Wakefield: heat pumps and Mass Save
33% of Wakefield homes (3,752) heat with oil, the highest share on this site. Wakefield also has its own municipal gas and light department, which changes the rebate picture.
- Facts checked: November 3, 2026
How Wakefield homes heat today
| Main heating fuel | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 5,462 | 48% |
| Electricity | 1,681 | 15% |
| Fuel oil or kerosene | 3,752 | 33% |
| Propane or bottled gas | 235 | 2% |
| Other or none | 140 | 1% |
11,270 occupied homes: 7,968 owned and 3,302 rented. Median year built: 1956. Of 11,750 housing units, 2,465 (21%) are in buildings of two to four units, 2,388 (20%) in buildings of five or more, and 6,897 (59%) in single-family homes and other types.
Wakefield's own utility
Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department runs a heat pump rebate for its customers, separate from Mass Save. For installs on or after January 1, 2026 it lists $1,000 per ton up to $5,000 when a heat pump replaces a fossil fuel system, and more with insulation or a gas disconnect. Mass Save's per-ton rates in our calculator apply to customers of its listed sponsors, so check which utility sends your bill. WMGLD
How Wakefield compares
Among the 23 towns we cover, Wakefield ranks 2nd for oil heat (33% against an average of 20%), 20th for natural gas (48% against 57%) and 16th for electric heat (15% against 19%). Other towns on the list, for reference:
| Town | Oil | Gas | Electric | Median built |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danvers | 32% | 49% | 15% | 1963 |
| Lexington | 31% | 48% | 14% | 1965 |
| Stoneham | 29% | 44% | 21% | 1964 |
| Winchester | 24% | 58% | 15% | 1954 |
| Peabody | 24% | 51% | 20% | 1966 |
| Arlington | 18% | 59% | 18% | 1945 |
By the numbers: Wakefield is the 18th largest of the 23 towns by occupied homes (11,270). For every home on oil there are 1.5 on natural gas. Its median home year of 1956 is 4 years newer than the 1952 average across these towns. 1,681 homes (15%) are electric, and 235 (2%) use propane or bottled gas.
Tune-ups for heating systems in Wakefield
3,752 homes in Wakefield (33%) burn oil. Those systems collect soot and sludge over a season, so the burner, nozzle and filter are the first things we clean and check.
Counting the three fuels that need a burner, 9,449 of 11,270 homes (84%) burn gas, oil or propane: 5,462 gas, 3,752 oil and 235 propane. 3,302 homes (29%) are rented, which means the landlord, not the tenant, books the visit. Built around 1956 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 Wakefield tune-up. What gets checked: furnaces, boilers.
Replacing a boiler or furnace in Wakefield
With 33% of homes on oil, a heat pump that replaces an oil boiler is the case Mass Save rebates most clearly. Rates and the January 1, 2027 drop are on the 2027 rebate page.
Wakefield is served by Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department, a municipal utility. Municipal utilities run their own heat pump programs, so the Mass Save figures here may not apply to you. Check with Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department first.
Get a replacement price in Wakefield, or compare heat pump or a new oil boiler.
What next
Start with the rebate estimate. Heating with oil? Oil to heat pump. A heat pump adds load, so check your panel.
Common questions
Do Mass Save rebates apply in Wakefield?
Mass Save lists Cape Light Compact, Eversource, National Grid and Unitil as electric sponsors. Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department runs its own heat pump rebate for its customers. Check which utility sends your bill before you use the calculator.