Glossary · Energy, bills & ratings
CEE tiers
Also called: CEE · CEE tier · CEE Tier 1 · CEE Tier 2 · CEE Advanced Tier · Consortium for Energy Efficiency
Efficiency levels set by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency that utilities and programs use to decide which equipment qualifies.
What it means
CEE, a consortium of energy efficiency program administrators, publishes tiered specifications for products such as heat pumps, furnaces and water heaters, with higher tiers meaning higher efficiency. Programs pick a tier as their bar, and tiers are updated over time, so equipment that qualified one year may not the next.
Why it matters in an audit
Rebate rules often reference a CEE tier, and from 2023 to 2025 the US 25C tax credit did too.
Typical numbers
Reference values with their sources. Your auditor’s report gives the figure for your own house.
| What | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 25C tax credit rule, 2023–2025 (IRS) | Heat pumps, central air conditioners, water heaters, furnaces and boilers had to meet the highest CEE tier, excluding any advanced tier, in effect at the start of the year | irs.gov ↗ |
| NEEP v5.0 proposal (July 2026) | CEE Tier 1 Path A would be one route to cold-climate listing | neep.org ↗ |