Air Source Heat Pumps
Install heat pumps for greater efficiency and comfort.
Air source heat pumps are a smarter, more efficient option to keep your home comfortable all year long.
Air source heat pumps extract heat from the air outside and distribute it inside your home. During warmer months, this process is reversed to provide cooling.
There are both ducted and ductless heat pumps (commonly referred to as mini-splits), making them suited to homes with or without existing ductwork.
Residents can also take advantage of federal tax credits to lower the price of purchasing and installing an air source heat pump. Greater discounts and no-cost options are also available to income-qualifying customers.
Massachusetts’ electric utilities now offer seasonal heat pump rates designed to reduce winter energy costs for residential customers who heat their homes with electric heat pumps.
NOTE: Several federal tax credits authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act are expiring at the end of 2025, including for heat pumps. Expenditures made after December 31, 2025, will no longer be eligible for this credit.
There are three types of rebates: Whole-home, Partial-home and Basic. The type of rebate you are eligible for depends on whether you use your heat pump as the sole source for heating and cooling your home, or as a supplement to an existing system. Rebates are offered based on equipment size (tonnage).
Whole-home rebates are available to customers who install heat pumps as the sole source for heating and cooling. See the Whole-home Heat Pump Verification Form for details.
Partial-home rebates are offered to customers who plan to keep an existing boiler or furnace in place to supplement a new heat pump system.
- A $500 weatherization bonus is available for customers who complete a Home Energy Assessment and install recommended weatherization within one year prior or up to six months after a partial-home heat pump installation.
- A $500 sizing bonus is available for customers getting a partial-home rebate who install heat pumps sized to meet their homes’ total heating needs.
Basic rebates are available to customers who are NOT displacing fossil fuel or electric resistance heat in their home and installed on August 1, 2025 or after. These scenarios include, but are not limited to:
- Updating an existing heat pump or central air conditioning system
- Installing a heat pump in a previously unconditioned space (e.g., new addition)
- Installing a heat pump in a home that is not occupied in the winter (e.g., summer home)
Air-Source Heat Pump rebates are changing effective January 1, 2026
- The whole-home heat pump rebate will decrease to $2,650 per ton, capped at $8,500.
- The partial-home heat pump rebate will decrease to $1,125 per ton, capped at $8,500.
- In compliance with EPA rules, all heat pump models that use R410A refrigerants will be removed from the Mass Save Heat Pump Qualified Product List (HPQPL) and will not be eligible for a rebate.
| 2025 Air Source Heat Pump Rebates | ||
| Rebate Type | Rebate Amount |
Federal Tax Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-Home | $3,000 per ton up to $10,000 | Up to $2,000** |
| Partial-Home | $1,250 per ton* up to $10,000 | |
| Basic | $250 per ton up to $2,500 | |
| Income-Based Enhanced Incentives *** | Up to $16,000 or up to no cost through Turnkey Services |
|
* Tons are calculated based on AHRI cooling capacity divided by 12,000 BTUs. Rebate amount based on tons. ↩
** To qualify for a Federal 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, the installed heat pump system must meet the Consortium for Energy Efficiency’s (CEE) highest non-"advanced" tier. Also note that the 25C Tax Credit is equal to 30% of the heat pump install cost after the Mass Save rebate is applied up to a total of $2,000 annually. An annual credit up to $600 is also available under the 25C Tax Credit for 30% of the cost of electrical panel upgrades if they are installed in conjunction with a heat pump or heat pump water heater. For more information on available tax credits, please visit the Inflation Reduction Act FAQ. NOTE: IRA Section 25C tax incentives, which allow homeowners to claim up to $3,200 annually for qualifying energy efficiency home improvements – including heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and weatherization measures – is set to expire at the end of 2025. Expenditures made after December 31, 2025, will no longer be eligible for this credit. This information does not represent tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax advisor for further details. ↩
*** Visit MassSave.com/Enhanced for additional information. Pre-existing fuel type must be oil, propane, or electric resistance.
Cost Example
Below are cost examples for a Whole-home Rebate.
| Standard Incentive |
Income-Based Enhanced Incentive | |
|---|---|---|
| Average Installation Cost*** | $22,000 | $22,000 |
| Mass Save Rebate (Whole-Home) | $10,000 | $16,000 |
| Federal Tax Credit** | $2,000 | $1,800 |
| Net Project Cost | $10,000 | $4,200 |
***The average installation cost is based on Mass Save program data for whole-home air source heat pump installations completed in 2022. ↩
- Confirm Eligibility
View the Eligibility Tab to confirm the eligible requirements. The Sponsors of Mass Save offer enhanced incentives to income-qualified households.
If you are a Cape Light residential customer, please call 1-800-797-6699 or learn more here. - Ensure Your Home Has Sufficient Weatherization
Heat pumps perform best when a home is sufficiently weatherized and the system is sized properly for the home. These are requirements for the Whole-home Rebate, and the Whole-home Heat Pump Verification Form must be completed and signed. See the eligibility tab for more details.
For Partial-home Rebates, customers who complete a Home Energy Assessment and install recommended weatherization within one year prior or up to six months after a partial-home heat pump installation are eligible for a $500 weatherization bonus. The heat pump rebate and weatherization bonus must be applied for at the same time through the online application portal. - Find a Qualifying Contractor
To qualify, the heat pump system must be installed by a contractor participating in the Mass Save Heat Pump Installer Network. We recommend getting proposals from at least 2-3 contractors. The contractor can help you determine what solution is best suited for your home and can provide guidance on proper sizing and design. As a helpful resource, please reference our Questions to Ask your Installer.
For a Partial-home Rebate, customers who install heat pumps sized to meet their homes’ total heating needs are eligible for a $500 sizing bonus. See the eligibility tab for more details. - Purchase & Install Eligible Equipment
Work with your contractor to purchase and install an eligible heat pump system.
If pursuing a Partial-home Rebate, an integrated control from the Mass Save Integrated Control Qualified Product List must be installed for heating zones where propane, oil, or natural gas will remain in use. Use our Integrated Control Switchover Temperature Calculator to learn more and determine the most cost-effective temperature setting based on current fuel prices. - Submit Rebate Form with Required Documentation
Apply Online
Or
Print & Mail Rebate Form for whole-home and partial-home rebates
Print & Mail Rebate Form for basic rebates - Reference our Air Source Heat Pump User Tips
Get the most out of your heat pump by referencing our Air Source Heat Pump User tips.
Eligibility requirements for Whole-home, Partial-home and Basic Rebates:
- Equipment must be ENERGY STAR® Cold Climate certified. Refer to the Mass Save Heat Pump Qualified Products List for a complete list of eligible units.
- Equipment must be installed between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025 for the Whole-Home and Partial-Home Rebates, and between August 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025 for a Basic Rebate. Equipment must be installed by a contractor participating in the Mass Save Heat Pump Installer Network.
- Rebate form and supporting documentation must be received by February 28, 2026.
- Offers valid only for:
- Residential customers replacing oil, propane, or electric resistance heating systems where Cape Light Compact, Eversource, National Grid, or Unitil is the Mass Save Electric Sponsor. Customers must apply using a residential electric account.
Or - Residential customers replacing natural gas heating systems where Berkshire Gas, Eversource, Liberty, National Grid, or Unitil is the Mass Save Natural Gas Sponsor. Customers must apply using a residential gas account.
- Customers in municipal electric territories are eligible for the Partial-home and Whole-home heat pump rebates if they are a natural gas heating customer of one of the Sponsors of Mass Save. Customers with municipal gas heating are not eligible for Basic heat pump rebates.
- Rebate cannot be combined with other Mass Save incentives for the same equipment. Rebate amount not to exceed total installation cost. Sponsor reserves the right to conduct a verification inspection prior to rebate payment. Please allow eight weeks for rebate processing. Sponsor does not warrant the performance of installed equipment. See Terms and Conditions on the rebate form for full requirements.
Additional eligibility requirements for the Whole-home Rebate:
- Limit one whole-home rebate per account.
- Homes must be sufficiently weatherized prior to heat pump installation and a Whole-Home Heat Pump Verification Form must be completed and signed. Sufficient weatherization can be demonstrated by satisfying at least one of the following requirements: (A) home was built during or after 2000, (B) Home Energy Assessment report indicates less than $1,000 worth of weatherization recommended, or (C) weatherization recommendations made during or after 2013 have been completed. Heat pumps installed for whole-home heating and cooling that do not meet the weatherization requirement may be eligible for partial-home rebate amounts. Customers in multi-family 5+ buildings are encouraged to get a Home Energy Assessment and complete recommended weatherization, however weatherization is not required for these building types.
- Only available to residences that are occupied full time during the winter heating season.
Additional eligibility requirements for the Partial-home Rebate:
- Only available to residences that are occupied full time during the winter heating season.
- An integrated control from the Mass Save Integrated Control Qualified Product List must be installed for heating zones where propane, oil, or natural gas will remain in use. Partial-home rebate applicants who are fully displacing a heating zone must remove or disconnect the existing propane, oil or natural gas heating source. The disconnection or removal must be done by the heat pump installer and documented on the invoice. In these instances where an entire zone is to be heated by heat pumps only, an integrated control would not be required for eligibility. Heat pumps installed in new additions or previously unconditioned spaces are not eligible for the partial-home rebate.
- Sizing Bonus: Customers who install heat pumps sized to meet their homes’ total heating needs are eligible for a $500 sizing bonus. Contractors must install equipment sized to meet 90-120% of the total heating load at the outdoor design temperature, per ACCA Manual J Design Conditions, throughout 100% of the conditioned space. The heat pump rebate and sizing bonus must be applied for at the same time, through the online application portal. A copy of the heating load calculation must be submitted with the application. Please ask your Heat Pump Installer to provide the heating load calculation.
- Weatherization Bonus: For Partial-Home Rebates, customers who complete a Home Energy Assessment and install recommended weatherization within one year prior or up to six months after a partial-home heat pump installation are eligible for a $500 weatherization bonus. The heat pump rebate and weatherization bonus must be applied for at the same time through the online application portal.
Additional eligibility requirements for the Basic Rebate:
- Equipment must be new. There is no requirement to displace oil, propane, natural gas or electric baseboard (resistance). Bonus incentives are not available.
- Offers valid only for residential customers where Cape Light Compact, Eversource, National Grid, or Unitil is the Mass Save Electric Sponsor. Customers must apply using a residential electric account.
- Customers adding heat pumps to unconditioned spaces can receive the Basic Rebate in addition to either the Whole-home or Partial-home Rebate. The total rebate amount received is capped at $10,000 per account.
If you have any questions, please call 1-888-855-0340 or email [email protected].
The Sponsors of Mass Save offer 0% financing HEAT Loans to make energy efficiency upgrades more affordable to Massachusetts residents. Through this loan, you could qualify for a loan up to $25,000 toward qualified home improvements.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Schedule a no-cost, virtual consultation with a Mass Save Decarbonization Specialist for guidance. You can also use our Heating Comparison Calculator to compare the annual costs and savings of different systems.
Case Study: As Good as New
Instead of moving, Vance participated in a no-cost energy assessment to find ways to make his home more comfortable. By making insulation upgrades, installing two high-efficiency mini-split heat pumps, and advanced power strips, he saved $632 annually in energy costs.
Case Study: Dick MacDonough
After an existing central air conditioner unit broke down, Dick decided to upgrade to a high-efficiency heat pump and use a smart thermostat—reducing his annual carbon dioxide emissions by 5.1 metric tons.