Melrose: heat pumps and Mass Save
One Melrose home in five (2,487 homes) still heats with oil, and 67% of homes are owner-occupied. That makes oil-to-heat-pump the main job here.
- Facts checked: November 3, 2026
How Melrose homes heat today
| Main heating fuel | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 7,832 | 63% |
| Electricity | 1,755 | 14% |
| Fuel oil or kerosene | 2,487 | 20% |
| Propane or bottled gas | 118 | 1% |
| Other or none | 209 | 2% |
12,401 occupied homes: 8,328 owned and 4,073 rented. Median year built: 1938. Of 12,771 housing units, 1,810 (14%) are in buildings of two to four units, 3,526 (28%) in buildings of five or more, and 7,435 (58%) in single-family homes and other types.
How Melrose compares
Among the 23 towns we cover, Melrose ranks 10th for oil heat (20% against an average of 20%), 6th for natural gas (63% against 57%) and 20th for electric heat (14% against 19%). Towns to compare it with:
| Town | Oil | Gas | Electric | Median built |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | 18% | 70% | 10% | 1938 |
| Arlington | 18% | 59% | 18% | 1945 |
| Medford | 15% | 62% | 19% | 1942 |
| Lynn | 17% | 57% | 22% | 1946 |
| Watertown | 13% | 67% | 15% | 1947 |
| Waltham | 19% | 53% | 24% | 1961 |
Put another way: Melrose is the 17th largest of the 23 towns by occupied homes (12,401). For every home on oil there are 3.1 on natural gas. Its median home year of 1938 is 14 years older than the 1952 average across these towns. 1,755 homes (14%) are electric, and 118 (1%) use propane or bottled gas.
Tune-ups for heating systems in Melrose
In Melrose, 20% of homes keep an oil tank in the basement. The tune-up is the one chance a year to have the burner, filter and flue looked at before the heating season.
In total, 10,437 of 12,401 homes (84%) burn gas, oil or propane: 7,832 gas, 2,487 oil and 118 propane. 4,073 homes (33%) are rented, which means the landlord, not the tenant, books the visit. Homes here are old: the median was built in 1938. Basements often hold equipment from several different decades.
See what a visit covers for a boiler or a furnace, then ask for a visit in Melrose.
A new heating system in Melrose
Oil heat in Melrose (20% of homes) is where heat pump rebates apply without the gas-utility condition, so the case for switching is simplest here. Rates and the January 1, 2027 drop are on the 2027 rebate page.
Weighing options? Read heat pump or a new oil boiler and what drives a boiler price, then send photos from Melrose.
Next steps
Start with the rebate estimate. On gas? See swapping a gas furnace for a heat pump. Heating with oil? Oil to heat pump. A heat pump adds load, so check your panel.