If Boone Electric Cooperative bills you for electricity, your HVAC rebates come from the co-op rather than from the city. Ground-source geothermal pays $750 per ton, a dual-fuel heat pump system pays $300, and a heat pump water heater pays 50% of the cost up to $750. The geothermal and dual-fuel offers are both published with an expiration of 12/31/2026.
How do I know which utility serves my address?
Read the utility name on your electric bill. That is the answer — not a map, not a city-limits rule, and not a neighbor's word for it. Boone Electric serves Boone County plus parts of Randolph, Audrain, Callaway, Howard and Monroe counties, and its own material describes serving portions of Columbia as well. There is no clean "inside the city means the city utility" line to rely on, so don't rely on one.
What is documented is territory at the town level. Boone Electric serves all of Rocheport and all of Harrisburg. Sturgeon, Hallsville, Centralia and Ashland are served by other utilities, as are parts of Columbia. If your bill leaves you guessing, Boone Electric Member Services can confirm it in a minute at 573-449-4181.
Why it matters before you buy
The two programs are shaped completely differently. The city pays a flat $1,200 for geothermal under 5 tons; Boone Electric pays per ton, which on a larger system is a very different number. Knowing which program you're in changes which equipment makes sense.
What does Boone Electric pay on HVAC equipment?
| Equipment | Rebate | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Ground-source (geothermal) heat pump | $750 per ton $250 Boone Electric + $500 AECI | Residential cap 10 tons; service must use 6,000+ kWh/year. Expires 12/31/2026 |
| Dual-fuel system (heat pump + fossil-fuel furnace) | $300 per system | Minimum HSPF2 7.5; new install; maximum two systems per member. Expires 12/31/2026 |
| Heat pump water heater | 50% of cost, up to $750 | ENERGY STAR required; limit two per meter; tankless excluded |
Why is the geothermal rebate so much larger out here?
Because it is paid per ton and it is funded twice: $250 per ton from Boone Electric plus $500 per ton from AECI, the co-op's generation and transmission partner. On a residential system the cap is 10 tons, and the service has to use at least 6,000 kWh per year — a threshold most year-round homes clear comfortably.
That structure is what makes geothermal worth a serious look on rural property, where there is usually room for a loop field and where the alternative is often propane. Countywide, roughly 17.8% of occupied homes outside Columbia heat with propane — about eleven times the rate inside the city — so the operating-cost math outside city limits looks very different from the math downtown.
What counts as a dual-fuel system?
A dual-fuel setup pairs an electric heat pump with a fossil-fuel furnace. The heat pump handles mild weather, which is most of the season here, and the furnace takes over when outdoor temperatures drop far enough that the heat pump stops being the cheaper way to make heat. The rebate is $300 per system, it applies to a new install, the equipment must be rated at least HSPF2 7.5, and a member can claim a maximum of two systems.
It is a genuinely good fit for this county. Columbia's normal January low sits near 21°F — cold enough that an air-source heat pump wants a real backup-heat strategy rather than a bank of electric strips. On a propane-heated house, dual fuel also cuts the number of gallons burned without abandoning the equipment that handles the coldest nights — the same logic behind a full propane-to-heat-pump conversion.
What conditions apply to all of these rebates?
- You must be a Boone Electric member — the account has to be on the co-op's system.
- Structures must be on a permanent foundation on member-owned land.
- The geothermal and dual-fuel offers are published with an expiration of 12/31/2026.
- Per-member and per-meter limits apply: two dual-fuel systems, two heat pump water heaters per meter, 10 tons on residential geothermal.
- Program terms are set by the co-op and can change. Confirm before you buy, at 573-449-4181.
Boone Electric's published residential HVAC list covers the three items above. If you are considering other equipment — a straight air-source heat pump, for instance — ask Member Services directly rather than assuming an amount, because we will not publish a figure we cannot verify.
Who is Boone Electric Cooperative?
Boone Electric was founded in 1936 and was the first electric cooperative in Missouri. Like every co-op, it is owned by the members it serves rather than by shareholders, which is why rebate money flows through member programs and why Member Services can tell you exactly what your account qualifies for. The number again: 573-449-4181.
What if the city bills me instead?
Then a different and equally generous program applies. Columbia Water & Light pays $800 or $1,200 on a qualifying air conditioner or heat pump depending on SEER2 rating, $1,200 on geothermal under 5 tons, and $1,200 for switching a gas or propane home onto a heat pump. The city program has its own hard rules — a six-month application deadline and a required final mechanical permit — covered in detail on our permits page.
⚠️ Don't count on a federal credit on top
The federal 25C and 25D credits both ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025 — including the 30% geothermal credit. What changed in 2026 →
Frequently asked questions about Boone Electric rebates
How do I know whether Boone Electric serves my house?
Look at the utility name printed on your electric bill. That is the only reliable way to tell, and it decides which rebate program you can use. Do not assume a rule based on city limits: Boone Electric's own material describes serving portions of Columbia as well as the county. If the bill is unclear, call Boone Electric Member Services at 573-449-4181.
How much does Boone Electric pay for a geothermal system?
$750 per ton, made up of $250 per ton from Boone Electric and $500 per ton from AECI. Residential systems are capped at 10 tons, and the service has to use at least 6,000 kWh per year. The published offer expires 12/31/2026.
What is a dual-fuel system and what does the rebate pay?
A dual-fuel system pairs an electric heat pump with a fossil-fuel furnace, running the heat pump in mild weather and switching to the furnace when it gets cold. Boone Electric pays $300 per system on a new install with a minimum rating of HSPF2 7.5, up to two systems per member. The offer expires 12/31/2026.
Does Boone Electric rebate heat pump water heaters?
Yes. The rebate is 50% of the cost up to $750, limited to two per meter. The unit must be ENERGY STAR rated, and tankless water heaters are excluded.
Can I claim a Boone Electric rebate and a Columbia Water and Light rebate on the same system?
No. These are two separate utilities and you are a customer of one of them. Columbia Water and Light rebates are for City of Columbia Utilities electric customers; Boone Electric rebates are for co-op members. Check the utility name on your bill to see which program is yours.
Are there still federal tax credits to stack on top of a co-op rebate?
Not for equipment placed in service in 2026. The federal 25C and 25D credits both ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, which also ended the 30% geothermal credit. Utility rebates like these are what remain.