How much is the Unitil heat pump rebate in Massachusetts?

Up to $8,500 per home for a whole-home cold-climate heat pump at $2650/ton — the statewide Mass Save standard, identical to every sponsor. Partial-home (supplemental) installs qualify for up to $8,500 at $1125/ton, with stackable $500 sizing and weatherization bonuses. Unitil processes the filing for addresses in its electric territory; equipment must be on the Mass Save HPQPL and your installer must be enrolled in the Heat Pump Installer Network (HPIN).

Which Massachusetts towns does Unitil serve?

Unitil (operating locally as Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company) serves both electricity and gas in the Fitchburg area of north-central Massachusetts — Fitchburg, Lunenburg, Ashby, and Townsend on the electric side. Unitil also supplies natural gas (but not electricity) in Gardner and Leominster, where National Grid is the electric utility.

Are Unitil heat pump rebates smaller than Eversource or National Grid?

No. The rebate amounts and eligibility rules are statewide Mass Save standards — identical across all six sponsors (Eversource, National Grid, Unitil, Cape Light Compact, Berkshire Gas, Liberty Utilities). Up to $8,500 whole-home, $1,125/ton partial-home, $250/ton basic, plus the 0% HEAT Loan. What differs by sponsor is which utility processes your paperwork and your standard residential electric rate.

Does Unitil offer the Seasonal Heat Pump Rate like Eversource and National Grid?

Yes. Unitil is one of the three Massachusetts sponsors of the Seasonal Heat Pump Rate, and it publishes the per-kWh delta more plainly than the other two: the winter Heat Pump Rate runs approximately $0.09/kWh below Standard Residential R1. The reduction applies to ALL of your household electricity from November 1 through April 30, then you return to the standard rate May through October — it is seasonal, not time-of-use, so there are no on-peak hours and nothing to shift. Unitil publishes savings of $82–$166/month November–April; $49–$99/month for income-eligible customers. That takes heating-season electricity from about $0.31/kWh to about $0.22/kWh.

How do I get on the Unitil Heat Pump Rate?

Most people do not have to do anything: Unitil enrolls customers automatically once a qualifying Mass Save heat pump rebate posts to the electric account for a system installed after January 1, 2019. Unitil asks for a one-year commitment on the rate. If you were not auto-enrolled — no Mass Save rebate, an older install, or a new-construction or renovation-program install — you can enroll manually, and you can also opt out, by calling Unitil at 1-888-301-7700. Income-eligible customers get the R-2 variant of the rate, worth $49–$99/month November through April. A heat pump used only for cooling, electric resistance heat, and a standalone heat pump water heater do not qualify.

Can I still claim the federal §25C or §25D tax credits as a Unitil customer?

No — and neither could any utility customer. The federal §25C ($2,000 heat pump credit) and §25D (30% geothermal credit) both expired December 31, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21). These were federal IRS tax credits, not utility programs. The IRA-funded HEAR rebate (up to $8,000 for households at or below 80% AMI) is separate, survives, and is accessed through Mass Save's income-eligible pathway.

Unitil Massachusetts Heat Pump Rebates & Heat Pump Rate

The short answer

Unitil is one of the six Mass Save sponsors — for households served by Unitil Electric in the Fitchburg area, the 2026 heat pump rebate is up to $8,500 ($2,650/ton whole-home), plus the 0% Mass Save HEAT Loan up to $25,000. Unitil also sponsors the Massachusetts Seasonal Heat Pump Rate, and publishes the clearest number of the three sponsors: roughly $0.09/kWh below Standard Residential R1 on all household usage from November 1 through April 30. Unitil's published savings: $82–$166/month November–April; $49–$99/month for income-eligible customers. The catch specific to Unitil: because heat pump rebates always file through the ELECTRIC sponsor, Unitil files them only in its electric territory — in Gardner and Leominster, where Unitil supplies gas but National Grid supplies electricity, the heat pump rebate routes through National Grid.

Verified 2026-09-19

By MassHVAC Editorial Team Reviewed by MassHVAC Editorial Team Last updated 2026-09-19

Unitil in Massachusetts: the smallest of the six sponsors

Unitil (locally, Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company) is the smallest of the six Mass Save sponsors by customer count. It serves both electricity and natural gas in the Fitchburg area of north-central Massachusetts, plus gas-only service in a couple of adjacent Worcester County cities. Its Mass Save role is identical in structure to Eversource and National Grid — same rebate amounts, same HPIN/HPQPL/Manual J requirements, same 0% HEAT Loan — just a much smaller footprint.

The single most important thing to get right in Unitil territory is which utility actually files your heat pump rebate, because Unitil is an electric sponsor in some towns and a gas-only sponsor in others.

Where Unitil is the electric sponsor (and where it isn't)

Unitil electric + gas — files your heat pump rebate: Fitchburg, and the surrounding Unitil electric towns (Lunenburg, Ashby, Townsend).
Unitil gas only — rebate files through National Grid: Gardner and Leominster, where Unitil supplies the gas but National Grid supplies the electricity.

Because an air-source heat pump runs on electricity, the Mass Save heat pump rebate is always processed by your electric sponsor. So a Leominster homeowner with Unitil gas and National Grid electric files the heat pump rebate through National Grid — Unitil handles only the gas-side rebates (high-efficiency gas equipment, weatherization). If you are unsure who supplies your electricity, the Mass Save Sponsors directory resolves it by address.

Massachusetts incentives

2026 Mass Save Heat Pump Rebates (Unitil sponsor)

See the full Mass Save rebates hub

Verified 2026-09-19

Most homes

Whole-Home Heat Pump Rebate

$2,650 /ton

Capped at $8,500 per home

The installed heat pump must be the sole source of heating and cooling for the spaces served. Equipment must be ENERGY STAR Cold Climate certified and listed on the Mass Save Heat Pump Qualified Products List (HPQPL). A Manual J load calculation is needed to qualify for the sizing bonus and is industry-standard practice on Mass Save projects.

Partial-Home / Supplemental Heat Pump Rebate

$1,125 /ton

Capped at $8,500 per home

Heat pump installed alongside an existing primary heating system. Equipment must be on the HPQPL. Lower per-ton rebate reflects supplemental rather than sole-source use.

Basic Heat Pump Rebate

$250 /ton

Capped at $2,500 per home

New for 2026. Applies to replacing an existing heat pump with a new qualified HPQPL-listed heat pump, or conditioning a previously unconditioned space.

$500 Right-Sized Equipment Bonus Partial-home

Partial-home installs only. Equipment must be sized to meet 90–120% of the total heating load at the outdoor design temperature, documented via an ACCA Manual J load calculation submitted with the rebate application.

$500 Weatherization Bonus Partial-home

Partial-home installs only. Requires a Mass Save Home Energy Assessment plus installation of the recommended weatherization (typically air sealing and insulation) within one year prior to or up to six months after the heat pump installation.

Financing

Mass Save HEAT Loan

0% APR up to $25,000

Below 135% of State Median Income: 7 years (84 months)
135%–300% of State Median Income: 5 years (60 months)
Over 300% of State Median Income: 3 years (36 months)

Subject to bank underwriting through participating Massachusetts lenders. Covers equipment + installation costs for qualifying high-efficiency upgrades (heat pumps, ductless mini-splits, insulation, water heaters, and batteries enrolled in ConnectedSolutions). A Home Energy Assessment is mandatory before financing a whole-home heat pump. Households below approximately 81% SMI typically route to Mass Save's no-cost / enhanced-rebate programs rather than the HEAT Loan.

No federal heat pump tax credit applies in 2026.

Section 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (heat pump portion) (30% of cost up to $2,000 annually for qualifying heat pump installations (inflation reduction act expansion)) ended for property placed in service after 2025-12-31 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21).
Section 25D Residential Clean Energy Credit (geothermal portion) (30% of installed cost for ground-source (geothermal) heat pumps, with no dollar cap) ended for property placed in service after 2025-12-31 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21).

Status as of 2026-09-19: neither 25C nor 25D has been reinstated or replaced by Congress. Pending bills (e.g. H.R. 616) have not advanced. Pre-2026 §25D installs may carry forward unused credits.

Rebate amounts and eligibility verified 2026-09-19 against primary program documentation. We re-check before any publish.

Get a quote using these rates

Primary source

“Mass Save heat pump rebates: $2650/ton up to $8,500 per home (whole-home tier) — statewide rate, processed by Unitil for its electric-territory addresses.”

— Mass Save program documentation Accessed 2026-09-19

Same rebate money, statewide

Do not let Unitil's small size make you think its incentives are smaller. The rebate schedule is a statewide Mass Save standard set at the program level, not the sponsor level:

Whole-home: $2,650/ton, capped at $8,500 per home.
Partial-home / supplemental: $1,125/ton, capped at $8,500, plus $500 sizing and $500 weatherization bonuses.
HEAT Loan: 0% APR up to $25,000, term-tiered by income (84 / 60 / 36 months).

For the full breakdown, including how income-qualified households can reach the Enhanced caps (up to $16,000 whole-home), read the Massachusetts HVAC Rebates Hub and the Mass Save eligibility guide.

Electric rate reality in Unitil territory

Unitil's standard residential electric rate runs roughly $0.31/kWh all-in (2026-Q1). From November 1 through April 30, heat pump households enrolled in the Massachusetts Seasonal Heat Pump Rate pay a reduced distribution rate on all household electricity — approximately $0.09/kWh below Standard Residential R1, the plainest figure any of the three sponsors publishes. That brings heating-season power to roughly $0.22/kWh. May through October, the standard rate returns.

What Unitil publishes: $82–$166/month November–April; $49–$99/month for income-eligible customers.
Not time-of-use: there are no on-peak or off-peak windows and no on-peak penalty — running the dryer at 6pm costs the same as running it at 2am.
Enrollment: automatic on a qualifying Mass Save heat pump rebate for a post-January-1-2019 install. Unitil asks for a one-year commitment. Enroll manually, or opt out, at 1-888-301-7700.
Who qualifies: any household using a heat pump for space heating, including renters with their own residential electric account and municipal-aggregation or third-party-supply customers — the reduction sits in the distribution charge, so your supplier does not matter. Electric resistance heat, cooling-only heat pumps, and standalone heat pump water heaters do not qualify.

Model your Unitil operating cost at the Heat Pump Rate for November through April and the standard rate for the rest of the year. The rate follows the premise rather than the customer, and is not retroactive before November 1, 2025.

How the filing works

Get a free Mass Save Home Energy Assessment — it gates every rebate.
Choose a Mass Save HPIN-enrolled installer; verify enrollment before you sign.
Your installer runs an ACCA Manual J and specs an HPQPL-listed, R-32 or R-454B cold-climate model.
After install, the installer files through the Mass Save contractor portal; your electric sponsor (Unitil, or National Grid in Gardner/Leominster) processes the rebate.
The rebate check typically arrives 6–12 weeks after filing.

Unitil MA heat pump FAQ

How much is the Unitil heat pump rebate in Massachusetts?: Up to $8,500 per home for a whole-home cold-climate heat pump at $2650/ton — the statewide Mass Save standard, identical to every sponsor. Partial-home (supplemental) installs qualify for up to $8,500 at $1125/ton, with stackable $500 sizing and weatherization bonuses. Unitil processes the filing for addresses in its electric territory; equipment must be on the Mass Save HPQPL and your installer must be enrolled in the Heat Pump Installer Network (HPIN).
Which Massachusetts towns does Unitil serve?: Unitil (operating locally as Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company) serves both electricity and gas in the Fitchburg area of north-central Massachusetts — Fitchburg, Lunenburg, Ashby, and Townsend on the electric side. Unitil also supplies natural gas (but not electricity) in Gardner and Leominster, where National Grid is the electric utility.
I have Unitil gas but National Grid electric in Gardner — who files my heat pump rebate?: National Grid, because it is your electric sponsor. Heat pump rebates always file through the electric Mass Save sponsor since heat pumps run on electricity. In Gardner and Leominster, Unitil handles gas-side rebates (high-efficiency gas equipment, weatherization), while your air-source heat pump rebate of up to $8,500 files through National Grid. Only in Unitil's electric territory (Fitchburg, Lunenburg, Ashby, Townsend) does Unitil process the heat pump rebate itself.
Are Unitil heat pump rebates smaller than Eversource or National Grid?: No. The rebate amounts and eligibility rules are statewide Mass Save standards — identical across all six sponsors (Eversource, National Grid, Unitil, Cape Light Compact, Berkshire Gas, Liberty Utilities). Up to $8,500 whole-home, $1,125/ton partial-home, $250/ton basic, plus the 0% HEAT Loan. What differs by sponsor is which utility processes your paperwork and your standard residential electric rate.
Does Unitil offer the Seasonal Heat Pump Rate like Eversource and National Grid?: Yes. Unitil is one of the three Massachusetts sponsors of the Seasonal Heat Pump Rate, and it publishes the per-kWh delta more plainly than the other two: the winter Heat Pump Rate runs approximately $0.09/kWh below Standard Residential R1. The reduction applies to ALL of your household electricity from November 1 through April 30, then you return to the standard rate May through October — it is seasonal, not time-of-use, so there are no on-peak hours and nothing to shift. Unitil publishes savings of $82–$166/month November–April; $49–$99/month for income-eligible customers. That takes heating-season electricity from about $0.31/kWh to about $0.22/kWh.
How do I get on the Unitil Heat Pump Rate?: Most people do not have to do anything: Unitil enrolls customers automatically once a qualifying Mass Save heat pump rebate posts to the electric account for a system installed after January 1, 2019. Unitil asks for a one-year commitment on the rate. If you were not auto-enrolled — no Mass Save rebate, an older install, or a new-construction or renovation-program install — you can enroll manually, and you can also opt out, by calling Unitil at 1-888-301-7700. Income-eligible customers get the R-2 variant of the rate, worth $49–$99/month November through April. A heat pump used only for cooling, electric resistance heat, and a standalone heat pump water heater do not qualify.
Can I still claim the federal §25C or §25D tax credits as a Unitil customer?: No — and neither could any utility customer. The federal §25C ($2,000 heat pump credit) and §25D (30% geothermal credit) both expired December 31, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21). These were federal IRS tax credits, not utility programs. The IRA-funded HEAR rebate (up to $8,000 for households at or below 80% AMI) is separate, survives, and is accessed through Mass Save's income-eligible pathway.

Related guides

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