Massachusetts’ Mass Save program provides residents and businesses with rebates and incentives to promote energy savings while reducing costs. Like many energy efficiency programs across the country, Mass Save’s offerings for renters have some limitations. Landlords have little incentive to lower energy consumption since their tenants are usually the ones responsible for electric and heating bills. Customers who rent their homes must obtain written permission from their landlords prior to installing upgrades. While Mass Save rebates and incentives are available to homeowners, renters, and landlords—some offerings are more easily implemented than others. For example, claiming rebates on small household appliances like room air conditioners and dehumidifiers does not require a signature from the property owner. However, more intensive retrofitting projects that require a contractor (and that have the highest cost and emissions savings) require that permission.
Table revised for clarity on 5/20/2021.
*For income-based financing options, the requirement of landlord approval depends on what the loan will be used for. However, with the scale and cost requirements of the projects that promote the highest energy savings – it is likely that low-income households will need approval from the property owner either during, or prior to, applying for HEAT loans.
In order to receive a rebate, customers must submit a completed rebate form (either online or by mail), as well as a copy of the first page of their most recent electric bill and a receipt indicating purchase with the model, manufacturer, purchase date, price, and store name. For those who seek instant reimbursement for purchasing efficient appliances, don’t get your hopes up: it takes a while for most rebates and incentives to kick in. Even with online rebate forms, Mass Save takes six to eight weeks to process rebate applications and send funds to customers.
About 46 percent of Massachusetts residents are renters, with an even higher share in the Greater Boston area—so in order for energy efficiency programs to provide an equitable, effective distribution of energy and emissions savings participants must include customers who don’t own their property. Since many renters are responsible for paying home energy bills, the majority of landlords are not strongly incentivized to make changes to their property—even if their tenants’ electric and heating costs are cut significantly. As target years for greenhouse gas emissions reductions rapidly approach, maximizing energy savings for every household in Massachusetts—not just those who own their homes—is essential.
