Statewide residential heat pump installations exceed goals for third consecutive year, lead the Northeast

BOSTON, MA (February 27, 2024) – In support of Massachusetts’ nation-leading programs the Mass Save® Sponsors today announced they enabled a record number of residential heat pump installations in 2023. This marks the third consecutive year installations have surpassed the goals outlined within the Massachusetts Three-Year Energy Efficiency Plan. According to program data, the Sponsors of Mass Save supported the installation of heat pumps for 28,084 Massachusetts households in 2023, a 226% increase over the 8,603 households which received program support in 2021. Since 2019, the Sponsors have supported the installation of heat pumps in 75,172 homes and businesses statewide.

Please see the table below for more information.

*Massachusetts counts one heat pump as one residential household.

These record-breaking numbers put Massachusetts ahead of other New England states, including Maine and Vermont, when it comes to overall total heat pump installations. While there is not yet a national standard for measuring heat pump installations, when applying each state’s methodology to the Sponsors’ data (see below), Massachusetts is New England’s leader.

• Maine methodology: (counts one heat pump as 25.1 MMBTUs)
  • HPs installed in ME since 2019: 115,442
  • HPs installed in MA since 2019: 264,000
• Vermont methodology: (counts one heat pump as one compressor)
  • HPs installed in VT since 2015: 63,000
  • HPs installed in MA since 2019: 95,608

“The Commonwealth has long been a national leader in energy efficiency, and it’s exciting to see the strides we’re making on our clean heating transition,” said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony. “In Massachusetts, our success is built on pairing weatherization with heat pumps, which lowers monthly energy costs for families and businesses, reduces emissions and limits impacts to the grid.”

“Energy efficient upgrades are not only a smart solution for our environment, but they also lower energy use and improve the health and comfort of our customers. We’re proud to support customers with robust incentives and strategic guidance to make these clean energy choices,” said Tilak Subrahmanian, Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility, Eversource. “Heat pumps are an important technology for achieving Massachusetts' climate goals and the Mass Save Sponsors are proud to have exceeded the annual installation goals in each of the last three years as part of our leadership of the Commonwealth’s nation-leading energy efficiency programs.”

As part of the Massachusetts Three-Year Energy Efficiency Plan, residential customers are eligible for up to $16,000 in incentives when they install an air source or air-to-water heat pump and up to $25,000 when they install a ground source heat pump, when working with a contractor in the Mass Save Heat Pump Installer Network (HPIN). Additionally, the Sponsors worked with their low-income delivery partners to aid in the installation of heat pumps in 3,600 low-income housing units across Massachusetts since 2021, at no cost to the customer. These installations have meaningfully reduced energy burdens for these customers, many of whom were previously heating with oil or propane.

Along with these nation-leading rebates and incentives, the Mass Save HPIN is a key driver of these record-breaking installations. The network of more than 1,500 HVAC contractors was established by the Sponsors in 2021 to empower contractors to gain the tools, training, and marketing support they need to offer heat pump installation as part of their services portfolio.

“The HPIN is one of many ways the Sponsors are fueling a clean energy workforce. Our Network is the most robust of any New England state and continues to grow as more and more contractors see the benefits of supporting decarbonization and electrification for their customers. We look forward to building on this progress and leading our region to a clean energy future,” said Christopher Porter, Director of Customer Energy Management, National Grid.

The Mass Save Sponsors are committed to ensuring that heat pumps play a critical role in a just and equitable clean energy transition. Mass Save programs provide residential and commercial rebates as well as income eligible offers to install these heating and cooling systems which can be three times more efficient compared to a boiler or furnace and have the lowest carbon emissions of any heating source. To learn more about heat pumps and how this clean, environmentally friendly technology works, please visit www.masssave.com/heatpump.

About Mass Save®:

Mass Save® is a collaborative of Massachusetts’ electric and natural gas utilities and energy efficiency service providers including Berkshire Gas, Cape Light Compact, Eversource, Liberty, National Grid, and Unitil. We empower residents, businesses, and communities to make energy efficient upgrades by offering a wide range of services, rebates, incentives, trainings, and information.

We respectfully ask that Mass Save is referred to as “the Sponsors of Mass Save,” or “the Mass Save Sponsors,” to reflect the participation of all utility and energy efficiency service providers within the collaborative. For more information, please visit https://www.masssave.com/.