Mass Save basic heat pump rebate rebates
For HVAC contractors filing on behalf of a residential customer.
The Basic rebate covers heat pumps that do not displace fossil fuel or electric resistance heat — replacing an existing heat pump or air conditioner, conditioning a new addition, or a home not occupied in winter. It pays less than the whole-home and partial-home rebates and has a much shorter list of conditions.
2 open questions on this pathway
The official documents disagree or are silent on the points below. We show them rather than picking a reading, and this is why this pathway is not check-supported.
- Filing deadline. The eligibility check on this form says RECEIVED BY 28 February 2027; the Terms and Conditions on the same form say POSTMARKED BY. The identical contradiction appears in the air source and ground source forms, so it is systemic across the Mass Save form family rather than a single typo. Confirm with the administrator.
- Terms boilerplate on this form. The Terms and Conditions printed on the Basic form are shared with the air source form and still say the rebate 'is only available to residences that are occupied full time during the winter heating season' — a whole-home and partial-home condition that contradicts the program page, which offers Basic explicitly for homes not occupied in winter. Treat the eligibility check on page 2 as controlling, but confirm.
Rebate amounts
| What | Value in this edition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Basic rebate | $250 per ton, up to $2,500 | S4 |
| Limit | One rebate per residential electric account | S4 |
| How a ton is measured | AHRI cooling capacity ÷ 12,000 BTU | S4 |
| Ceiling | Rebate may not exceed the total installation cost | S4 |
Dates and deadlines
| What | Value in this edition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Installation window | 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026, inclusive | S4 |
| Filing deadlineThe eligibility check on this form says RECEIVED BY 28 February 2027; the Terms and Conditions on the same form say POSTMARKED BY. The identical contradiction appears in the air source and ground source forms, so it is systemic across the Mass Save form family rather than a single typo. Confirm with the administrator. | Unresolved 28 February 2027 — but the rule for meeting it is unresolved | S4 |
| Payment processing | 6–8 weeks after an approved submission | S4 |
Eligibility
| What | Value in this edition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor | Residential customer of Cape Light Compact, Eversource, National Grid or Unitil. Electric sponsors only — unlike the whole-home and partial-home rebates, there is no gas-sponsor route. | S4 |
| No fuel displacement required | The heat pump does not need to displace oil, propane, gas or electric resistance. This is the pathway for replacing an existing heat pump or central air conditioner, conditioning a previously unconditioned space, or a home not occupied in winter. | S1, S4 |
| Equipment | New, and on the Mass Save Heat Pump Qualified Product List. | S4 |
| Installer | Must participate in the Heat Pump Installer Network. | S4 |
| Municipal gas customers | Ineligible for the Basic rebate unless served by a Mass Save Sponsor for electricity. | S1 |
| Bonuses | None. Weatherization and sizing bonuses do not apply to Basic. | S1 |
| Terms boilerplate on this formThe Terms and Conditions printed on the Basic form are shared with the air source form and still say the rebate 'is only available to residences that are occupied full time during the winter heating season' — a whole-home and partial-home condition that contradicts the program page, which offers Basic explicitly for homes not occupied in winter. Treat the eligibility check on page 2 as controlling, but confirm. | Unresolved Partly inapplicable | S4 |
Document checklist
| Document | What it must show | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Completed and signed rebate form | The Basic form, not the air source form. Customer signature only. | S4 |
| Installer invoice | From an HPIN installer, showing installer name and address, outdoor and indoor model numbers, installation date, installation address and total install cost per system. | S4 |
| Proof of payment | Accompanying the invoice. | S4 |
Equipment evidence
The form captures the AHRI Certified Reference number, AHRI cooling capacity in BTU, the resulting tons, install date and area served. There are no integrated control fields, because Basic has no integrated control requirement.
Installer requirement
Installation must be completed by a contractor participating in the Mass Save Heat Pump Installer Network. Unlike the whole-home pathway, no installer signature is required on a separate verification form.
Where the application goes
File online at MassSave.com/Savings, or mail to Mass Save Residential Heating and Cooling Program, 1337 Massachusetts Ave, PO Box #228, Arlington, MA 02476.
Sources
Every fact above cites one of these by id. Each was retrieved and hashed on the date shown; we link the official document rather than restating it.
| Id | Document | Retrieved | SHA-256 |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | Mass Save air source heat pumps program page | 2026-09-07 | ecdcddbaefed921f… |
| S4 | Residential Basic Heat Pump Rebate FormRevision 0078_BASIC_12.25 | 2026-09-07 | 76cda106478115a5… |
Administered by
The Sponsors of Mass Save (Berkshire Gas, Cape Light Compact, Eversource, Liberty, National Grid, Unitil)
Where it applies
Massachusetts. Customers of Berkshire Gas, Cape Light Compact, Eversource, Liberty, National Grid, Unitil.
Confirm the customer's actual sponsor. A ZIP code does not establish service territory.
Official source
Mass Save official program page
Last confirmed to resolve 2026-09-07. The program administrator decides eligibility and payment.
Read the requirements and checklist
RebateBench is in private pilot and no pathway is packet supported yet. If this is a program you file, we would like to verify it with you.
Join the contractor pilotKeep reading
All Massachusetts programs · Other Mass Save pathways · What every coverage level means · How we verify a program