Making Heat Pump Adoption Easier: Insights from the Town of Amherst’s Incentive Program

Case Study

Making heat pump adoption easier for communities

Amherst, Massachusetts

Program Overview

Heat pumps have become a widely adopted, high-efficiency heating and cooling solution, with strong and growing interest from utilities in expanding adoption.

In Massachusetts, heat pumps accounted for 36% of residential heating equipment sales in 2023, up from 25% in 2021 (Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Advisory Council), reflecting a maturing market with increasing consumer confidence.

Amherst’s Heat Pump Incentive Program builds on this momentum by pairing existing utility-sponsored state rebates with additional local incentives, expert guidance, and homeowner education.

The program is designed to streamline the path from inquiry to installation, making heat pump adoption easier and faster for both homeowners and municipal partners alike.

Heat Pump Accelerator programming at work in Amherst, MA

To motivate faster heat pump adoption and reduce projects from stalling mid-decision, Amherst created a local incentive that allows eligible homeowners to receive up to $3,500 toward a heat pump installation, stacked on top of existing utility-sponsored state rebates.

The incentive increase was introduced in response to a clear behavioral bottleneck: many homeowners were interested and informed, but hesitant to move forward due to uncertainty about upfront costs and the complexity of coordinating next steps.

By meaningfully closing the remaining financial gap, the program was designed to unlock quicker decisions, reduce drop-off between inquiry and installation, and help residents act on upgrades.

How the program is increasing heat pump adoption

Financial incentives: By stacking a local incentive on top of utility-sponsored state rebates, Amherst reduced upfront cost uncertainty and accelerated decision-making

Streamlined process: CET coordination creates a simple, coherent path from inquiry to installation; minimal administrative burden for homeowners.

Project risk reduction: Transparent contractor vetting, multiple quotes for design confidence, and hands-on support during installation drive forward progress.

Home readiness support: Mass Save energy audits and recommended weatherization measures (air sealing and insulation) are required for program eligibility to ensure proper equipment sizing and optimal efficiency, comfort, and cost savings.

Community alignment: Demonstrates municipal commitment to sustainable heating and provides a model for other towns considering similar programs.

Customer Study

Meet Katie,
an Amherst homeowner

Katie recognized this opportunity in her town, made a quick call to connect with CET, and is now seeing the benefits

Addressing Customer Concerns to Drive Uptake

Residents like Katie often cite cost uncertainty and coordination complexity as reasons projects stall, even when interest in heat pumps is high.

Amherst’s Heat Pump Incentive Program was intentionally designed to reduce those friction points by offering a clearly sequenced, end-to-end process (administered by CET) that supports homeowners from initial inquiry through installation.

Program coordination ensures that eligibility, incentives, contractor selection, and readiness steps align, so homeowners are not left to navigate multiple systems or interpret requirements on their own.

By simplifying decisions and clarifying next steps at each stage, the program helps residents move forward with confidence, reducing delays and making participation feel manageable rather than overwhelming.

Taking the Leap

Before upgrading, Katie’s home relied on propane, with a pellet stove filling the gaps and an aging AC system that no longer worked well. After years of interest in more efficient, sustainable heating, heat pumps were already on her radar.

When a local grant became available, stacking on top of utility-sponsored state and existing federal incentives was the final push for Katie to move forward with the heat pump they had been planning for.

working with cET

Preparation and Contractor guidance

Katie and her husband treated the project as a major investment and collaborated accordingly, dividing tasks between themselves while relying on CET for guidance and a dedicated point of contact for questions.

Weatherization and readiness steps were completed through Mass Save, which conducted an initial energy audit and issued recommendations. These measures, including insulation upgrades and door sweeps, strengthened eligibility and improved long-term performance.

Next, homeowners must choose a contractor from the Heat Pump Installer Network (HPIN). CET helps review quotes, ensures Mass Save compliance, and manages payments directly to contractors.

This assistance from CET ensures the contractor vetting process is thorough and efficient.

On the day of Katie’s installation, a large crew—about eight technicians—was present, and the homeowners appreciated the professionalism, responsiveness, and thorough troubleshooting support.

A streamlined, easy, simple process.

“CET was very easy to work with.”

When homeowners work with CET, they get coherent, straightforward steps and accessible staff for questions. Saying “yes” to upgrades goes from daunting to doable.

What Katie Wants Other Homeowners to Know

★★★★★

“For maybe half an hour of work, this [program] will grant you
even more rebates.
It has been a very streamlined
and easy process, and I 100% recommend it.”

Post-installation results and impact

Katie was happy to report that the heat pump system delivers more even heating across their home. This system now provides five heat zones on the top floor (versus two previously), allowing better individual room control.

The system consolidates heating and cooling into one unit (as opposed to nonexistent cooling before), and the top-floor humidifying function of the mini-splits enhances comfort by managing moisture more effectively.

Community Perspective: A Replicable Model

The Amherst Heat Pump Incentive Program offers a scalable blueprint for municipalities seeking to accelerate heat pump adoption.

By stacking a local grant with utility-sponsored state rebates, CET provides a streamlined, single-point process that reduces administrative friction and makes green heating financially accessible for a broad range of homeowners.

Coupled with Mass Save readiness measures and an accessible contractor network, the model ensures high-quality installations and tailored post-installation support, while demonstrating tangible municipal commitment to energy efficiency.

If you are interested in making your home or town more sustainable

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Making heat pump adoption easier for communities