Mass Save heat pump questions, answered

My install might slip into January. Which rebate do I get?

The install date sets the rate. Mass Save says work installed on or after January 1, 2027 gets the 2027 amount. A whole-home system drops from $2,650 a ton (up to $8,500) to $2,350 a ton (up to $7,500). A partial-home system drops from $1,125 a ton (up to $8,500) to $1,000 a ton (up to $7,500).

For the 2026 rate, Mass Save wants the equipment installed by December 31, 2026, and the rebate form in by February 28, 2027. Ask your installer for a firm install date in writing. If your job straddles the new year, call Mass Save at 1-888-855-0340 before you sign.

December 31 deadline guide

Source: Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps (rebates, eligibility, cost example); Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: eligibility

Is a Mass Save heat pump worth it?

It depends on what you heat with now and what your quote says, so nobody can answer it for every house. Here is what Mass Save publishes. Its cost example uses an average whole-home install of $22,000 (from program data on installs finished in 2022). The standard rebate for a 2026 install tops out at $8,500, which leaves $13,500. With the full income-based enhanced incentive of up to $16,000, it leaves $6,000.

Heat pumps run on electricity, so your electric use will likely go up. Mass Save says many customers offset that by cutting oil or propane. Mass Save has a Heating Comparison Calculator for the yearly cost of different systems. Put your own quote into it and our estimator.

Heat pump cost after Mass Save

Source: Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: cost example; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: electric use; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: heating comparison calculator

How cold is too cold for a heat pump?

Mass Save says a properly sized heat pump system can give enough heat through the winter, and some cold climate models have been tested to make heat at outdoor temperatures as low as -30°F.

To qualify for a rebate the equipment has to meet ENERGY STAR Cold Climate and be on Mass Save's qualified products list. Size matters: ask each installer for the room-by-room heating load calculation.

Sizing and the quote checklist

Source: Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: heat pumps in cold weather; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: equipment

Will heat pump heat feel like my old oil or gas heat?

No. Mass Save says one of the biggest changes people notice when they swap oil, gas, propane or electric baseboard for a heat pump is how the heat feels. It calls this normal, and often a sign the system is running efficiently. Mass Save has a one-page flyer on what to expect, and its heat pump user tips are on its air source heat pump page.

Source: Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: how heat pump heat feels

What do whole-home, partial-home and basic rebates mean?

Whole-home: the heat pumps are the only heating and cooling for the home. $2,650 a ton, up to $8,500 in 2026. Partial-home: you keep your boiler or furnace as backup. $1,125 a ton, up to $8,500. Basic: you are not replacing fossil fuel or electric baseboard heat, for example a new addition or a summer home. $250 a ton, up to $2,500.

Tons are the unit's AHRI cooling capacity divided by 12,000 BTU. The rebate cannot be more than the installation cost.

Rebate by system size

Source: Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: 2026 rebate table; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: partial-home rebates; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: basic rebate

Can I keep my oil boiler and still get a rebate?

Yes, with the partial-home rebate: $1,125 a ton, up to $8,500 in 2026. Mass Save says it is for customers who plan to keep an existing boiler or furnace to supplement the heat pump.

For every heating zone where oil, propane or gas stays in use, you need an integrated control from Mass Save's qualified list. If a heat pump fully takes over a zone, the old heat source has to be removed or disconnected, and the invoice has to say so. The home has to be lived in full time through the winter.

Source: Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: partial-home rebates; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: integrated control; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: full-time residences

I heat with natural gas. Can I still get a heat pump rebate?

Yes, if your gas company is a Mass Save gas sponsor: Berkshire Gas, Eversource, Liberty, National Grid or Unitil. You apply with your gas account. A town-run gas company is not a sponsor.

Mass Save also says rebates, incentives and financing for new equipment powered by natural gas, oil and propane are no longer available.

Towns with their own utility

Source: Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: who is eligible (gas); Mass Save, Boilers & Furnaces

Why do heat pump rebates get denied or held up?

Mass Save decides every case, but its own page lists the rules that trip people up:

The installer is not in the Heat Pump Installer Network. The equipment is not ENERGY STAR Cold Climate or not on the qualified list. It was installed outside the 2026 dates, or the form reached Mass Save after February 28, 2027. Your electric or gas company is not a Mass Save sponsor. The new heat pump replaces an existing heat pump (that is not eligible for whole-home or partial-home). The home is not occupied full time in winter. The weatherization test for whole-home is not met. From October 1, 2026, the application also needs a clear photo of each outdoor unit's nameplate with the serial number. If your project is picked for inspection, the rebate waits until you schedule it.

If you get a denial, call 1-888-855-0340 and ask which rule it was.

Steps and timeline

Source: Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: serial numbers; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: replacing an existing heat pump; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: full-time residences; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: find a qualifying contractor; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: eligibility

Can I combine the Mass Save rebate with other discounts?

Not with other Mass Save incentives on the same equipment. Mass Save says the rebate cannot be combined with them.

Mass Save also notes that instant discounts may be available at the point of sale through distributors and contractors under the New England Heat Pump Accelerator. That is a state-led program Mass Save does not run, so ask your installer what it can offer.

Source: Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: stacking; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: New England Heat Pump Accelerator note

I own a two, three or four unit house. Is it one rebate or one per unit?

Mass Save says it depends on the accounts. If each unit has its own gas account (gas to heat pump) or its own electric account (oil, propane or electric resistance to heat pump), each unit can get a rebate. If one meter serves all the units, the building gets one rebate.

Triple-deckers and multi-family

Source: Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: 2-4 unit buildings

Can I pick any installer I want?

Almost. Mass Save says for heat pumps you can choose any contractor as long as they are part of the Mass Save Heat Pump Installer Network. Check the name on Mass Save's list before you sign, because an install by a contractor outside the network does not qualify for the rebate.

Source: Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: picking a contractor; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: find a qualifying contractor

Does Mass Save stand behind the installer's work?

No. Mass Save says the sponsors do not warrant the workmanship of contractors in the network, and do not warrant the performance of installed equipment. Your agreement is with the installer, so read the warranty terms in your contract before you sign.

Source: Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: workmanship; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: terms

How many quotes should I get, and can Mass Save help me compare them?

Mass Save recommends getting proposals from at least two or three contractors. If you have quotes and cannot tell them apart, Mass Save says you can book a decarbonization consultation, where a specialist reviews the quotes with you. Mass Save lists a no-cost virtual option on its air source heat pump page.

Quote checklist

Source: Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: how to participate; Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: choosing between quotes

How do I get my rebate sooner?

Apply online. Mass Save says online requests are usually processed in 6 to 8 weeks, and mailed forms usually take longer. Send every supporting document the first time: Mass Save says an incomplete request can need extra time.

Source: Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: the quickest way to get a rebate; Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: more than eight weeks

It has been more than eight weeks. Where is my rebate?

Check your status in the Mass Save online rebate portal. Mass Save says an incomplete submission can need extra time. If the portal does not explain it, email MARebates@Resource-Innovations.com or call 1-888-855-0340.

Source: Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: more than eight weeks

I made a mistake on my rebate form. Can I fix it?

If you applied online, you can edit the request in the Mass Save online rebate portal. If you mailed the form, call 888-855-0340.

Source: Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: fixing a mistake on a rebate form

Will a heat pump raise my electric bill, and is there a winter rate?

Mass Save says a heat pump will likely raise your electric use, though many customers offset it by cutting oil or propane. Eligible customers can also get a Seasonal Heat Pump Rate: lower electric rates from November through April.

Eversource's heat pump rate page, read November 7, 2026, says customers on the rate paid about $430 less on average in the last winter heating season, about $72 less a month. Mass Save says your exact savings depend on your use, your utility's rate, your rate category and the weather. Electric baseboard heat does not qualify for the rate.

Source: Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: electric use; Mass Save, Seasonal Heat Pump Rates; Eversource, Heat Pump Rate; Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: how the heat pump rate affects a bill

How do I get on the heat pump rate if I did not use a Mass Save rebate?

Mass Save says customers who installed a heat pump outside its programs must contact their electric utility and verify the system. Eversource, for example, asks you to upload one of these: a receipt for the equipment, the installer's invoice, a Mass Save rebate letter, or a photo of the outdoor unit showing the model and serial number. You do not need a separate meter.

Source: Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: getting on the heat pump rate; Eversource, Heat Pump Rate

Can a renter get the heat pump rate or a Mass Save assessment?

Yes to both, with limits. Mass Save says renters who pay their own electric bill and use a heat pump for heat qualify for the heat pump rate. If the landlord pays the bill on a residential rate and the heat pump heats the unit in winter, the rate can apply too. Home Energy Assessments are also offered to renters and to landlords of one to four units.

The rebate itself goes through an electric or gas account, so if you are not the account holder, call Mass Save at 1-888-855-0340 before any work starts.

Source: Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: can renters use the heat pump rate; Mass Save, Home Energy Assessments

Can I put in the heat pump first and do the insulation later?

Yes, within a window. Mass Save says if your Home Energy Assessment or weatherization work is done within 6 months of the heat pump install, the whole-home rebate is paid once the weatherization is complete.

You can also skip the step if the home passes one of Mass Save's three tests: built in 2000 or later, an assessment that recommends under $1,000 of weatherization, or recommendations made in 2013 or later already done.

Source: Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: heat pump before weatherization; Mass Save, Air Source Heat Pumps: whole-home weatherization rule

Does the Home Energy Assessment cost anything?

Mass Save says the sponsors offer no-cost virtual or in-person Home Energy Assessments.

Source: Mass Save, Home Energy Assessments

Does the HEAT Loan need a credit check, and can I use it after the install?

Yes. Mass Save says you must also meet the lender's own lending and credit requirements. It is a 0% loan of up to $25,000 for qualified upgrades including heat pumps, and the applicant must be the homeowner.

Apply before the work. Mass Save says you cannot get a HEAT Loan for work that is already installed.

Income-eligible incentives and the HEAT Loan

Source: Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: HEAT Loan credit check; Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: HEAT Loan after installation; Mass Save, 0% Interest Financing; Mass Save, 0% financing HEAT Loans

Will the HEAT Loan cover the part the rebate pays?

No. Mass Save says the loan amount is the cost of the eligible equipment minus any rebates, so rebates come off the proposal total before the loan is sized. You are still responsible for your arrangement with the installer, and Mass Save notes a deposit may be needed to order equipment. Ask your installer about deposit and payment timing before you sign.

Source: Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: HEAT Loan amount; Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: paying the contractor; Mass Save, Frequently asked questions: deposits