Utilities · Directory
The rebate money is real. Here is where it lives.
Utility incentive programs for commercial kitchen equipment across all eight Zink states — what each covers, how it pays, and the application timing that decides whether you collect. Verified August 2026.
Showing your saved state. Every program below was verified against its own pages in August 2026 — most roll over in January, so confirm terms with the program before equipment is ordered. Your Zink rep can check for you.
The one rule that matters everywhere: most programs want the application, or the participating dealer, in place before you buy. A rebate discovered after the invoice is usually a rebate missed.
Illinois
GAS + ELECTRIC Instant midstream discounts on qualifying ENERGY STAR kitchen equipment — fryers, combis, ovens, dish machines, refrigeration, holding, griddles, steamers — taken off the invoice at participating dealers.
Worth knowing: The discount happens AT PURCHASE through a participating dealer — tell your dealer or your Zink rep you want the utility discount before the order is written. ↗ Nicor Gas business rebates
GAS Prescriptive rebates for gas cooking and water-heating equipment beyond the instant-discount list.
Worth knowing: Separate paperwork from the electric side; keep model numbers and invoices. ↗
Indiana
ELECTRIC Commercial equipment rebates including foodservice categories, refrigeration measures and custom projects.
Worth knowing: Prescriptive measures are straightforward; custom projects need pre-approval BEFORE you buy. ↗ AES Indiana / CenterPoint / NIPSCO business programs
GAS + ELECTRIC C&I efficiency programs vary by territory — kitchen equipment usually falls under prescriptive or custom incentives.
Worth knowing: Check your own utility's business-programs page; DSIRE lists what's current per territory. ↗
Kentucky
ELECTRIC Commercial equipment and custom incentives in Duke's northern Kentucky territory.
Worth knowing: Same mechanics as Indiana — pre-approval for custom work. ↗ LG&E and KU business rebates
ELECTRIC Commercial rebate offerings for lighting, HVAC and equipment in LG&E/KU territories.
Worth knowing: Foodservice equipment typically rides the prescriptive/custom lists — confirm the current measure list. ↗
Michigan
GAS + ELECTRIC Instant discounts on qualifying commercial kitchen equipment — applied at participating distributors, no rebate paperwork.
Worth knowing: Midstream: the discount is taken at the point of sale. Ask for it when you order. ↗ Consumers Energy — Kitchen, Refrigeration & Laundry rebates
GAS + ELECTRIC Business rebates specifically for kitchen and refrigeration equipment.
Worth knowing: Prescriptive list by equipment category — match the model to the qualifying list before you buy. ↗
Ohio
GAS C&I efficiency offerings for gas equipment, including water heating and cooking measures.
Worth knowing: Ohio's broad electric-utility rebates largely ended after 2019 — gas programs and the options below are the live paths. ↗ Efficiency Smart (municipal electric communities)
ELECTRIC Full business rebate programs — including foodservice equipment — for members of AMP municipal electric systems across Ohio.
Worth knowing: Only if your building is served by a participating municipal utility — worth checking, the offers are strong. ↗ DSIRE — current Ohio incentives
GAS + ELECTRIC The live database of what exists in your territory right now.
Worth knowing: Ohio's landscape shifts more than most — check close to purchase. ↗
Western Pennsylvania
ELECTRIC Prescriptive and custom C&I incentives in the Pittsburgh territory, refreshed each Act 129 phase.
Worth knowing: Pennsylvania's Act 129 requires these programs — measure lists update each phase. ↗ West Penn Power (FirstEnergy PA) — business programs
ELECTRIC C&I efficiency incentives across the West Penn territory.
Worth knowing: Application before purchase for most measures. ↗ Peoples Natural Gas / Columbia Gas of PA
GAS Gas-side efficiency offerings for commercial customers.
Worth knowing: Gas cooking and water heating measures — confirm the current commercial list. ↗
West Virginia
ELECTRIC West Virginia runs the leanest programs in our region — limited C&I offerings, periodically updated.
Worth knowing: Thin, but not zero — and the federal routes below still apply in full. ↗ DSIRE — current West Virginia incentives
GAS + ELECTRIC The live list for WV territories.
Worth knowing: Check before assuming there's nothing. ↗
Wisconsin
Wherever your kitchen is
The lookups that work in any territory — including the ones above.
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Asked every week.
Are there rebates for commercial kitchen equipment?
Yes — in every state Zink covers. Utilities across Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wisconsin run efficiency programs that pay real money toward ENERGY STAR fryers, combi ovens, dish machines, refrigeration, ice machines and water heating. This directory lists each program with what it covers and where to apply.
When do I apply for an equipment rebate — before or after I buy?
Before, almost always. Instant-discount programs need a participating dealer at the point of sale, and most custom programs require pre-approval before the purchase order. Applying after the invoice is the single most common way operators lose rebate money.
Who files the rebate paperwork?
It depends on the program. Midstream instant discounts are handled by the dealer — the price on the invoice is simply lower. Prescriptive rebates are usually filed by the operator with model numbers and invoices; many dealers and your Zink rep will help assemble the paperwork.
What equipment qualifies for utility rebates?
Most programs key on ENERGY STAR certification: fryers, steamers, combi ovens, convection ovens, dish machines, ice machines, refrigerators and freezers, and hot food holding cabinets — plus water heating and ventilation controls under many commercial programs. Each listing above names what its program covers.
Do rebate programs change?
Constantly — most reset with a new program year each January, and budgets can run out mid-year. Every entry here was verified in August 2026. Confirm terms with the program, or ask your Zink rep to check, before the order is written.
A tool gets you close. A person gets it right.
Every number here is a starting point, not a quote. Your Zink specialist runs these questions for a living — and checking your math costs you nothing.