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MD · Maryland Windows & Doors

Windows in Maryland.

EmPOWER Maryland's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program pays up to $6,500 for comprehensive upgrades that include qualifying windows, or up to $10,000 for the broader envelope (insulation + air sealing) package. BGE customers stack an additional $250 per ENERGY STAR window when bundled into the same HPwES project. Pepco, Delmarva Power, Potomac Edison, and SMECO all participate, with the $100 audit unlocking the full rebate stack.

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$6,500 HPwES
EmPOWER comprehensive upgrades (windows-inclusive)
$10,000 envelope
EmPOWER insulation + air sealing maximum
$250/window
BGE ENERGY STAR window add-on
A Maryland home window upgrade in progress, ENERGY STAR windows being set into the rough opening of an Anne Arundel County colonial
Why now · Maryland

Heating bills have climbed every year.

Maryland residential natural gas ran ~$1.20/therm in 2010 and is sitting at $1.65/therm by 2025. BGE Gas, Washington Gas, and Columbia Gas MD all moved supply rates higher through 2024 and 2025 PSC dockets. MD also runs 13% oil-heated households along the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland, with delivered oil at $4+/gallon. Windows cut usage 15-30% on day one, so your bill drops by that much before the next supply-rate climb.

The hedge U-0.27 windows: 15-30% less fuel needed
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Maryland natural gas price
2010–2025 · $/therm
$0 low mid high 2010 2015 2020 2025 US avg $1.49/therm BGE / Washington Gas $1.65/therm $1.20/therm Your reduced base (post-windows) savings stacked yearly $/therm, residential
Natural Gas price Your bill (post-windows) US national average
Source · EIA Natural Gas Monthly, residential class, 2010–2025. MD state average and the US national line are both pulled from the same dataset.
Major gas + electric utilities coveredBGE (gas + electric), Pepco, Delmarva Power, Potomac Edison, SMECO, Washington Gas, Columbia Gas of Maryland
A real example · Anne Arundel County, MD

What a 14-window retrofit earns on the MD EmPOWER stack.

Take a 2,000 sq ft 1972 colonial in Anne Arundel County, gas-heated with central AC, on BGE service. Fourteen original aluminum-frame windows. Annual gas + electric bills run ~$3,200. The owner books a $100 EmPOWER HPwES audit, the BPI-certified contractor writes a comprehensive scope that bundles air sealing, insulation, and the ENERGY STAR window upgrade, and the BGE $250-per-window add-on stacks on the HPwES comprehensive cap. Annual heating + cooling drops 21%.

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01 · Why It Works Here

MD pays for comprehensive scope, not piecemeal.

EmPOWER Maryland's HPwES is designed to reward comprehensive upgrades. The $6,500 cap kicks in when windows are bundled with envelope work and (typically) a heating, cooling, or water-heater measure. BGE customers stack a per-window rebate on top. Maryland's mixed gas/electric/oil housing stock means the right scope depends on what you're burning, the Score works that out for your specific address.

$6,500
EmPOWER HPwES comprehensive cap
Comprehensive upgrades including qualifying ENERGY STAR windows under the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR umbrella
$10,000
EmPOWER envelope-only cap
For deep envelope projects (air sealing + insulation) without the windows component layered in
$250 /window
BGE ENERGY STAR window add-on
For BGE customers, stacks on top of EmPOWER HPwES when bundled into the same project scope
15-30%
Heating-bill reduction (typical)
Single-pane-to-ENERGY-STAR retrofit on MD climate zone 4A; compounds for 25+ years
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02 · The Components

Every value line, spelled out.

A Maryland windows project earns through three working channels: EmPOWER Maryland's HPwES comprehensive rebate, BGE's per-window add-on (where applicable), and the comfort + bill-savings stack on Maryland's mixed gas + electric + oil housing.

  • EmPOWER Maryland HPwES comprehensive cap (windows-inclusive)up to $6,500
  • EmPOWER Maryland HPwES envelope-only cap (air sealing + insulation)up to $10,000
  • BGE ENERGY STAR window add-on (BGE service area only)$250/window
  • Required EmPOWER HPwES energy audit (BPI-certified)$100 audit fee
  • DHCD EmPOWER Limited Income Energy Efficiency Program (LIEEP)income-qualified
  • Year-1 gas heating savings on a typical MD home (57% gas-heated)~$485/yr typical
  • Year-1 AC + appliance electric savings (MD humid summers)~$185/yr typical
  • Resale-value lift on documented ENERGY STAR window replacement+1-3% home value
  • Equipment lifespan and warranty30-50 yrs · lifetime glass
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03 · Install Timeline

From first call to tighter glass.

A typical Maryland windows project runs 7–10 weeks from the EmPOWER audit to commissioning, with the envelope work and window upgrade scoped together so the comprehensive cap applies.

01.
Free Home Energy Score + $100 EmPOWER HPwES audit
An EmPOWER-participating BPI-certified contractor walks the house, runs a blower-door test, and writes the comprehensive scope so all eligible rebates stack. Audit fee is $100; LIEEP income-qualified households see it waived.
Week 1
02.
Bundled envelope work + heating/cooling measure
Air sealing and insulation work happens here, with a heating/cooling/water-heating measure layered in to qualify for the $6,500 comprehensive cap. Rebates flow midstream through the contractor network.
Weeks 2-5
03.
Window product selection
ENERGY STAR-certified for MD climate zone 4A (U-factor 0.27 or lower, with 0.22 preferred for Western MD and northern Frederick County). Lead time 3-5 weeks for stock sizes.
Weeks 3-6
04.
County permits + installation
County building permit (Anne Arundel, Howard, Baltimore, Montgomery, etc.), install over 1-3 days. NFRC labels photographed for the EmPOWER project file documenting ENERGY STAR window qualification.
Weeks 6-8
05.
EmPOWER close-out + BGE add-on processing
Contractor files the close-out package documenting both the comprehensive HPwES scope and the BGE per-window add-on (BGE customers only). All rebates post; comfort + bill reduction begins immediately.
Weeks 8-10
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04 · Honest FAQ

The real questions Maryland homeowners ask.

Actual questions that come up in the first installer conversation, answered for a typical Maryland homeowner in 2026.

Does EmPOWER Maryland really pay for windows directly?

Through the HPwES comprehensive cap, yes, when the windows are part of a project that also includes envelope work (air sealing + insulation) and ideally a heating, cooling, or water-heater measure. The comprehensive cap is $6,500. A windows-only project doesn't qualify for the comprehensive cap, only the envelope cap, which is why the BPI-certified contractor scopes the project as a bundled HPwES upgrade. BGE customers also get $250 per ENERGY STAR window stacked on top.

What if I'm not a BGE customer?

Pepco, Delmarva Power, Potomac Edison, and SMECO all participate in EmPOWER Maryland HPwES, so the $6,500 comprehensive cap (or $10,000 envelope cap) is the same regardless of which utility serves your home. The per-window $250 add-on, however, is BGE-specific in 2026. The Score will identify which utility serves your address and surface the right rebate stack.

Are the EmPOWER caps changing in 2026?

Funding is confirmed through 2026 at current levels, though the Maryland Public Service Commission has flagged that some EmPOWER Maryland program levels may see reductions in the 2027-2030 cycle. Capturing 2026 rebate caps means scheduling the audit early in the program year and getting the contractor close-out filed before December 31.

What U-factor do my new windows need in Maryland?

Maryland is climate zone 4A (most of the state) with zone 5A in Western Maryland (Garrett, Allegany, parts of Washington County). ENERGY STAR North-Central threshold is U-factor 0.27 or lower for zone 4A; Northern threshold 0.22 is recommended for Western MD. Check the NFRC label for U-factor, SHGC, and air leakage.

Beyond the EmPOWER rebates, what else makes the math work?

Three additional levers: (1) MD gas and electric rates have climbed every year for 15 years under PSC dockets, and the climb is forecast to continue; (2) 13% of MD homes still heat with oil, particularly on the Eastern Shore and in Western Maryland, where every gallon avoided at $4+ is real cash; (3) summer cooling load drops too, particularly in humid Tidewater MD, where high-SHGC windows would otherwise dump solar heat into the AC load.

I have an old historic home in Annapolis, can I qualify for the rebate?

Yes, with caveats. Historic-district preservation rules may restrict full window replacement on the street-facing facade; in those cases, an interior storm panel (Indow, Innerglass) can deliver double-pane-equivalent performance without touching the original sashes. Interior storms generally don't qualify for the ENERGY STAR window-specific rebates, but the bundled envelope work (air sealing + insulation) still qualifies for the HPwES envelope cap up to $10,000. The Score weighs the right path for historic-district homes in Annapolis, Frederick, and Cumberland.

All Maryland programs

The full Maryland upgrade menu.

Every Maryland program a homeowner can layer in. The badge marks the ones that pair most naturally with the program on this page.

MD · Maryland Solar + RPS SREC
A tighter envelope drops the kWh base, which makes every rooftop kWh worth more against your remaining load.
MD · EmPOWER Heat Pumps
New windows reduce heating and cooling load, which lets a heat pump run smaller, longer, and quieter. Same EmPOWER HPwES scope rolls both together.
Stacks well
MD · EmPOWER Insulation
Windows and insulation are the two halves of the envelope. EmPOWER HPwES bundles them on the same audit, and both rebates stack.
Stacks well
MD · Maryland Residential Clean Energy Storage
A tighter house holds temperature longer during summer storm outages, stretching every battery-kWh.
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See how windows fit your specific Maryland home.

Your Home Efficiency Score counts your single-pane windows, runs the EmPOWER HPwES comprehensive math, surfaces the BGE per-window add-on if you're in BGE territory, and shows your real gas + electric bill drop based on your utility, fuel type, and house size.

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