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Heat pumps by metro · Massachusetts · New Hampshire · checked October 19, 2026
Heat pumps in Boston
Winters here are long and cold, so the heat pump has to keep its output near 5°F. At Massachusetts prices a cold-climate heat pump delivers heat for about $35.74 per million Btu, against $25.47 for a high-efficiency gas furnace.
What this means for your house: Long, cold winters drive the bills here: air sealing, insulation and heating efficiency pay back fastest.
Climate and sizing
Winters here are long and cold, so the heat pump has to keep its output near 5°F. This is a humid climate: a variable-speed system that runs longer at low speed pulls more moisture out of the air than a single-stage one. Whatever the climate, the system should be sized from a room-by-room load calculation (ACCA Manual J), not from
the size of the old air conditioner or furnace: an oversized heat pumpshort-cycles, dehumidifies poorly and costs more.
Degree days: NOAA1991–2020 climate normals. Climate zone: IECC 2021 (PNNL county list). Housing: Census American Community Survey.
Seasonal COP: Seasonal COP is the heat delivered over a whole heating season, including electric backup heat and defrost, for a heat pump sized for the house. We pick the planning value by how cold the winter is (heating degree days) and set it slightly below modelled results (Dunsky/CCI 2024), because measured field performance tends to come in lower. For your own house, the HSPF2 rating of the system you choose and your installer's Manual J load calculation are the better guide.
Cold and humidNortheast and Great Lakes
Choosing equipment for Boston’s climate
Heating drives your bills, and older homes lose heat through attics, walls and basements.
Heating is the main bill here, and many homes are decades old, with heat escaping through attics, walls and basements. Older houses may need knob-and-tube wiring, vermiculite or lead paint handled before insulation goes in. Air sealing, attic insulation and a combustion safety test are the core of a good audit.
What to look for in this climate
A cold-climate heat pump is strongly advised around Chicago (6.5 nights a year at or below 0°F) and Detroit (3.6), and recommended in Boston (0.6).
Size to the Manual J heating load. A dual-fuel setup, with your furnace as backup, is one way to cover the coldest days.
Federal minimums: 13.4 SEER2 for a split AC, and 14.3 SEER2 with 7.5 HSPF2 for a split heat pump. ENERGY STAR's cold-climate tier for ducted models is 8.1 HSPF2.
Radiator and steam homes usually have no ducts. Ductless mini-splits avoid new attic ductwork; if you add ducts, keep them inside the insulated part of the house.
Do these alongside the new system
Cold-climate heat pumps. Ductless units suit radiator homes, and ducted ones work where ducts exist. They can displace oil, propane or electric resistance heat. In Massachusetts, Mass Save lists up to $8,500 in 2026 equipment rebates.
Sealed-combustion heating or a heat pump water heater. When it's time to replace, sealed-combustion equipment cuts spillage risk in a tighter house. A heat pump water heater suits a basement that stays between 40°F and 90°F.
Mistakes to avoid
Sizing a heat pump on the cooling load. Heating is the bigger load here. Size to the Manual J heating load, not a rule of thumb.
In a climate this cold, heating is usually the biggest energy cost in an older house, so the price of each unit of heat matters. Cost per million Btu of heat delivered into the house, at Massachusetts's average residential prices from the EIA (electricity for
July 2026, gas as an annual average). Here a heat pump needs a seasonal COP above 3.5 to beat a 95% gas furnace, so at these prices gas stays cheaper to run; the case for a heat pump rests on replacing the air conditioner, cutting emissions or a time-of-use rate.
$3.59 per gallon before tax (week of October 5, 2026)
Oil furnace (85%)
$51.98
+104%
$6.12 per gallon before tax (week of October 5, 2026)
Electric furnace or baseboards
$89.36
+251%
30.5¢ per kWh (July 2026)
Against electric resistance heat (baseboards or an electric furnace), even a standard heat pump cuts the heating bill by about 55%.
Prices: EIA electricity · EIA natural gas. Your own rate plan may differ, especially on a time-of-use or heat pump rate.
What cooling costs in Boston
Summer matters too. Air conditioning for a typical 1,600 sq ft single-family house with central air, at Massachusetts's average residential
electricity price (30.5¢ per kWh, EIA, July 2026). In this humid climate, part of the air conditioner's job is pulling moisture out of the air. A right-sized variable-speed system runs longer at low speed and removes more of it; an oversized one cools quickly, shuts off and leaves the house clammy.
Yearly cooling electricity and cost by system efficiency in Boston
Every heat pump program we found for the Boston area, with the equipment rule that decides which models qualify. Checked against each
program's own page on October 19, 2026. Most utility programs need an AHRI-matched system; check the exact pairing in the AHRI directory before you sign.
Mass Save air-source heat pump rebates
Open
Sponsors of Mass Save (Eversource and National Grid in the Boston area)
Heat pump amountsFor 2026 installs: Whole-Home $2,650 per ton, up to $8,500. Partial-Home $1,125 per ton, up to $8,500, plus a $500 sizing bonus and a $500 weatherization bonus. Basic $250 per ton, up to $2,500; Basic for unconditioned-space additions can be combined with the others, with a total cap of $8,500 per account. Income-Based Enhanced: 'Up to $16,000, or up to no cost through Turnkey Services', for homes previously heated with oil, propane or electric resistance. Tons = AHRI cooling capacity divided by 12,000 Btu. There…
Equipment rule'Equipment must meet ENERGY STAR® Cold Climate' (Mass Save Qualified Products List). Sizing bonus: equipment 'sized to meet 90-120% of the total heating load at the outdoor design temperature, per ACCA Manual J Design Conditions', with the load calculation submitted. Whole-Home also needs a 'sufficiently weatherized' home, proper sizing and a signed Whole-Home Verification Form. From Oct. 1, 2026, serial numbers are required on all heat pump applications, plus a nameplate photo of each outdoor unit.
Other conditionsEquipment 'must be installed by a contractor participating in the Mass Save Heat Pump Installer Network.' No DIY.
New England Heat Pump Accelerator point-of-sale incentives
Unconfirmed
State-led regional initiative funded by a federal grant (per October 12); not Mass Save
Heat pump amountsPer October 12, Mass Save's heat pump page says instant incentives 'may also be available through distributors and contractors at the point of sale'. No official program page was read.
StatusAsk the program whether it is taking applications now.
The federal rebate (formerly HEAR) pays up to $8,000 toward an ENERGY STAR certified heat pump for income-qualified households, through
the state. Since May 29, 2026 it covers only upgrades from existing electric equipment, and the installer must be on the state's
contractor list. Each state runs its own program; the status is in the list above.
Audit programs, other rebates and help for lower-income homes: our Boston guide.
Systems that suit Boston
The certified systems that heat most efficiently at 5°F, and those that cool most efficiently, on current refrigerants, from ENERGY STAR's US listings. Rebadged twins with identical ratings are folded into one row.
How to read the tables: SEER2 is cooling efficiency over a season and EER2 on the hottest afternoons; HSPF2 is heating efficiency over a
season, and COP at 5°F shows how efficiently the system still heats in deep cold. Size is the rated output in BTU/h (12,000 BTU/h is
one ton). The AHRI number identifies the exact certified pairing for rebates. Full definitions: how to read the numbers.
Central systems that heat best in the cold (2 tons and up)
Central systems that heat best in the cold (2 tons and up) for Boston
37MARAQ24AA3 45MAHAQ24XA3Same ratings also listed as Bryant, Midea, Heil, Tempstar, Comfortmaker, KeepRite and other ICP brands, Payne and WeatherMaker, Kenmore, LPS Legacy, Smart Comfort
BMS500-AAS024-1CSXRD BMS500-AAU024-1AHWXDSame ratings also listed as Midea, Moovair, Innovair, Stelpro, Dettson and Ouellet, Cooper & Hunter, ACiQ, Blueridge, AC PRO, CanAir
Tell us about your home and what you want to heat or cool. A person reads every request and replies with the contractors and rebate programs that serve your ZIP code.
