Yes, one. BayREN’s EASE Home program reimburses up to $2,000 to remediate active knob and tube wiring for income-qualified PG&E customers in homes of four or fewer units built before 2010, as part of an EASE Home project that includes insulation, duct work or induction cooking. It is a limited-time offer. No grant program found pays for knob and tube replacement on its own.
BayREN’s announcement of the offer also listed $300 toward a licensed electrician’s certification that knob and tube is inactive. The EASE Home program page describes the $2,000 remediation offer and the certification requirement but does not show the $300 line, so confirm with BayREN that the certification rebate is still offered before counting on it.
Fog City SF Knob and Tube manages knob and tube replacement in San Francisco and the East Bay. The licensed and insured C-10 electrical contractors who do the work supply the licensed electrician’s invoice and the inactivity certification the rebate needs, and the company helps with the rebate paperwork. BayREN decides eligibility and the amount, so no one can promise approval in advance.
Why an energy program pays for wiring
The rebate exists because of a code rule. The California Electrical Code bars concealed knob and tube in walls, ceilings and attics where insulation envelops the conductors, unless a California-licensed electrical contractor surveys the wiring and certifies it is in good condition. Weatherization programs that blow insulation into attics run straight into that rule. BayREN’s announcement said knob and tube “can prevent homeowners from moving forward with upgrades because adding high-wattage appliances or insulation over it can lead to serious fire risks.”
So the money is aimed at clearing the barrier: either remediating live knob and tube so insulation can go in, or certifying that what remains is dead. That is also why the difference between active and abandoned knob and tube decides which payment applies. The attic insulation service covers the electrical side of that sequence.
What it pays
| Payment | Amount | What it is for | What it needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knob and tube remediation | Up to $2,000 reimbursed | Fixing active knob and tube so EASE Home upgrades can proceed | A licensed electrician’s invoice and a certification of knob and tube inactivity |
| Inactivity certification | $300, as announced | A licensed electrician’s certification that knob and tube is inactive | Confirm with BayREN that this line is still offered |
| EASE Home base program | BayREN covers 80% of essential weatherization; the customer co-pay is capped at 20% | Insulation, duct sealing or replacement and some electrical work for induction cooking | Work by BayREN partner contractors |
The remediation payment is a reimbursement, so the work is paid first and the documents go to BayREN afterward; BayREN’s page says they are emailed to EASEHome@BayREN.org. Up to $2,000 will not cover a whole-house rewire, where a typical San Francisco range is $20,000 to $50,000 or more for the electrical scope with permits, but it can cover a meaningful part of retiring a few attic circuits or replacing the runs that block insulation. The cost guide has the ranges.
Who qualifies
BayREN’s eligibility rules, as stated on its EASE Home pages:
- The household. Income at or below 120% of area median income. If the home is tenant-occupied, the tenant’s income counts and the owner’s permission is needed.
- The utility. A PG&E customer.
- The building. A single-family home, which BayREN defines as four or fewer units, built before 2010, in one of the nine Bay Area counties. San Francisco is included.
- The project. At least one EASE Home weatherization measure, with insulation, duct improvements or induction cooking in the scope.
| County | One person | Four people |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo | $162,450 | $232,050 |
| Alameda, Contra Costa | $131,325 | $187,575 |
Those East Bay limits are noticeably lower, so a Berkeley or Oakland household at the same income as a San Francisco one may fall outside the program. BayREN publishes the limits for other household sizes and updates them, so check its income guidelines before planning around them.
Where it does not apply
- The City of Alameda. Alameda is served by Alameda Municipal Power, not PG&E, so its households fail the PG&E-customer rule. Alameda Municipal Power offers up to $1,500 toward a main panel upgrade made to switch from natural gas to heat pump space or water heating, with a capacity increase of at least 15 amps, an itemized invoice from a certified electrician and a final signed building permit. It has no rebate for knob and tube removal. See Alameda.
- Buildings of five or more units. These fall outside EASE Home’s single-family definition. Apartment building rewiring covers those projects.
- A rewire on its own. Without an EASE Home measure in scope, the knob and tube payment does not apply.
- Households above the income limit.
Other programs people ask about
Searches for “knob and tube grants” mostly turn up programs from other states and provinces. In California, these are the programs that come up, and what each actually does:
| Program | What it pays | Does it pay for knob and tube? |
|---|---|---|
| HEEHRA, single-family (California Energy Commission) | Heat pump HVAC rebates for income-qualified households | No; it has no wiring or panel line item for single-family homes |
| HEEHRA, multifamily | Panel and wiring amounts per income-qualified unit in buildings of five or more units | Its funds have been fully reserved; check the Energy Commission for any new phase |
| CleanPowerSF Electrify Your Home | Bill credits for heat pumps, dryers, induction cooking and gas meter removal | No panel or wiring coverage is stated |
| PG&E PanelBoost | Smart panel hardware as an alternative to a panel upgrade | No; it does not address branch wiring |
| Federal 25C tax credit | Ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025 | No longer available |
Several of these push homes toward electrification, which often means a bigger panel and new 240-volt circuits. Planning those circuits alongside knob and tube replacement avoids opening walls twice; the panel upgrade vs rewiring guide explains how the two decisions fit.
How the paperwork fits the work
The order matters, because the rebate rides on an EASE Home project run by a BayREN partner contractor for the weatherization, while the knob and tube work is done by a licensed electrical contractor.
- Check eligibility first with BayREN, including income and utility, before any work is scheduled.
- Test the wiring. A knob and tube inspection shows which runs are live and which are already dead, which decides between remediation and certification.
- Do the electrical work under permit. In San Francisco that means a DBI electrical permit, a pre-cover inspection and a final; the permit guide explains the sequence.
- Collect the documents. The licensed electrician’s invoice and the certification of knob and tube inactivity, both supplied by the electrical contractor.
- Submit to BayREN and keep copies, which also serve any insurer or future buyer who asks.
Insulating an attic with knob and tube in it?
Find out what is live first. The walk-through tests every circuit, and the paperwork BayREN asks for comes with the work.
When the rebate changes the decision
For an eligible household, the rebate is most useful where the knob and tube problem is confined to the attic: a few live runs blocking insulation, or old runs that only need to be proven dead. It matters less for a house that needs every circuit replaced, where the decision turns on insurance, condition and the house’s plans, and usually ends at whole-house rewiring. Either way, the cost estimator gives a planning range before anyone visits.
To ask whether your house and project are likely to fit the program’s rules, call (628) 296-7628 or request an estimate and mention that you are applying to EASE Home.