City Announces Incentives, Workshops and Webinars for Heat Pump Month

Have you heard about heat pumps, but you’re not sure what they are? Do you want to replace an oil or gas furnace with a cleaner option but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you have a couple heat pump installation quotes, but don’t know how to compare them and decide which approach makes the most sense for your home. If so, Melrose Heat Pump Month may be for you.

The City of Melrose has announced December is Heat Pump Month and will recognize the initiative by hosting a Heat Pump Workshop, Heat Pump 101 Webinar, and a new partnership with the independent consultants at Abode Energy Management (Abode) to support the City and its residents on heat pumps and other clean heating and cooling options.

To kick off Heat Pump Month, the Melose Energy Commission is hosting a Heat Pump Workshop open to all Melrose residents on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, at 7 p.m. at the Milano Center located at 201 W. Foster Street. During the workshop, participants will learn the basics from the experts at Abode, get their questions answered, will have the option of scheduling a home energy assessment with HomeWorks Energy, and plan next steps using new online tools and resources. 

In addition to co-sponsoring the Heat Pump Workshop, the City of Melrose will also be offering a virtual Heat Pump 101 Webinar, on December 15, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. Advance registration is available on the City of Melrose online calendar. Both the workshop and webinar are open to the public.

Starting this year, Mass Save is offering incentives of up to $16,000 for qualified homeowners and in 2023 new federal incentives and tax credits will be available for those who purchase heat pumps to supplement or replace an existing heating system. 

For those who cannot attend the workshop or webinar, visit Abode.Energy/Melrose to learn about heat pumps and other clean energy solutions for homes or businesses. Get quotes from vetted participating heat pump installers, upload the quotes to get a detailed report on how they compare, or schedule a free consultation with Abode’s heat pump advisors to go over quotes and questions.

Air source heat pumps, often known as ductless mini-splits, keep homes comfortable year-round, providing both heating and cooling more efficiently than traditional systems. Related technologies exist for domestic water heating, including heat pump and solar hot water heaters. Another option is ground source heat pumps. Over the past several years, advances in heat pump technology have made it possible to heat and cool entire homes in the New England climate.

“Encouraging residents to install energy efficiency measures like insulation and air sealing, switching from oil and gas heating to electric heat pumps, using cleaner energy through the Melrose Community Power Program, adopting plug-in electric vehicles, and adding solar to rooftops are all strategies in the Melrose Net Zero Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent the worst impacts of climate change,” said Martha Grover, Sustainability Manager for the City of Melrose. “It’s called the Melrose Energy Challenge. Stay tuned for more educational opportunities in 2023 on the steps we can each take to reach a carbon-free future.”

Questions? Contact Melrose Sustainability Manager Martha Grover at mgrover@cityofmelrose.org or (781) 979-4195.

Want to stay informed about the many other initiatives offered by the City as part of the Melrose Energy Challenge? Sign up to receive updates from the Sustainability Department by visiting https://www.cityofmelrose.org/subscribe and select “Sustainable Melrose” and click “Subscribe Me.”