Get a Discount Rate
Your utility already offers a low-income discount rate. Additionally, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is working to automatically enroll residents that are on certain government benefits programs in low-income rates.
How much do I save?
- Qualifying low-income gas utility customers can currently save 25% on their gas bills
- Qualifying low-income electric customers can save between 32% and 42% on their electric bills, depending on their electric utility. Starting in September, qualifying low-income customers of National Grid could see savings up to 71% on their bills.
- The DPU is currently working expeditiously on a moderate-income discount rate for customers of all electric utilities.
How do I get these savings? Review the eligibility criteria to determine if you qualify and contact your utility provider.
Make Your Home More Efficient
Now is a great time to give Mass Save a call and see how you can lower your energy bills. Mass Save is rolling out a streamlined program which will make rebates and savings easy to access and the customer experience is improving. Benefits are particularly generous for low- and moderate-income customers, renters, and landlords. If you’re a municipal light plant customer, the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company’s NextZero Program or Energy New England’s Sustainability Programs offer energy assessments, rebate programs and more.
How much do I save? People who participate in Mass Save’s weatherization offering can save up to 20% of their annual heating usage. If you’re looking for a new heating and cooling system, stove, or other appliances, you may be eligible for a rebate that covers the full cost. And if you get on a heat pump rate, you could save up to 15% on your winter electricity bill.
How do I get these savings? All ratepayers can participate in the Mass Save program by calling 866-527-SAVE or visiting www.masssave.com to schedule a no-cost home energy assessment. This is the fastest way to take advantage of these energy saving opportunities.
Get on A Heat Pump Rate
New electric rates and programs are available to lower energy costs for customers with heat pumps and electric vehicles. Unitil is enrolling customers in a heat pump rate and National Grid is developing a similar rate to be available in October 2025. If you are an electric customer of these utilities and operate a heat pump in your household, you may qualify for the heat pump rate which will provide lower electricity rates during winter months. The DPU is considering changes to the heat pump rates that would increase customer benefits and expand the rate to Eversource customers.
How much do I save? If you are a heat pump customer being served by Unitil and National Grid, you can save up to $500 per winter heating season.
How do I get these savings? If you installed your heat pump with an incentive or rebate from Mass Save, you should be automatically enrolled in the heat pump rate. Contact your electric utility to confirm enrollment.
Manage Your Electricity Use
Everyone in Massachusetts should be empowered to control their energy use and make decisions that work for them and their budgets. The ConnectedSolutions Program is offered as part of Mass Save and allows customers to enroll their energy storage devices or smart thermostats and receive payments for responding when electricity demand is high in the summer.
If you have an electric vehicle, signing up for a Managed Charging program can also help lower your electricity bill. National Grid currently offers an incentive to charge your EV during the evening and morning. Eversource and Unitil have proposed similar programs of their own that are currently under review by the DPU that could knock an additional $10 off your bill each month. Some Municipal Light Plants also offer programs.
How much do I save?
- If you are an EV driver and National Grid customer, you can sign up today for an EV Managed Charging program, which could reduce your bill by $100 in the first year of the program. A similar program is currently under consideration by the DPU for Eversource and Unitil customers.
- ConnectedSolutions customers with smart thermostats can receive a $50 enrollment incentive and a $20 annual incentive. Customers with battery storage systems can receive up to $1,500 per year.
How do I get these savings? To sign up for ConnectedSolutions, call Mass Save at 866-527-SAVE. And to sign up for Off-Peak Charging incentives, contact your electric utility. National Grid currently offers a rebate to customers for charging their electric vehicle when demand is low. Eversource and Unitil are working on similar programs.
Go Solar
Solar programs offer a number of different avenues for residents and businesses to reduce energy costs by generating electricity at your home, rather than a distant power plant. The combination of the SMART and Net Metering programs allow customers to reduce costs, with some customers offsetting up to 80% of their monthly electric bill.
The Healey-Driscoll Administration is in the process of enacting several reforms to make it easier for customers to access solar, in particular, community solar, which allows customers that cannot install solar where they live to receive electric utility bill credits via a subscription with a community solar project owner or purchasing an ownership share of a solar project. For example, participating customers may be eligible for bill discounts up to 20%.
How much do I save? A customer that purchases a solar system outright can, in many cases, eliminate their entire electric bill but must pay for the full cost of the system upfront or finance it via a loan. Customers that enter into a long-term residential solar lease or subscribe to a community solar project can reduce their monthly electricity costs by a smaller percentage than they would if they purchased a system, but will typically incur no upfront costs. Customers can also save money on heating by installing solar hot water panels, which reduce heating costs associated with hot water usage.
How do I get these savings? Consumers can visit the following webpages for more information on different types of solar options: