Woodsmoke Reduction Program

Contact

The Woodsmoke Reduction Program (Program) offers financial incentives for homeowners to replace old, inefficient, and highly polluting wood stoves, wood inserts, or fireplaces with cleaner burning and more efficient home heating devices. California residents using uncertified wood stoves or wood inserts or fireplaces as their primary heat source may be eligible for incentives towards the purchase and installation of qualifying devices. The incentive amounts vary depending on the location of the residence and the household income, with some households qualifying for the full replacement cost. 

Senate Bill 563 established the Woodsmoke Reduction Program to be administered by CARB to promote the voluntary replacement of old wood-burning stoves with cleaner and more efficient alternatives. The legislation also authorizes money from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) to be appropriated for incentives offered as part of the Program. State Budgets appropriated $5,000,000 in fiscal year (FY) 2016-2017, $3,000,000 in FY 2018-2019, $5,000,000 in FY 2021-2022, and $5,000,000 in FY 2022-2023, to CARB to incentivize replacement of old, uncertified wood burning devices with cleaner options. The Program is implemented by the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) in coordination with local air pollution control districts or air quality management districts (Districts). CAPCOA works with the Districts to determine how much funding will be available to each District participating in the Program.

The Woodsmoke Reduction Program is part of California Climate Investments (CCI), a Statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.

The Program Guidelines set maximum incentive levels per property or household. The cost of both the physical heating devices and installation of those devices has increased since the Guidelines were last modified. The difference between these increased costs and the incentive amounts as specified in the Program Guidelines is significant enough that many priority population Applicants are unable to participate in the Program. To better reflect current pricing and ultimately encourage priority population participation, CARB  increased the maximum Enhanced Incentives from $10,000 to $12,000 for electric heat pump installations and from $5,000 to $7,000 for eligible wood stoves, pellet stoves, or electric heating devices. This change is effective April 1, 2025.

The Program Guidelines contain more complete information regarding eligibility and implementation.

Am I Eligible?

Households using uncertified wood stoves or wood inserts or utilizing a fireplace as a primary heat source are eligible for an incentive towards replacing their old, uncertified device with a cleaner, more efficient heating device. The incentive amount will be determined by the each District in coordination with CAPCOA. In order to determine if your device is uncertified and qualifies for this program, check the model against the U.S. EPA Certified Wood Heater Database. If the stove's manufacturer and model is not on the current and historical lists, the stove is considered uncertified. Additional methods to check eligibility can be found in the Program Guidelines.

 

Flow chart to determine eligibility for program

Am I Located in a Disadvantaged or Low-Income Community?

This program will maximize benefits to low income households located in disadvantaged and low-income communities or on tribal lands and has as a goal to distribute 75 percent of total funding to these populations. Applicants residing in a census tract identified as disadvantaged or low-income automatically qualify for higher incentives. A final map of disadvantaged and low-income communities is available at CCI's Priority Population Investments.

How to Apply

In order to participate in the Program, applicants will be required to complete an application through their participating District. A list of districts currently participating in the Program can be found on CAPCOA's website. Applicants will agree to receive training and follow the best practices in fuel storage and device maintenance and operation. The District will notify the applicant whether or not the application was approved for participation in the Program.

Replacement Options

The existing uncertified wood stove/insert or fireplace must be replaced with an electric heat pump, electric stove heater, certified pellet stove, or wood stove approved for this Program, as described in the "Replacement Device" section the 2021-2022 Draft Program Guidelines. Only select wood stoves are eligible for incentives as part of this Program, which is necessary to ensure that the replacement devices reduce emissions as anticipated. The replacement device must be installed by a professional, appropriately licensed stove installer and meet local fire and building codes.