Take A Load Off, Texas is Oncor's residential energy-efficiency program, and replacing an old air conditioner with a high-efficiency system is one of its largest incentives — ranging from about $300 up to $3,500 depending on the efficiency and size of the system you install. Oncor is the regulated wires (delivery) utility for Dallas-Fort Worth and much of the rest of the state, so the program runs through Oncor regardless of which retail electricity provider sends your monthly bill.
The structure is the important part. You don't apply yourself — Oncor requires the work to be done by an Authorized Service Provider, who performs the load calculation, confirms the equipment qualifies, and submits the paperwork, usually applying the incentive against your invoice. The new system must meet or exceed the current regional efficiency minimum (14.3 SEER2 for Texas), and a DOE-listed smart thermostat has to be installed with it. Higher-efficiency, variable-speed systems sit at the top of the incentive range.
This is a genuine reason replacement economics differ from repair: a tune-up earns nothing here, but a qualifying changeout can knock four figures off the project. Because the incentive scales with efficiency and the paperwork flows through the contractor, the practical move is to ask any bidder whether they are an Oncor Authorized Service Provider and to confirm the AHRI-matched system's SEER2 and incentive amount in writing before you sign. The 2026 program closes December 1, 2026 or when funds run out, whichever comes first.