Decarbonization Consultations vs. Home Energy Assessments

When it comes to boosting your home’s energy efficiency, the Sponsors of Mass Save offer multiple services to help you get started, including Home Energy Assessments and Decarbonization Consultations.

Read on to discover what each service involves, how they differ, and how they can work together to help you lower emissions, reduce energy costs, and maximize comfort through smart energy upgrades.

What is a Home Energy Assessment?

A no-cost Mass Save Home Energy Assessment offers a thorough look at how your home uses energy, where there are opportunities for improvement, steps for reducing your carbon footprint, and which Mass Save incentives you may qualify for.

During the Home Energy Assessment, a trained Energy Specialist will conduct a thorough review of your home and provide tailored energy-saving recommendations along with available incentives. The Energy Specialist will identify air leaks and drafts as well as inspect key areas throughout your home, including your heating and cooling system, water heating system, insulation, major appliances, and more. After the Home Energy Assessment, you’ll receive a customized energy report detailing clear next steps in your energy-saving journey and specific rebates and incentives you qualify for.

Available rebates and incentives may include:

• 75-100% off approved insulation improvements
• No-cost targeted air sealing
• Rebates of up to $25,000 on qualifying energy-efficient heating, cooling and/or water-heating equipment
• The opportunity to apply for 0% financing through the Mass Save HEAT Loan Program for eligible upgrades

What is a Decarbonization Consultation?

A no-cost Mass Save Decarbonization Consultation focuses specifically on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through electrification upgrades such as heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, induction stoves and electrical panel upgrades.

During this virtual consultation, a trained Decarbonization Specialist will provide technical guidance and support on upgrading your heating and cooling equipment, discuss strategies to make your home even more efficient in preparation for a new system, and answer any questions you might have. Additionally, they will share insights on other opportunities like heat pump water heaters or induction stoves. The Decarbonization Specialist will:

• Provide guidance about the benefits and considerations of transitioning to a new heating system, like heat pumps
• Answer technical questions about how heating and cooling systems work and how systems can be used most efficiently
• Help you make informed decisions specific to your goals and the unique needs of your home
• Discuss steps to make your home even more efficient in advance of a new system like making weatherization (air sealing and insulation) upgrades 
• Provide heat pump quote guidance by helping you to understand and compare multiple contractor and heat pump system quotes
• Guide you on pursuing other decarbonization measures such as induction stoves or electrical panel upgrades.

Decarbonization Consultations vs. Home Energy Assessments

While both services aim to improve your home’s energy-efficiency, they serve different purposes. An Energy Assessment provides a hands-on evaluation of your entire house, identifying where energy is being lost, recommending improvements and upgrades, and connecting you with rebates and incentives. A Decarbonization Consultation helps you increase the energy efficiency of your home by focusing on ways to reduce your carbon footprint through electrification upgrades.

While the Energy Assessment gives a broad picture of your home’s efficiency and opportunities for savings, the Decarbonization Consultation offers deeper technical guidance to help you plan, compare quotes, and make informed decisions about transitioning to electric technologies and options to lower your carbon emissions.

How do they work together?

If you’re looking to improve your home’s energy-efficiency and learn how you can reduce your carbon footprint, a Home Energy Assessment can help you start by identifying those opportunities. Once you receive your tailored recommendations, the next step is to put them into action, often starting with weatherization, which boosts your home’s comfort and efficiency by ensuring proper air sealing and adequate insulation. These improvements offer benefits such as:

• Lowering heating and cooling costs by up to 15%
• Decreasing drafts to improve comfort and humidity all year long
• Minimizing outside noise for a quieter, more peaceful environment
• Preventing allergens and pests from entering your home
• Reducing the chance of ice dams, protecting your home from potential damage

Ensuring your home is properly weatherized is the first step to prepare your home for potential heating and cooling system upgrades.

A Decarbonization Consultation will provide technical support for upgrading your heating system and help you compare contractor or heat pump system quotes.

It also provides expert guidance on how to maximize the efficiency of your heating system, offering benefits such as:

• Increased energy efficiency
• Year-round versatility
• Enhanced comfort and safety
• Low maintenance requirements
• Long-term value

By combining the insights from your Energy Assessment with the expert guidance of a Decarbonization Consultation, you’ll be equipped to make upgrades that maximize comfort and savings for years to come.

Where to start

By understanding the difference between a Home Energy Assessment and a Decarbonization Consultation, and how they complement each other, you can take informed steps toward a more efficient, comfortable, and sustainable home.

Ready to begin your journey? Book your Home Energy Assessment or Decarbonization Consultation today:

• To schedule a no-cost Home Energy Assessment, call 866-527-SAVE (7283) or visit MassSave.com/HEA
• To schedule your Decarbonization Consultation, please visit https://www.masssave.com/en/residential/programs-and-services/decarbonization-consultations and complete the consultation form. Appointments are released 30 days in advance. If you don’t see a time that works, check back daily for new openings.