Green Heating and AC
Change what you are doing with your home heating and energy use. Electrifying your home heating system with a heat pump is one of the most effective ways to reduce your overall carbon footprint and make your home more comfortable. An ideal time to consider a heat pump is when you need to replace your existing heating or cooling system or when you want to add air conditioning, because heat pumps provide cooling as well as heating. Incredibly, they work all winter long and only use half the electricity that would be used by window air conditioners during the summer.
A mini-split heat pump is another energy efficient option that may be right for you if:
- You have oil, propane, or electric heat.
- You are considering adding or replacing air conditioning.
- You have one room that stays cold and you want to fix it.
- You want to take advantage of Mass Save incentives up to $10,000 for whole home installations.
Ok, but how do mini-split heat pumps work?
Basically, a heat pump is a device that moves heat from one place to another. It works much like an air conditioner or a refrigerator and not like a boiler or furnace that burns fuel. While a refrigerator moves heat from your fridge to your kitchen, a heat pump moves heat from your home to the outside, or vice versa. Just like a central air conditioning system, mini-split heat pumps have two parts: an outdoor condensing unit and one or more indoor air handling units, connected by a conduit through your wall. They usually have no ducts, but can sometimes have a short duct system.
Want to see how it works in animation? Watch the mini-split video on Mass Save here: Heat Pump Video
Mass Save has several incentive programs to sweeten the deal on heat pumps. In order to qualify, you should do everything you can to maximize the insulation in your home and reduce drafts. You can learn about what you might need during a Mass Save Home Energy Assessment. You can also check out the federal incentives on Rewiring America’s IRA calculator. You can learn more about what items are eligible with this chart from the Department of Energy.
- Heat pumps work best in well-insulated homes, so your first step should be to sign up to receive a free Home Energy Assessment. You can sign up at Mass Save's website.
- Be sure to get more than one quote. Other qualified installers will be able to provide a free estimate.
- Explore your rebate and financing options. A good installer should automatically sign you up for any available rebates or savings.
- Heat pumps are eligible for a 0% interest Mass Save HEAT loan if you qualify.
State and Federal Incentives
30% federal tax credit for equipment and installation costs starting in 2023 with a limit of $2,000 per year. Electrically heated homes are NOT ELIGIBLE. Subject to a $14,000 HEERA cap (includes weatherization and heating equipment). Pair with a 30% federal tax credit for electric system upgrades with a cap of $600. Estimate your savings via this calculator from Rewiring America.
2024 Mass Save incentives are up to $10,000 for a whole home conversion from a non-gas heating system. Or, $1,250 per ton for a partial conversion capped at $10,000. Households may be eligible for enhanced incentives based upon their annual income. Incentives subject to change. Qualifications for whole-home conversion have changed in 2024. The incentives amounts have remained the same. See this chart for rules surrounding Mass Save incentives in 2024.
See this factsheet and more FAQs to understand how the Federal tax incentives work with Mass Save.
What are heat pumps?
While traditional heating systems burn fuel to create heat, a heat pump instead works by “pumping” heat into or out of a home. Though they require electricity to operate, heat pumps use 20 percent to 50 percent of the electricity that would be used by traditional electric heaters. A heat pump can supplement your existing heating system or completely replace it. Heat pumps make the most economic sense if your home is currently heated with oil, propane, or electric baseboards.
There are two basic types of heat pumps
- Air-Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) exchange heat with the air outside your home. Some ASHPs are efficient down to sub-zero outdoor temperatures. ASHPs for homes that already have ducting are called central heat pumps, while so-called ductless "mini-splits" are suited for homes that don’t have existing ducting. All ASHPs provide energy-efficient heating and cooling for your home. ASHPs use 30 to 50 percent as much electricity as traditional electric heaters such as electric baseboards. Download the NEEP Air-Source Heat Pump Buyers Guide for more info.
- Ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) can provide highly efficient heating, cooling, and water heating by utilizing the nearly constant temperature underground to heat or cool your home. GSHPs are typically the most efficient type of heat pump, but installation is more complex and the initial cost is somewhat higher than ASHPs. There is more info here.
I heard heat pumps don’t work in New England.
For heating, mini-split heat pumps’ average efficiency for an entire winter is typically in the 200-250 percent range - compare that to an oil-fired boiler efficiency of 97 percent or to electric baseboard at 100 percent. They are being actively marketed as oil, propane and wood heat replacements in Maine and Vermont.
Doesn’t it cost more to heat with electricity?
Maybe. Oil and electricity prices are constantly changing so a comparison is always for one set point in time. But because heat pumps move heat rather than generate it, they can heat and cool at a significantly higher efficiency than other systems. In fact, the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships found that in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions air source heat pumps save around 3,000 kWh (or $459) when compared to electric resistance heaters, and 6,200 kWh (or $948) when compared to oil systems. When displacing oil (i.e., the oil system remains, but operates less frequently), the average annual savings are near 3,000 kWh (or about $300).
Do I have to replace my entire existing heating system to use heat pumps?
Heat pumps work with most heating systems, such as forced hot air, radiators, or radiant (floor) heat. They can also be “ductless,” in which case they transfer warm or cool air directly into the house. Some people choose to install heat pumps on top of their legacy heating system, so that the old system can kick in if temperatures get very cold.
How do I decide which kind of heat pump is right for my home?
A qualified installer is your best guide, but if you want to learn more now, check out this buying guide.
Resources
Savings calculator from Rewiring America
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/consumer-guide-inflation-reduction-act
Reducing our oil heat carbon footprint
Green Influence of Friends Helps Me Sleep Better
Love My Heat Pump
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