2026 Program Year · South Shore, Massachusetts
Mass Save Rebates & Heat Pump Incentives
Massachusetts pays homeowners well to switch to heat pumps—but the rules changed in January 2026, and a lot of what you will read online is out of date. Here is what is actually available right now, what it takes to qualify, and where the traps are.
3R Plumbing & Mechanical is a Mass Save participating heat pump installer (HPIN).
What Mass Save Pays in 2026
Air source heat pump rebates are paid per ton of capacity, and which tier you land in depends on what happens to your existing boiler or furnace.
| Rebate tier | What it means | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-home | Heat pump becomes your only heating and cooling. Fossil fuel system removed. | $2,650 per ton up to $8,500 |
| Partial-home | You keep the boiler or furnace as backup. | $1,125 per ton up to $8,500 |
| Basic | Not replacing fossil fuel or electric resistance heat—for example an addition, or replacing an existing heat pump. | $250 per ton up to $2,500 |
| Income-eligible | Based on household size and income. | Up to $16,000 or no cost |
| Ground source | Geothermal, whole-home. | $13,500 flat up to $25,000 income-eligible |
Rebates are calculated on certified AHRI cooling capacity, not the tonnage printed on the box—those two numbers often differ. We quote from the AHRI certificate so the figure you are told is the figure you receive.
Two Bonuses Worth $1,000
On partial-home projects there are two $500 adders, and both are routinely left on the table.
$500 sizing bonus. Requires a room-by-room Manual J load calculation showing the system covers 90–120% of your design heating load across the whole conditioned space, submitted with the application. Contractors who size by rule of thumb cannot claim it. We run the Manual J on every quote.
$500 weatherization bonus. Complete a free Mass Save Home Energy Assessment and any recommended insulation or air sealing within a year before installation or six months after.
Stacking: Rebate + Instant Discount + 0% Loan
Most homeowners only know about the Mass Save rebate. There are two more layers that stack on top of it.
New England Heat Pump Accelerator — instant, no paperwork
A federally funded discount applied at the point of sale: $650 per outdoor unit (up to two), $300 for a heat pump water heater, $750 for air-to-water or geothermal. It comes off your invoice as a line item—no forms, no waiting for a check. Available at every income level, and it runs through 2029.
Mass Save HEAT Loan — 0% interest
Up to $25,000 at 0% interest, up to 84 months depending on income, with no origination fee, no closing costs and no prepayment penalty. You need a Home Energy Assessment first. Note: the widely circulated $50,000 figure is out of date—the cap dropped to $25,000 in January 2025.
Heat pump water heaters
$750 for a standard heat pump water heater, $1,500 for a split system, plus the $300 NEHPA discount. This is separate equipment, so it stacks with your heat pump rebate rather than competing with it.
Three Things That Changed for 2026
1. R-410A equipment no longer qualifies. As of January 1, 2026, systems using higher global-warming-potential refrigerants came off the Mass Save qualified list. Only R-32 and R-454B systems earn a rebate. If a contractor quotes you older stock at a discount, confirm the model is still on the list—otherwise the savings disappear along with the rebate.
2. The federal tax credits expired. The 25C and 25D residential energy credits ended for anything placed in service after December 31, 2025. There is currently no federal credit for a 2026 heat pump installation. Be skeptical of anyone still advertising one.
3. Rebate amounts stepped down. Whole-home went from $3,000 per ton and a $10,000 cap in 2025 to $2,650 per ton and an $8,500 cap in 2026. Older articles quoting the higher numbers are describing a program that no longer exists.
Is Your Town Eligible?
Mass Save is funded by Eversource and National Grid ratepayers. Towns that run their own municipal electric department do not pay into the program, and their residents cannot claim Mass Save electric rebates. On the South Shore that includes Hingham, Braintree and Hull.
Two things still help if you live there. If you heat with natural gas from a Mass Save sponsor, you may qualify on the gas side of the account. And the NEHPA instant discount is federally funded, so it applies in municipal towns regardless. We will tell you exactly where you stand before you spend anything.
Eligible in our service area: Pembroke, Duxbury, Hanover, Marshfield, Weymouth, Plymouth, Scituate, Kingston, Norwell, Hanson, Halifax, Rockland, Abington, Quincy and Cohasset.
How the Process Works
1. Free Home Energy Assessment. This is the gateway to everything—rebates, the HEAT Loan, and free or heavily discounted insulation. Book it at masssave.com or call 866-527-7283.
2. We visit and run the numbers. Manual J load calculation, equipment options, and exactly which rebate tier your project lands in.
3. Pre-approval before we order. We confirm the equipment is on the qualified list and complete pre-verification.
4. Installation.
5. We handle the paperwork. Rebate application, load calculation, verification forms. Expect the check in about eight weeks.
The single most common way homeowners lose a rebate is installing before the assessment. Retroactive applications are usually denied. Call us before you commit to anything.
Full program details and the current qualified equipment list are on the Mass Save site: masssave.com — Heating & Cooling Rebates. Amounts shown here are for the 2026 program year and are subject to change; we confirm current figures on every quote.
Find out what you actually qualify for
We will run the Manual J, confirm your rebate tier, and handle the Mass Save paperwork. No charge, no pressure.