The Mass Save heat pump rebate in 2026 pays $2,650 per ton, up to $8,500, when a heat pump becomes your home’s only source of heating and cooling. Keep your old furnace or boiler as backup and it pays $1,125 per ton, also up to $8,500. Income-eligible households can get up to $16,000, or a heat pump at no cost through Mass Save’s Turnkey Services.
The Mass Save heat pump rebate is generous, but the rules decide which tier you get, and a missed form can cost you the whole rebate. Below are the 2026 amounts, what they’re worth on a typical system, and the requirements, all checked against Mass Save’s own pages.
Table of Contents
Mass Save heat pump rebate amounts for 2026
| Tier | Rebate | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-Home | $2,650 per ton, up to $8,500 | The heat pump replaces your existing heating completely |
| Partial-Home | $1,125 per ton, up to $8,500, plus up to $1,000 in bonuses | You keep a boiler or furnace as backup |
| Basic | $250 per ton, up to $2,500 | You’re not replacing fossil fuel or electric resistance heat |
| Income-eligible (Enhanced) | Up to $16,000 (air source) or $25,000 (ground source), or no cost through Turnkey Services | Households that qualify on income |
Mass Save calculates tons from the equipment’s AHRI cooling capacity divided by 12,000 BTU. A system rated at 36,000 BTU counts as 3 tons.
Which Mass Save heat pump rebate tier fits your home
Whole-Home: the heat pump does everything
The heat pump must be the sole source of heating and cooling, and the home must be lived in full-time through the winter. Your home also has to be “sufficiently weatherized” before installation. Mass Save accepts any one of three proofs:
- The home was built in 2000 or later.
- A Home Energy Assessment found less than $1,000 of recommended weatherization.
- You completed the weatherization recommended in an assessment since 2013.
You’ll also need a signed Whole-Home Heat Pump Verification Form.
Partial-Home: you keep a backup
For homeowners who keep an existing boiler or furnace to supplement the heat pump. Wherever propane, oil or gas heating stays in use, you need an integrated control from Mass Save’s qualified list, so the two systems don’t fight each other. Two bonuses can add up to $1,000:
- $500 for completing a Home Energy Assessment and installing the recommended weatherization, within one year before or six months after the heat pump goes in.
- $500 for sizing the heat pump to cover 90-120% of your home’s heating load. You submit the load calculation with the application.
Basic: everything else
For installs that don’t replace fossil fuel or electric resistance heat: upgrading an older heat pump, conditioning a space that had no heat, or a summer home. The equipment must be new, and there are no bonuses.
What the Mass Save heat pump rebate is worth on a typical system
| System size | Whole-Home | Partial-Home (before bonuses) | Basic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 tons | $5,300 | $2,250 | $500 |
| 3 tons | $7,950 | $3,375 | $750 |
| 4 tons | $8,500 (cap) | $4,500 | $1,000 |
| 5 tons | $8,500 (cap) | $5,625 | $1,250 |
The Whole-Home cap kicks in above about 3.2 tons: a 4-ton system would earn $10,600 at the per-ton rate, but the rebate stops at $8,500. For a typical 3-ton system, going whole-home instead of partial-home is worth $4,575 more, or $3,575 if you’d have earned both partial-home bonuses. To see what Massachusetts homeowners were actually quoted before rebates, check our heat pump installation cost by state data.
The requirements that decide whether you get paid
- Use a Mass Save Heat Pump Installer Network contractor. A contractor outside the network means no rebate.
- Choose listed equipment. It must meet ENERGY STAR Cold Climate and appear on the Mass Save Heat Pump Qualified Products List. Ask your contractor to confirm the exact model numbers before you sign.
- Install in 2026. The 2026 rebates cover equipment installed between January 1 and December 31, 2026.
- Apply by February 28, 2027. The form and all documents must be received by then.
- Photograph the nameplates. From October 1, 2026, every application needs a clear photo of the nameplate showing the serial number of each outdoor unit.
- Keep the contractor invoice showing the removal or disconnection of your old system, if you’re replacing one.
Income-eligible households: up to $16,000 or no cost
Mass Save’s Enhanced rebates pay up to $16,000 for a whole-home air source system and up to $25,000 for ground source. Households with lower incomes can get an air source heat pump at no cost through Turnkey Services.
Two conditions matter. You must complete all the weatherization recommended in your Home Energy Assessment before claiming the Enhanced rebate, and the installer must be in the Mass Save network. Mass Save checks income through its own verification tool, or by phone at 1-888-714-3990. Check before you get quotes, because it changes which offer your contractor should build the job around.
Paying the rest with the 0% HEAT Loan
The Mass Save HEAT Loan offers 0% financing of up to $25,000 for heat pumps, heat pump water heaters and weatherization, subject to lender approval. To finance a whole-home heat pump, or a partial-home system claiming the bonus incentives, you need a Home Energy Assessment first. Book it early: the same assessment can unlock the loan, a partial-home bonus and the weatherization proof for whole-home.
What about the federal tax credit?
The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) covered qualifying heat pumps placed in service from 2023 through 2025. It does not apply to heat pumps installed in 2026, so the Mass Save heat pump rebate and the HEAT Loan are now the main help available in Massachusetts.
How to apply for the Mass Save heat pump rebate
- Get a Home Energy Assessment if you’re going whole-home, want the partial-home bonus, need the HEAT Loan or qualify for Enhanced rebates.
- Get quotes from Mass Save Heat Pump Installer Network contractors, and confirm each model is on the qualified list.
- After installation, apply online or print and mail the rebate form. You submit it yourself; your contractor can help you gather the documents.
- Attach the nameplate photos, the invoice and, depending on your tier, the Whole-Home Verification Form or the heating load calculation.
Mistakes that cost homeowners the Mass Save heat pump rebate
- Hiring a contractor who isn’t in the Installer Network.
- Installing a model that isn’t on the Qualified Products List.
- Applying for whole-home without the weatherization proof or the verification form.
- Keeping a fossil fuel system without an integrated control, which knocks you out of partial-home.
- Missing the nameplate photos, now required on every application.
- Waiting past February 28, 2027 to send the paperwork.
Already have a heat pump that’s acting up? Our troubleshooting guides cover Mitsubishi mini split error codes and what to do about a heat pump blowing cold air in heat mode.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get the Mass Save heat pump rebate if I keep my furnace?
Yes. That’s the Partial-Home tier: $1,125 per ton up to $8,500, plus up to $1,000 in bonuses. You need an integrated control wherever the furnace or boiler stays in use.
Do I need a Home Energy Assessment?
It depends on the path. It’s required for the Enhanced income-eligible rebates, and for using the HEAT Loan on a whole-home heat pump or a partial-home system with bonuses. It’s one of three ways to prove weatherization for Whole-Home, and it unlocks a $500 Partial-Home bonus. For the Basic tier, it isn’t needed.
How much is the Mass Save rebate for a 3-ton heat pump?
$7,950 for Whole-Home, $3,375 for Partial-Home before bonuses, and $750 for Basic.
Is there still a federal tax credit for heat pumps?
Not for systems installed in 2026. The 25C credit applied to equipment placed in service through 2025.