25% of the CDC’s Heat and Health Index. Essentially, this program focuses its resources on lower-income households struggling with high heat—the people who are most likely to see their AC bills skyrocket in the summer. If you live in a high-heat area but make too much money, or if you meet the income requirements but live in a cooler area, you’re likely out of luck. (The bill carves out an exception for residents of D.C., Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories where the Heat Index isn't fully established, requiring only the income test in those places.)

Breaking Down the Rebate Tiers

Unlike a flat-rate discount, the rebate amount is tiered based on the roof material's performance and the slope of your roof. The bill uses technical measurements like Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) and 3-year aged performance ratings to determine the payout. For the highest-performing materials, you can get $0.75 per square foot installed. For mid-level materials, you get $0.25 per square foot (Section 2). This means that if you install a top-tier cool roof on a 1,500 square foot roof, you could potentially get $1,125 back. The goal is clearly to push homeowners toward the most effective materials on the market, which translates directly into better energy savings and a cooler home.

What This Means for Your Wallet and Your Neighborhood

For eligible homeowners, this is a clear win—a way to cut down on the upfront cost of a major home repair while locking in lower utility bills for years. Because the bill allows this rebate to be stacked with other grants, it could dramatically reduce the overall cost of a roof replacement for those who qualify. For example, a family in a high-heat zone who can’t afford a new roof might now be able to combine this federal rebate with local energy efficiency programs, making the project feasible.

From a community perspective, installing these roofs helps fight the “urban heat island” effect, where cities absorb and retain heat. When multiple homes in a neighborhood switch to cool roofs, the area itself gets cooler, which benefits everyone, even those who didn't get the rebate. The bill even authorizes $600,000 to update the Cool Roof Calculator tool, ensuring homeowners and contractors have accurate data on which products work best.

The Potential Hurdles in the Fine Print

While the intent is excellent, the reliance on two specific outside metrics—the 200% median income threshold and the CDC’s Heat and Health Index—adds a layer of complexity (Section 2, Defining the Terms: Eligible Household). If you live just outside the designated high-heat zones, or if your income is slightly over the 200% mark, you are excluded from the program entirely, regardless of how badly you need the energy savings. Furthermore, the requirement that products must have 3-year aged performance ratings could slow down the adoption of newer, cutting-edge materials that haven't been on the market long enough to complete the required testing.