Who Qualifies for Mass Save®? Eligibility by Utility, Home and Income

Step 1: Check who supplies your energy

Mass Save® is funded by the customers of its sponsors, so eligibility starts with your utility bill. The sponsors are:

• Eversource (electric and gas in many communities)
• National Grid (electric and gas)
• Unitil (electric and gas in parts of north-central Massachusetts)
• Liberty (gas in parts of southeastern Massachusetts)
• Berkshire Gas (gas in western Massachusetts)
• Cape Light Compact (energy efficiency for Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard electric customers)

If your electricity or your heating gas comes from one of them, you are generally eligible for the residential program.

Step 2: The municipal light plant exception

About 40 Massachusetts communities get electricity from a municipal light plant (MLP) instead of an investor-owned utility. Examples include Shrewsbury, Holden, Hudson, Wellesley, Braintree, Taunton, Westfield and Holyoke. MLP customers do not pay the Mass Save® charge on their electric bills, so they are not Mass Save® electric customers. However:

• If you heat with natural gas from a sponsor, you may still qualify for gas-side incentives such as insulation.
• Many MLPs run their own energy-efficiency rebates and audits.

If you heat with oil or propane and live in an MLP town, your options depend on your light plant's programs. Our guide to municipal light plant towns explains how to check.

Step 3: Your type of building

Renters can participate with the owner's permission. Landlords should read our guide for multi-family owners; churches and nonprofits have their own paths.

Step 4: Income tiers

Income does not decide whether you can take part; it decides how much help you get. Standard customers receive the regular incentives, moderate-income households can receive enhanced rebates, and income-eligible households can receive many upgrades at no cost. See income-eligible programs.

Step 5: Your heating fuel

Insulation incentives are tied to how you heat. Homes heated with gas from a sponsor, electricity from a sponsor, or oil and propane (in sponsor electric territory) can generally receive weatherization incentives. Your assessment confirms which incentives apply.

Common eligibility questions we hear

• "I had an assessment years ago." You can usually get a new one, and incentives may have changed.
• "I just bought the house." New owners are eligible; this is a great time to insulate, before you move furniture in.
• "My house is new." Newer homes can still benefit, especially from air sealing, but older homes see the largest gains.

How to read your utility bills for eligibility

A common confusion: choosing a competitive electricity supplier does not change your eligibility. The distribution company that delivers your power is what matters.

Eligibility for different home situations

• Condos: individual owners can often participate for their unit; common areas and building envelope work may need association approval.
• Mobile and manufactured homes: may have specific paths; ask during scheduling.
• Second homes: program rules may differ; ask about seasonal residences.
• New owners: you can schedule as soon as you own the home.

What if you are not eligible?

If you live in a municipal light plant town and heat with oil or propane, check your light plant's programs, consider a paid energy audit and focus on the improvements with the best return, like attic air sealing. See energy audit cost.

Getting started quickly

Have these ready when you call: your address, account numbers for gas and electric, your heating fuel and a few notes about problems in the house. That is enough to begin scheduling an assessment.

Next steps

BCI Group is a Mass Save® partner in Westborough, MA, surrounded by both sponsor and MLP towns, so we help homeowners sort this out every week. Call (774) 278-8256 and we will tell you which path fits your home. See the complete Mass Save® guide.