Installing a home EV charger in Delaware: the rebate paperwork checklist

A new EV in the driveway usually leads to a Level 2 charger in the garage, and a lot of those installs get scheduled for late November and December, when the car arrives or when a holiday gift becomes a project. In Delaware, a homeowner's charger rebate exists, but it does not come from where most people look first. Here is the paperwork side, which is where applications go wrong.

Start with the right program

DNREC's EV Charging Station Rebate Program states that rebates for single-family home charging stations are not offered. If you are charging at your own house, the program to look at is Energize Delaware's residential EVSE rebate, covered on the charger rebate page. It pays up to 50% of equipment and installation costs for market-rate customers, or up to 90% for income-eligible customers. We did not find a stated maximum dollar amount or a defined income threshold on the page we reviewed, so ask before you assume either. Energize Delaware's number, 888-735-1510, is the place to ask which tier you are in.

Who can apply

You must be a Delaware resident and the primary electric account holder at the address where the charger is installed. If you rent and your landlord holds the account, the account-holder rule probably decides who may apply, but the page does not address renters, so confirm before anyone spends money.

The 60-day clock starts at installation

The application must be submitted within 60 days of installation. The date to write down is the day the electrician finishes the job, not the day you bought the charger. A charger installed on December 20 puts the 60th day on February 18, and holiday travel, a busy electrician and an office that is slow to return calls all eat into that. Schedule the paperwork steps before the install, not after.

What Energize Delaware asks for

• The completed application form.
• The purchase invoice for the charger.
• The paid installation invoice from a licensed contractor.
• A photo of the installed charger.
• A photo of the electrical panel inspection sticker, if one is required.
• The electrician's contact information and license number.
• A completed Home Performance Audit, plus a WAP audit as well for the income-eligible tier.

The two items that tend to catch people are the audit and the paid installation invoice. A Home Performance Audit is an appointment of its own, and it is much easier to book before you are racing the 60 days. Because the requirement is a paid installation invoice, ask the contractor for a paid-in-full copy rather than a quote or a balance-due statement.

Mistakes that cost people the rebate

1. Applying to the wrong program. A homeowner sending a DNREC pre-approval request is applying to a program that excludes single-family homes.
2. Counting from the wrong date. Delivery of the charger, a permit date, and the final install are three different dates. Use the install date.
3. Installing first, auditing later. If the audit is a required document, find out the lead time for one before the electrician is scheduled.
4. Skipping the photos. Take the charger and panel photos on the day of the install, while the electrician is still on site.
5. Assuming the tier. Do not budget on a 90% rebate until you have been told you are income-eligible.

Landlords and workplaces are a different path

If you are putting chargers in for tenants, employees or the public, DNREC's $2,000,000 first-come, first-served pool applies instead, and it works in the reverse order: pre-approval first, with a decision in 10 business days, then installation within one year of approval, then reimbursement. DNREC does not publish a running balance, so call 302-735-3480 before committing.

Whichever path applies, the safest approach is to treat the application as part of the installation project, with a folder, a calendar date, and a copy of every document. Programs change and can run out of funding, so confirm the current rules with Energize Delaware or DNREC before you buy.