Key Takeaways
- • 0% APR, 7-year term, up to $50,000 principal for qualified bundles.
- • Requires a Home Energy Assessment within the prior 24 months.
- • Roof alone does not qualify — pair with insulation or air sealing to unlock eligibility.
- • Stacks with federal 25C credit ($1,200–$2,000/yr cap) and MA 25% state credit ($1,000 lifetime cap).
- • Enhanced tier (at or below 60% SMI / ~80% AMI) gets 100% insulation rebates.
- • Typical end-to-end timeline from assessment to funding: 6–10 weeks.
In This Guide
What the Mass Save HEAT Loan Is
The HEAT Loan is a 0% APR financing program jointly operated by Mass Save (the statewide energy-efficiency program funded by Massachusetts ratepayers) and a network of participating lenders. For qualified projects, homeowners can borrow up to $50,000 over a 7-year term at 0% APR. The utility buys down the interest to zero, and the lender services the loan as a conventional unsecured installment loan.
Qualified uses include: air sealing, attic and wall insulation, high-efficiency heating systems (boilers, furnaces, heat pumps), central cooling, high-performance windows, and related energy-efficiency work. A roof replacement bundled with attic insulation and air sealing — especially when the re-roof creates the access opportunity to properly re-insulate the attic — is a common and lender-friendly application.
Eligibility & the Roof Bundle Rule
Four eligibility gates must be cleared before lenders will approve a HEAT Loan that includes a roof component:
- 1. Customer of a participating utility. The homeowner must be a current customer of National Grid, Eversource, Berkshire Gas, Cape Light Compact, Unitil, or Liberty Utilities (the funding utilities for Mass Save).
- 2. Home Energy Assessment within 24 months. A completed Mass Save Home Energy Assessment Report is required, and the energy scope in your bid must match the recommended measures on that report.
- 3. Bundled qualifying energy scope. The project must include at least one qualifying Mass Save measure (insulation, air sealing, heat pump, etc.). A pure like-for-like re-roof with no energy work does not qualify.
- 4. Participating contractor on the Mass Save network. Your contractor must be on the Mass Save Home Performance Contractor list for the insulation and air-sealing scope. Your roofing contractor can partner with an approved insulation subcontractor if they are not directly listed.
The roof-plus-insulation bundle is the most common entry path. When the old roof is torn off, the contractor can either top-up the attic insulation (R-60 is the current best practice in MA climate zones 5A and 6A) or use a hybrid insulation approach with closed-cell spray foam at the rafter line for a conditioned attic conversion. The re-roof itself funds the access window, and the eligible insulation scope carries the HEAT Loan eligibility.
The Home Energy Assessment
The Home Energy Assessment is a free 90-minute on-site visit by a Mass Save- certified energy specialist. During the visit, the specialist will:
- • Inspect attic, wall, and basement/crawl insulation levels (R-value)
- • Perform a blower-door test (optional for roof bundle; often skipped if attic is primary scope)
- • Review heating, cooling, and hot water equipment ages and efficiencies
- • Install no-cost items during the visit: LED bulbs, smart power strips, low-flow showerheads, water-heater insulation
- • Generate a formal Home Energy Assessment Report with recommended measures and corresponding rebate/incentive amounts
Schedule through masssave.com or by calling your utility. Current typical lead time for assessment appointments is 1-3 weeks in Greater Boston and South Shore, 2-4 weeks on the Cape and Islands, and 1-2 weeks in Western Mass. The written report arrives 3-5 business days after the visit by email.
Participating Lenders (2026)
Lenders on the HEAT Loan network as of early 2026 include:
Most lenders require a minimum 640 FICO credit score and debt-to-income ratio under 43 percent. Some smaller community banks accept 620 FICO. The loan is unsecured (no lien on the property) and does not require home equity. Lenders vary in how quickly they fund — Citizens and Eastern typically fund within 5-7 business days of approval; smaller community banks can take 10-14.
Finance Your MA Roof + Energy Bundle at 0%
Get instant pricing on a bundled roof + insulation + air-sealing project, sized to the $50K HEAT Loan cap.
Stacking with Federal 25C + MA State Credits
The HEAT Loan is financing; the real savings come from stacking credits and rebates on top of it. Each program operates on a different portion of the project scope, so double-counting rules don't apply:
| Program | Applies To | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Mass Save insulation rebate | Insulation + air sealing material and labor | 75% (std) or 100% (enhanced) |
| Mass Save heat pump rebate | Qualifying cold-climate heat pump | $1,500–$16,000 |
| Federal 25C credit | Unreimbursed insulation, air sealing, windows | $1,200/yr |
| Federal 25C heat pump credit | Unreimbursed heat pump portion | $2,000 combined |
| MA state 25% residential energy credit | Qualifying residential energy improvements | 25% / $1,000 lifetime |
| HEAT Loan (financing layer) | Total project cost up to $50K | $50,000 / 0% APR |
A typical Worcester-area bundled project — $24,000 architectural asphalt re-roof plus $4,200 of R-60 attic insulation and air sealing — nets roughly $3,200 in Mass Save rebates, $960 in federal 25C credit, and $1,000 in MA state credit. The remaining $22,040 net cost is financed over 7 years at 0% for a $262/month payment. See ourMA roof replacement tax deduction guide for tax-basis implications.
HEAT Loan + Credit Stack Calculator
Enter your roof cost, roof sqft, insulation-bundle status, heat-pump status, and income tier. The calculator shows loan principal, monthly payment, stackable credits, and net out-of-pocket project cost.
Mass Save HEAT Loan Calculator (2026)
0% APR, 7-year term, up to $50,000. Estimate your monthly payment, stackable credits, and net out-of-pocket cost on a roof-plus-energy-bundle project.
Loan principal
$22,000
7-year, 0% APR
Monthly payment
$262
No interest over 84 months
Loan Balance Milestones
Month 1
$21,738
Month 12
$18,857
Month 36
$12,571
Month 84
$0
Illustrative calculation using 2026 Mass Save program parameters. Actual loan approval, rebate amounts, and tax credit eligibility depend on your Home Energy Assessment, lender underwriting, product selection, and individual tax situation. Not a binding quote and not tax advice.
Application to Funding Timeline
| Step | Typical Duration |
|---|---|
| Schedule Home Energy Assessment | 1–3 weeks to first available slot |
| On-site assessment visit | 90 min |
| Assessment Report delivered | 3–5 business days |
| Contractor bid collection | 1–2 weeks |
| HEAT Loan application package | 5–7 business days (contractor-assisted) |
| Lender credit decision | 3–10 business days |
| Project scheduling | 4–10 weeks in peak spring/fall |
| Total start-to-finish | 6–10 weeks typical |
Enhanced Income-Eligible Tier
Households at or below 60 percent state median income (roughly 80 percent AMI in most counties) qualify for Mass Save's enhanced-incentive tier. Benefits:
- • 100% rebate on insulation and air sealing (vs. 75% standard)
- • Enhanced heat-pump rebate up to $16,000 (vs. $10,000 standard)
- • Access to no-cost moderate-income heat pump path (full installation cost covered)
- • Priority scheduling for both assessments and contractor install
- • HEAT Loan still available for the unreimbursed portion
Apply through your utility's income-verification form at assessment scheduling. Income documentation (most recent tax return or 3 months of pay stubs) is typically required. Approval is immediate for households already enrolled in LIHEAP, SNAP, or MassHealth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the Mass Save HEAT Loan for a roof-only replacement?
No. The HEAT Loan program, run by Mass Save and funded by participating lenders (Citizens Bank, Eastern Bank, Bank of America, TD Bank, Rockland Trust, BankFive, Cape Cod Five, and others), is specifically designed for qualifying energy-efficiency improvements: insulation, air sealing, high-efficiency heating and cooling (heat pumps), high-efficiency windows, and related scope. A standalone roof replacement without any paired energy work does not qualify. What the HEAT Loan can cover is a roof project bundled with attic insulation, air sealing, and/or an insulation retrofit that becomes accessible during the re-roof. Practically: your contractor removes the old roof, inspects and rebuilds the attic insulation assembly, then installs the new roof deck. The energy-efficiency portion (insulation + air sealing) is HEAT-Loan-eligible, and many lenders will finance the entire bundled package up to the $50,000 cap once that energy scope is included.
How do I get the Home Energy Assessment that Mass Save requires?
Schedule a free Home Energy Assessment through masssave.com or by calling your utility (National Grid, Eversource, Berkshire Gas, Cape Light Compact). The assessment is done by a certified energy specialist and typically takes 90 minutes onsite. The specialist reviews attic, wall, and basement insulation levels, air-sealing, heating and cooling systems, appliances, and lighting. At the end of the visit, you receive a Home Energy Assessment Report and a list of recommended measures with corresponding rebate amounts. For HEAT Loan eligibility, you must have completed the assessment within the prior 24 months and the roof-paired energy work must be on the recommended measures list. If your house has had an assessment in the past 24 months already, you can often proceed without a repeat visit.
Who qualifies for the enhanced-incentive (income-eligible) tier?
The enhanced-incentive tier (formerly called Mass Save Income-Eligible) is for households at or below 60 percent of state median income (SMI), which roughly corresponds to 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) in most Massachusetts counties. Specific 2026 thresholds vary by household size: a 4-person household in Boston-Cambridge-Newton MSA qualifies at approximately $89,000 annual household income or less; in Worcester County the threshold is approximately $78,000; Springfield-area thresholds are around $70,000. Qualified households receive up to 100 percent rebates on insulation and air sealing (vs. 75 percent for standard tier), priority scheduling, and access to a no-cost moderate-income heat pump path. Apply through your utility's income verification form at assessment scheduling. Enhanced tier is stackable with HEAT Loan for the non-rebated portion.
Can renters or condo owners use the HEAT Loan for roof work?
Condo owners can use the HEAT Loan for in-unit improvements (interior insulation, heat pumps, appliances). For common-element work like a full condo building re-roof, the HEAT Loan is generally not available to individual unit owners because the improvement is a common-element expense funded through the condo association. Some condo associations have used HEAT Loan financing at the association level when paired with a full envelope retrofit (attic insulation + air sealing + roof) on smaller 2-4 unit buildings. Renters cannot directly apply for HEAT Loan; the building owner would need to apply. Mass Save does have a Renter-Friendly Rebates program that covers some tenant-initiated measures (portable heat pumps, smart thermostats).
Does the HEAT Loan work with solar or a cool-roof replacement?
The HEAT Loan itself does not fund solar PV (MA has separate solar incentives including SMART, net metering, and federal ITC). However, it funds solar-adjacent measures: added attic insulation during a re-roof that will later host solar, electrical panel upgrades for future solar interconnection, and heat pumps paired with PV. For cool-roof replacements, the HEAT Loan can fund the insulation and air-sealing portion of a cool-roof bundled project. The actual cool-roof material premium (CRRC-listed shingle or TPO) is not HEAT-Loan-eligible on its own, but is bundled into most contractors financed scope when paired with eligible energy work. See our MA Solar-Ready Roof guide for how to structure a solar-ready re-roof.
How long does it take to go from Home Energy Assessment to HEAT Loan funding?
Typical timeline: (1) Schedule Home Energy Assessment — 1-3 weeks to first availability; (2) Complete assessment visit — 90 minutes onsite, report in 3-5 business days; (3) Select participating contractor — 1-2 weeks to get bids from contractors on Mass Save's approved list; (4) Contractor submits HEAT Loan application package to lender on your behalf — 5-7 business days; (5) Lender credit decision — 3-10 business days depending on lender; (6) Project scheduling — typically 4-10 weeks during peak spring/fall seasons. Start-to-finish is commonly 6-10 weeks. Note: income verification for the enhanced-incentive tier can add 2-3 weeks. Lenders have varying credit bureau thresholds; typical minimum is 640 FICO for most programs.
How do the federal 25C credit, MA state 25% credit, and Mass Save rebates stack?
They stack cleanly because each program covers a different slice. (1) Mass Save insulation rebate pays 75-100 percent of insulation cost directly to the homeowner after installation. (2) Federal 25C (Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit) is a federal tax credit of 30 percent of remaining insulation/air-sealing cost after the Mass Save rebate, up to $1,200 per year; if you add a heat pump to the project, the cap rises to $2,000 for the heat pump portion. (3) Massachusetts state 25 percent residential energy credit (income-tax filed, $1,000 lifetime cap) covers 25 percent of solar, heat pump, or qualified energy-efficiency improvements that aren't already federal-reimbursed. Because each layer is applied to the remaining unreimbursed cost, there's no double-funding rule violation. A typical bundled project (re-roof + R49 attic insulation + air sealing) nets $3,000-$6,500 in combined incentives on top of the 0% loan.
What documentation do I need to keep?
Keep these for at least 4 years in case of audit or credit substantiation: (1) Home Energy Assessment Report, (2) signed contractor proposal itemizing roof scope separately from energy-efficiency scope, (3) HEAT Loan approval and promissory note, (4) final invoice showing itemized line items, (5) Mass Save rebate submission and payment confirmation, (6) IRS Form 5695 (Residential Energy Credits) for your federal tax return, (7) MA Schedule EC for the state energy credit, (8) contractor warranty documentation on both roof and insulation. Your tax preparer needs the invoice detail to separate capitalized roof cost (basis adjustment) from deductible/creditable energy improvement cost.