Why MLP towns can't use Mass Save
Mass Save is paid for by a charge on the bills of the state's big utilities: Eversource, National Grid, Unitil and Cape Light Compact on the electric side, plus the gas companies. Town-owned light plants don't collect that charge. So their customers sit outside the program.
This is about your address, not your income. Your neighbour one town over may get a rebate you can't. The fastest way to check is to look at your electric bill. If it names a town light department, you're in an MLP town.
Which towns are served by a municipal light plant?
This list comes from the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. Some towns are only partly served, so check your own bill.
| Town | Light plant |
|---|---|
| Ashburnham | Ashburnham Municipal Light Plant |
| Belmont | Belmont Municipal Light Department |
| Berkley | Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Boxborough | Littleton Electric Light & Water Department |
| Boylston | Boylston Municipal Light Department |
| Braintree | Braintree Electric Light Department |
| Chester | Chester Municipal Electric Light Department |
| Chicopee | Chicopee Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Concord | Concord Municipal Light Plant |
| Danvers | Danvers Electric Division |
| Dighton | Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Georgetown | Georgetown Municipal Light Department |
| Gosnold | Gosnold Electric Light Company |
| Groton | Groton Electric Light Department |
| Groveland | Groveland Municipal Light Department |
| Hingham | Hingham Municipal Light Plant |
| Holden | Holden Municipal Light Department |
| Holyoke | Holyoke Gas & Electric Department |
| Hudson | Hudson Light and Power Department |
| Hull | Hull Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Ipswich | Ipswich Municipal Light Department |
| Lakeville | Middleboro Gas and Electric Department |
| Littleton | Littleton Electric Light & Water Department |
| Lynnfield | Reading / Peabody Municipal Light Plants |
| Mansfield | Mansfield Municipal Electric Department |
| Marblehead | Marblehead Municipal Light Department |
| Merrimac | Merrimac Municipal Light Department |
| Middleborough | Middleborough Gas & Electric Department |
| Middleton | Middleton Municipal Light Department |
| North Attleborough | North Attleborough Electric Department |
| North Reading | Reading Municipal Light Plant |
| Norwood | Norwood Municipal Light Department |
| Paxton | Paxton Municipal Light Department |
| Peabody | Peabody Municipal Light Plant |
| Princeton | Princeton Municipal Light Department |
| Raynham | Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Reading | Reading Municipal Light Department |
| Rowley | Rowley Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Russell (northern part) | Russell Municipal Lighting Company |
| Shrewsbury | Shrewsbury's Electric Light Plant |
| South Hadley | South Hadley Electric Light Department |
| Sterling | Sterling Municipal Light Department |
| Stow | Hudson Light and Power Department |
| Taunton | Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Templeton | Templeton Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Wakefield | Wakefield Municipal Light Department |
| Wellesley | Wellesley Municipal Light Plant |
| West Boylston | West Boylston Municipal Lighting Plant |
| Westfield | Westfield Gas and Electric Light Department |
| Wilmington | Reading Municipal Light Plant |
Note: some online lists (including an older version of this page) named towns like Arlington, Framingham, Lexington or Watertown. Those towns get electricity from Eversource or National Grid, so they can use Mass Save.
What you can get instead
1. Your light plant's own rebates
Many light plants run their own heat pump, water heater and appliance rebates. Many do this through NextZero (run by MMWEC) or Energy New England. Amounts differ a lot from town to town. Call your light department or check its website before you get quotes.
2. The DOER MLP Z-Loan (0% interest)
The state's Department of Energy Resources offers a 0% loan of $500 to $25,000, paid back over up to 5 years. It covers heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, insulation and weatherization work. You need a home energy assessment first, and only upgrades that assessment recommends qualify. Solar and EV chargers don't qualify. Apply at myz-loan.com.
3. Mass Save gas-side offers (sometimes)
If your electricity comes from a light plant but your natural gas comes from a Mass Save gas sponsor, you may still qualify for gas-side help. That can include a no-cost home energy assessment, insulation and air sealing. Mass Save also lists heat pump rebates for homes replacing gas heat, applied through a gas account. Ask your gas company.
4. State programs open to everyone
The state solar tax credit (15% of cost, up to $1,000) applies no matter who your utility is. The federal 25C and 25D tax credits ended for work done after December 31, 2025, so don't count on them.
Mass Save town vs MLP town: side by side
| Mass Save town | MLP town | |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-home heat pump rebate | $2,650/ton, up to $8,500 (up to $16,000 or no cost if income-qualified) | Your light plant's own rebate, if any |
| 0% loan | HEAT Loan, up to $25,000 over up to 7 years | MLP Z-Loan, up to $25,000 over up to 5 years |
| Home energy assessment | No cost through Mass Save | Through NextZero or Energy New England, depending on your light plant |
| Solar incentive | SMART program + state tax credit | Light plant's own solar terms + state tax credit |
We don't know what a heat pump will cost for your home, and your payback depends on your fuel, your house and your light plant's electric rate. Get at least two or three written quotes.
What to do next
- Check your electric bill to confirm who serves you.
- Call your light department and ask: "What heat pump and weatherization rebates do you offer this year?"
- Book the home energy assessment your light plant uses. You need it for the Z-Loan.
- Get quotes, then apply for the Z-Loan before work starts.
Want help comparing installers? See your city's rebates and compare top-rated local installers, ranked by Google reviews. It's free for homeowners.
Common questions
How many Massachusetts towns can't use Mass Save?
41 municipal light plants serve all or part of 50 cities and towns, per the Department of Public Utilities. Those customers can't use Mass Save's electric-side programs.
Is there a 0% loan for MLP towns?
Yes. The DOER MLP Z-Loan lends $500 to $25,000 at 0% for up to 5 years for upgrades recommended in a home energy assessment.
Can I get Mass Save if my gas comes from a big utility?
Possibly. If a Mass Save gas sponsor serves your home, ask about gas-side assessments, weatherization and heat pump rebates.
Sources, checked September 26, 2026: Mass. DPU list of MLP towns · DOER MLP Z-Loan · Mass Save air-source heat pumps · MassCEC solar incentives · IRS 25C
Related: MLP towns: what you can still get · Mass Save home energy assessment explained · Massachusetts excluded towns