Winchester: heat pumps and Mass Save
2,021 Winchester homes (24%) heat with oil, and the median home was built in 1954. Oil to heat pump is the clearest fit for Mass Save rebates.
- Facts checked: November 3, 2026
How Winchester homes heat today
| Main heating fuel | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 4,822 | 58% |
| Electricity | 1,238 | 15% |
| Fuel oil or kerosene | 2,021 | 24% |
| Propane or bottled gas | 145 | 2% |
| Other or none | 114 | 1% |
8,340 occupied homes: 6,811 owned and 1,529 rented. Median year built: 1954. Of 8,521 housing units, 680 (8%) are in buildings of two to four units, 1,203 (14%) in buildings of five or more, and 6,638 (78%) in single-family homes and other types.
How Winchester compares
Out of the 23 towns we cover, Winchester ranks 8th for oil heat (24% against an average of 20%), 10th for natural gas (58% against 57%) and 17th for electric heat (15% against 19%). Towns to compare it with:
| Town | Oil | Gas | Electric | Median built |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beverly | 25% | 50% | 20% | 1956 |
| Peabody | 24% | 51% | 20% | 1966 |
| Arlington | 18% | 59% | 18% | 1945 |
| Woburn | 29% | 51% | 17% | 1968 |
| Waltham | 19% | 53% | 24% | 1961 |
| Danvers | 32% | 49% | 15% | 1963 |
Put another way: Winchester is the 23rd largest of the 23 towns by occupied homes (8,340). For every home on oil there are 2.4 on natural gas. Its median home year of 1954 is 2 years newer than the 1952 average across these towns. 1,238 homes (15%) are electric, and 145 (2%) use propane or bottled gas.
Furnace and boiler tune-ups in Winchester
Oil is still a main fuel in Winchester, at 24% of homes. A visit to an oil system covers the burner and nozzle, the filter, the tank connections and the venting.
Counting the three fuels that need a burner, 6,988 of 8,340 homes (84%) burn gas, oil or propane: 4,822 gas, 2,021 oil and 145 propane. 1,529 homes (18%) are rented, and in those the owner of the building, not the person paying the heat bill, usually arranges service. Winchester's median build year is 1954. A photo of the nameplate tells us more than the age of the house does.
See what a visit covers for a boiler or a furnace, then ask for a visit in Winchester.
Replacing a boiler or furnace in Winchester
An oil boiler or furnace in Winchester is the easiest case for a rebate: Mass Save pays when a heat pump replaces oil. Rates and the January 1, 2027 drop are on the 2027 rebate page.
For a number you can use, send two photos of the old unit and the panel, and see what moves a boiler price.
What next
Start with the rebate estimate. Heating with oil? Oil to heat pump. See panel upgrades before you pick a system size.