Boston: heat pumps and Mass Save
89,631 Boston homes (32%) list electricity as the main heating fuel. If yours is electric baseboard, a heat pump can replace it for Mass Save rebates. Only 7% heat with oil.
- Facts checked: November 3, 2026
How Boston homes heat today
| Main heating fuel | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 159,877 | 56% |
| Electricity | 89,631 | 32% |
| Fuel oil or kerosene | 19,065 | 7% |
| Propane or bottled gas | 7,812 | 3% |
| Other or none | 6,989 | 2% |
283,374 occupied homes: 101,166 owned and 182,208 rented. Median year built: 1947. Of 310,625 housing units, 109,248 (35%) are in buildings of two to four units, 143,986 (46%) in buildings of five or more, and 57,391 (18%) in single-family homes and other types.
What Boston permits show
From 2025-11-01 to 2026-11-02, at least 373 Boston one-to-four-family electrical permits mention a heat pump or mini-split. See the permit data.
How Boston compares
Among the 23 towns we cover, Boston ranks 21st for oil heat (7% against an average of 20%), 13th for natural gas (56% against 57%) and 1st for electric heat (32% against 19%). A few towns with a similar heating mix and housing age:
| Town | Oil | Gas | Electric | Median built |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | 4% | 64% | 28% | 1950 |
| Malden | 10% | 61% | 23% | 1950 |
| Somerville | 6% | 70% | 19% | 1938 |
| Salem | 17% | 55% | 25% | 1938 |
| Everett | 12% | 67% | 18% | 1938 |
| Arlington | 18% | 59% | 18% | 1945 |
By the numbers: Boston is the 1st largest of the 23 towns by occupied homes (283,374). For every home on oil there are 8.4 on natural gas. Its median home year of 1947 is 5 years older than the 1952 average across these towns. 89,631 homes (32%) are electric, and 7,812 (3%) use propane or bottled gas.
Tune-ups for heating systems in Boston
No single fuel dominates Boston. 56% of homes use gas, 7% oil and 32% electricity, and the checklist changes with each. 89,631 homes (32%) heat with electricity. Electric baseboard has almost nothing to service, while a heat pump has an outdoor unit, filters and a drain to check.
In total, 186,754 of 283,374 homes (66%) burn gas, oil or propane: 159,877 gas, 19,065 oil and 7,812 propane. 182,208 homes (64%) are rented, which means the landlord, not the tenant, books the visit. Built around 1947 at the median, the housing stock here predates modern efficiency standards, so the equipment age matters more than the house age.
Ready to book? Request a Boston tune-up. What gets checked: furnaces, boilers.
A new heating system in Boston
In Boston, the rebate follows what you replace: oil, propane and electric resistance heat qualify, and so does gas where a Mass Save gas sponsor serves the address. Rates and the January 1, 2027 drop are on the 2027 rebate page.
Get a replacement price in Boston, or compare heat pump or a new oil boiler.
Where to go next
The calculator turns a quote into a net price. In a two- or three-family? Heat pump for a triple-decker. See panel upgrades before you pick a system size.