Incentives and Financing
A variety of rebates, incentives, and special financing options are available. Learn more about your options and whether they're available in your town.
Note: This rebates and financing guide was up-to-date as of end of August 2018. Incentives are subject to change, so verify incentive levels on the respective program websites or by speaking with an installer.
Clean heating and cooling technologies receive rebates, incentives, and special financing from state and local governments and utility programs. While HeatSmart CCL is a joint effort between the towns of Carlisle, Concord, and Lincoln (and all residents and businesses will have access to the same HeatSmart offer), there are differences between the three towns related to what state and utility programs residents and businesses may be eligible for.
Most importantly, Concord is served by the Concord Municipal Light Plant, which is owned and operated by the town, while Carlisle and Lincoln are served by investor-owned utilities. State clean energy and energy efficiency programs—like the rebates, financing, and free home energy audits offered by MassCEC and Mass Save—are funded by surcharges that are only levied on electric bills of customers of investor-owned utilities.
As such, residents of Concord are not eligible to participate in MassCEC or Mass Save energy programs. However, CMLP offers air and ground-source heat pump program opportunities and incentives that are similar to the MassCEC and Mass Save programs (and in some cases, are almost the same!). Consult the tables below for information about incentive and financing programs available to residents of Carlisle, Concord, and Lincoln.
Importantly, all of the HeatSmart CCL selected installers are well-versed in these program requirements, will make you aware of your options, and will fill out the paperwork on your behalf.
If you have any questions or concerns we encourage you to reach out to your town’s HeatSmart Coach for more information.
Incentives
| Incentive Program Description | Pathway for Carlisle and Lincoln Residents | Pathway for Concord Residents |
|---|---|---|
| Clean heating and cooling rebates | Rebates for CH&C technologies are provided by MassCEC (all technologies) and Mass Save (air source heat pumps only). | Rebates for air and ground source heat pumps are provided by CMLP. CMLP does not offer rebates for modern wood heating. Click here for more information. |
| Free home energy audits | Free home energy audits are provided through the Mass Save Home Energy Services Program. If you live in a 1-4 family building, an audit is required for the MassCEC rebates (within the last 4 years or within 6 months of installation) and for the Mass Save HEAT Loan (within the last 2 years). Click here to sign up for a free home energy audit. |
Natural gas users are eligible for free home energy audits through the Mass Save Home Energy Services Program. Click here to sign up. All others can sign up for a free home energy audit through Energy New England. Email ENE at to sign up. If you live in a 1-4 family building, a Mass Save or Energy New England audit is required for the CMLP rebates. (An audit carried out in 2015 or 2016 through Concord’s Green Your Heat Program also qualifies.). |
| Alternative Energy Certificates |
All residents of Carlisle, Concord, and Lincoln who install qualifying clean heating and cooling technologies are eligible to receive and sell Alternative Energy Certificates (AECs), which are awarded to owners of clean heating & cooling technologies through the Commonwealth's Alternative Portfolio Standard. The number of certificates you receive will be based on a variety of criteria, including (for ASHP and GSHP) the size and efficiency of your home (e.g. if your home has a HERS rating of <50 or is a "Zero Energy" Home or Passive House) or (for modern wood heat) how much fuel you use. Depending on the technology, these factors—and the value of the AECs at quarterly auctions, you could receive the following:
An Excel calculator developed by the Dept. of Energy Resources is available here. Please note that a default AEC value of $20/MWh is assumed in this calculator. We would recommend using a more conservative estimate of $15/MWh or lower to represent a lower auction value of these AECs and an aggregator fee of ~7% or more. Speak with one of our installers to learn more about the APS and the incentive you could receive for your system. |
| Sales tax exemption (geothermal only) | The exemption from the state sales tax for geothermal heat pumps is available to all residents. |
| Federal Investment Tax Credit | In the spending bill passed February 9, 2018, Congress reinstated the federal renewable energy investment tax credit for geothermal that previously lapsed at the end of 2016 (but was extended for solar PV). Homeowners are once again able to claim a tax credit of up to 30% of the cost of a geothermal system (excluding cost of ductwork modifications). The tax credit has been reinstated retroactive to the start of 2017 and will follow the same stepdown after 2019 as with solar PV. |
Financing Options
| Financing Program Description | Pathway for Carlisle and Lincoln Residents | Pathway for Concord Residents |
|---|---|---|
| Mass Save HEAT Loan | A 0% interest HEAT Loan of up to $25,000 over 7 years is provided through Mass Save***. Visit the Mass Save website for more information. Additionally, qualifying Carlisle and Lincoln residents may utilize financing options provided by the selected installers described below. | Concord residents are not eligible to use the HEAT Loan. Concord residents may utilize the financing options provided by the selected installers below or seek out financing from another bank. |
| ASHP: Synchrony Financing | Our installer, New England Ductless, offers financing through Synchrony Bank, including 0%/18 months and other options. Speak with New England Ductless for more information |
| GSHP Financing | Our installer, Achieve Renewables, offers financing options up to $65,000 with terms of up to 20 years. |
***Please note that Mitsubishi ASHP systems that are configured to use ducted indoor units (e.g. 4C36NAHZ, PUZA36NHA) may not be eligible for the Mass Save HEAT Loan due to not meeting cooling efficiency requirements for the Mass Save rebate. Speak with New England Ductless for more information.
How large are these incentives?
As noted above, Carlisle/Lincoln residents are eligible for different incentives than Concord residents. Consult the incentive/financing summary documents for each town below:
Your installer will help you understand the rebates your system will be eligible for as part of providing you a quote during your free site visit.
How much will my system cost with these incentives included?
Check out the HeatSmart CCL Pricing Guides below for each installer. There is a summary version that provides the base pricing and explains what is included in the base price and what could cause your quote to change. There is also a more detailed version for reference that lists out some of these adders and explains what they are for. However, note that the assumptions behind the pricing and adders listed in this detailed version may not align with the condition of your home, and there may be additional modifications that may be needed that are not captured by this sheet.
- Achieve Renewable Energy (GSHP): Summary Version | Detailed Version
- New Day Energy (Modern Wood Heat): Detailed Version
- New England Ductless (ASHP): Summary Version | Detailed Version
Note: The pricing sheets for Achieve reflect a price increase of <2% for all contracts signed after July 31, 2018.
What do these incentives mean for the cost-effectiveness of clean heating and cooling?
These incentives can significantly close the gap between CH&C and conventional technologies. However, CH&C technologies are still unlikely to be cost-effective investments for homeowners who currently heat with gas. Depending on the application, CH&C can be cost-effective for some oil-heated homes and will be very cost-effective for propane and electric resistance heated homes.