The AEP Texas Residential Standard Offer Program is the energy-efficiency program of AEP Texas, the wires utility for the Coastal Bend and much of West and South Texas. It covers a complete high-efficiency air-source heat pump change-out, and like the other deregulated Texas delivery utilities it pays the incentive to an enrolled contractor rather than to the homeowner. The incentive is based on the verified energy savings of the project and applied to your install cost, so its value shows up as a lower price, not a later check.
Because incentives are paid through the contractor channel, AEP Texas does not publish a fixed homeowner dollar figure — many measures, the program notes, may be provided at low or no cost depending on the project. The practical step is to choose a contractor enrolled as an AEP Texas Energy Efficiency Service Provider and ask them to itemize the Standard Offer incentive on the quote. Households at or below the program's income limits can access the Hard-to-Reach Standard Offer Program, which carries a higher incentive for the same work.
Coverage follows the AEP Texas meter. AEP Texas Central serves Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend; AEP Texas North and West reach Laredo, McAllen, Harlingen, Abilene, San Angelo, and Victoria. AEP Texas is the delivery utility, so being on it is independent of which retail provider sells you power. Nearby metros — Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and DFW — sit on Austin Energy, CPS Energy, CenterPoint, and Oncor respectively, each with its own program.
For 2026, this incentive is the utility layer for South and West Texas buyers, alongside the income-qualified state HEAR rebate once Texas launches it. The federal Section 25C tax credit that added up to $2,000 for a heat pump ended for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025, so the contractor-applied Standard Offer incentive and HEAR are what remain. Confirm current availability with an enrolled contractor before scheduling, since annual budgets can fill.