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Get a Free QuoteMassachusetts cut winter electric delivery charges by 40–65% for heat pump customers on Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil. The DPU estimated ~$540 in first-winter savings per enrolled household. Here is what the rate covers, who is auto-enrolled, and how it stacks with Mass Save rebates and ConnectedSolutions.
The Massachusetts seasonal heat pump rate is a discounted winter delivery (distribution) rate offered by Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil to customers using an electric heat pump as their primary heating source. It launched November 1, 2025 and runs each year November through April. The Department of Public Utilities estimated average savings of about $540 per household during the first heating season. Customers who received a Mass Save heat pump rebate since 2019 are generally auto-enrolled; others can self-enroll through their utility account.
Each MA investor-owned utility implements the seasonal heat pump rate slightly differently. The headline savings come from cutting the delivery portion of the bill — supply (generation) charges are unchanged.
Eastern & Western MA (covers most of Boston, Worcester, Springfield)
Standard delivery
~$0.18/kWh winter delivery (R-1)
Heat pump rate (Nov–Apr)
~$0.13/kWh effective on heat pump consumption (R-4)
Auto-enroll if you received a Mass Save heat pump subsidy. Self-enroll via Eversource customer portal.
Central & SE MA (Worcester, Brockton, New Bedford, Cape)
Standard delivery
~$0.0668/kWh winter distribution
Heat pump rate (Nov–Apr)
~$0.0244/kWh distribution Nov–Apr (heat pump tariff)
About a 64% cut on the distribution portion of the bill during the heating season.
Fitchburg + ~20 north-central towns
Standard delivery
~$0.1018/kWh standard distribution
Heat pump rate (Nov–Apr)
~$0.0363/kWh on the heat pump tariff
Deepest distribution-rate cut among the three IOUs.
The numbers above reflect tariff filings approved by the MA Department of Public Utilities and reporting from WBUR and Acadia Center. Confirm exact rates against your most recent utility bill — tariffs update twice per year (the supply portion changes every six months) and the heat pump rate discount has been adjusted by the DPU in the program's early years.
Auto-enrollment is the default for anyone who received a Mass Save heat pump subsidy from 2019 onward, but it is not guaranteed. Run through these checks once your heat pump is installed and commissioned.
Check a winter bill
Pull a Nov–Apr utility bill. Look for a rate code change (e.g., Eversource R-1 → R-4) or a separate heat pump line item. If you see it, you are enrolled.
Confirm Mass Save rebate
Customers who received a Mass Save heat pump rebate since 2019 are typically auto-enrolled. Pull your rebate confirmation email or Mass Save account history.
Self-enroll if needed
Log in to your utility account portal. Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil each have a heat pump rate enrollment form. Required: model number, install date, primary heating fuel.
Confirm by Oct 31
The discount only applies Nov–Apr, so confirm your enrollment status before October 31 each year to capture the full heating season.
The seasonal heat pump rate is a monthly bill discount. It does not replace Mass Save's one-time install rebate, it does not interfere with net metering, and it does not block ConnectedSolutions battery payments. All four programs run on independent tracks.
One-time install rebate: $2,650/ton whole-home (cap $8,500) or $1,125/ton partial. R-32 or R-454B refrigerant required in 2026. Stacks with the seasonal heat pump rate — you collect both. Full rebate guide.
Ongoing winter delivery-charge discount. Cuts your Nov–Apr distribution cost by 40–65%. Applies as a bill credit / rate code change — no application needed if auto-enrolled.
Offsets supply charges with rooftop solar production. Does not change the delivery-rate calculation, so the seasonal rate still reduces what is left after net metering on a winter bill. Net metering guide.
Separate program for enrolled batteries; pays the customer for dispatching during peak events. Around $275/kW annually in MA. Independent of the heat pump rate. ConnectedSolutions VPP page.
Pre-2025, a frequent installer concern was that switching from oil or propane to a heat pump in Massachusetts traded a known fuel cost for a higher per-kWh electric rate. The DPU's seasonal heat pump rate closes most of that gap. A typical 2,000 sq ft home converting from oil to a cold-climate heat pump now sees an effective winter electric rate around $0.18–$0.20/kWh instead of the $0.36–$0.39/kWh standard residential rate. Combined with Mass Save's $8,500+ install rebate and the 0% HEAT Loan up to $25,000, the after-incentive cost of a whole-home conversion is the lowest it has been since the program started tracking.
The federal §25C heat pump tax credit expired December 31, 2025, so the state programs are doing the entire job in 2026.
Install rebate
Mass Save heat pump rebates 2026
$2,650/ton, $8,500 cap, R-410A banned. The one-time install rebate that complements this ongoing rate discount.
Battery revenue
ConnectedSolutions VPP
~$275/kW annually for enrolled batteries. Stacks cleanly with the heat pump rate — separate programs.
National Grid customers
NG TOU + heat pump rate stacking
R-4 TOU arbitrage spread plus the heat pump rate cut. Highest-leverage NG customer combination for an electrified home.
Conversion math
Oil vs heat pump in Massachusetts
Side-by-side annual cost comparison with the seasonal rate baked into the calculation.
Equipment
Cold-climate heat pumps for MA
ENERGY STAR Cold Climate certified models that qualify for the Mass Save rebate (and therefore the auto-enrollment in the seasonal rate).
Eversource customers
Eversource heat pump rebate guide
Eversource-specific rebate, R-4 rate, and stacking with the heat pump tariff.
Sources & references
