A check from the co-op, six to eight weeks after approval
If your electric bill comes from Clay Electric Cooperative, a qualifying replacement heat pump earns a rebate paid to you, the member. Here is the whole process in the order it happens.
Who this applies to
Clay Electric Cooperative is the member-owned utility serving Middleburg, Keystone Heights, Lake Asbury, Clay Hill and most of unincorporated Clay County, along with parts of Lakeside, Oakleaf and Fleming Island. If the logo on your bill is the cooperative’s, you are a member, and the cooperative runs two programs that matter when a heat pump is replaced: the Energy Smart rebate and an energy conservation loan. If your bill comes from JEA or from the City of Green Cove Springs, different rules apply and this page is not for you.
The rebate, in order
1. Confirm the meter. Before any quote, we check which utility serves the address. In Lakeside and Oakleaf two neighbors can be on different utilities.
2. Choose qualifying equipment. The rebate applies to a replacement high-efficiency heat pump or ductless mini-split of at least 12,000 BTU that meets the cooperative’s minimum efficiency rating. The current minimum is stated on the application; a Lennox heat pump at the efficiency tiers we usually recommend clears it comfortably, and we will show you the rating on the equipment data sheet.
3. Install. The system goes in. We give you the completed equipment section of the application that day: model numbers, ratings, installation date and installer information.
4. File within the window. The cooperative allows a set number of days after installation to submit, currently stated as 180 on the form, with the invoice attached. Late means denied.
5. Wait for the check. The cooperative pays the member, typically six to eight weeks after approval, as a direct payment rather than a bill credit.
| Item | Member does | Cook’s does |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm Clay Electric service | Show us a bill | Read it and note the account |
| Pick qualifying equipment | Choose from the options | Verify the rating against the program minimum |
| Equipment section of the form | Sign | Fill in models, ratings, date, installer |
| Submit with invoice | Mail or upload | Provide a clean itemized invoice |
| Follow up | Call the co-op if nothing arrives in eight weeks | Resend documentation on request |
Ask whether Cook’s holds any formal status with the cooperative’s contractor programs. [[CONFIRM WITH JERRY]] The rebate as currently written is paid to the member and does not depend on the installer’s status; we handle the technical side of the form regardless.
The conservation loan
The cooperative also offers energy conservation loans to members for heat pumps and insulation, up to a stated ceiling, repaid to the cooperative under the loan’s own terms; the only loan item that shows up on the electric bill is a processing fee. The gate to the loan is an energy survey: a cooperative representative visits the house, inspects insulation, duct, equipment and envelope, and produces a report that the loan is based on. The survey is useful whether or not a loan follows, because it is an independent look at where your house loses energy, and the recommendations on it often match what we would say about the duct and the returns.
Because the loan is a utility program rather than a bank product, its terms are set by the cooperative and published by the cooperative. We do not quote or describe loan rates on this site. Cook’s also offers its own financing on new systems with low monthly payments; the two can be compared side by side once you have the co-op’s current terms in hand.
What does and does not qualify
Qualifies: a replacement heat pump or mini-split that meets the size and efficiency minimums and is installed at a Clay Electric-served home.
Usually does not qualify: a repair, a straight-cool air conditioner without heat pump function, a system below the size threshold, equipment at a JEA or Green Cove Springs address, or a replacement filed after the window closes.
Check the current application before relying on any of this. Programs change, and the cooperative’s own form is the authority.
Common mistakes
- Replacing the outdoor unit only. The rating that qualifies is the matched system rating; a new condenser on an old coil may not reach it.
- Letting the invoice sit. The filing window is generous but finite.
- Assuming the installer files it. The member files; we prepare.
- Confusing the programs. JEA and the cooperative have different amounts, different equipment lists and different calendars.
Why we bring it up on every co-op quote
A replacement heat pump is a large purchase, and a flat rebate on it is real money handed back for a few minutes of paperwork. On a Middleburg or Keystone Heights job we open the conversation with the form, and we would rather you ask about it than find out afterward that it existed. Federal tax credits for this equipment ended after 2025, so the utility programs are the incentives that remain, and the cooperative’s is the most generous in this market.
Rebate and loan questions
Does the rebate go to Cook's or to me?
To you. The Clay Electric Energy Smart program pays the member directly after the application and proof of installation are approved. We supply the equipment details and ratings for the form; you sign and submit it.
What if I replace in June and forget the paperwork until winter?
There is a filing window after installation, stated on the application, and a late application is denied. We give you the completed equipment section the day of the install so the only task left is mailing or uploading it.
Can I get the rebate and the loan on the same project?
The programs are separate, with the loan requiring an energy survey first, and the cooperative’s current rules govern whether both apply to one job. Ask the co-op directly, and ask us to confirm the equipment meets both programs’ thresholds. Ask whether Cook’s has handled a combined rebate-and-loan job before. [[CONFIRM WITH JERRY]]
My meter is JEA, not Clay Electric. Is there anything for me?
JEA runs its own heating and cooling rebate for ENERGY STAR equipment and smart thermostats in annual program years. The most recent year closed in early October and the next cycle is to be confirmed. We check the program calendar before quoting a JEA address.
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