Homeowners looking to save on energy and overall costs to heat and cool their home can install a zoned heating and cooling system and receive a rebate as part of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center  (MassCEC) plan. The purchase of a new air-source heat pump system is required by homeowners in order to qualify for the rebate program. Homeowners must select from a list of prequalified equipment by manufacturers such as Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating US, Inc.(Mitsubishi Electric).

The Clean Heating & Cooling Program rebate assists homeowners with the initial installation cost of adding an energy-efficient heating and cooling system to their home.

“I decided to participate in the program because we wanted to update our house that was built in 1820, particularly to have it cool in the summer,” said Ryan St-Aubin, a MassCEC program participant and Mitsubishi Electric customer. “The Mass CEC program allowed us to do that with a Mitsubishi Electric heat pump system without breaking our budget. It has lowered our electric bill by $60 each month. The system will also significantly decrease our oil consumption this winter allowing us to heat efficiently and have a quiet system which enables us to set different temperatures in each room for comfort.”

According to MassCEC, cooling and heating products included in the Clean Heating & Cooling Program have to be extremely energy-efficient heat pumps that draw heat from the air and the ground to heat and cool buildings. Electricity is required to operate these heat pump systems but they give off the same delivery of heat as that of traditional electric heating systems at only a third of the cost.

In addition to homeowners being able to take advantage of the rebate program, beginning in 2016, businesses will also be eligible to receive rebates on energy-efficient heating and cooling systems as the result of a five-year, $30 million plan, as announced by MassCEC. The rebate plan is a collaboration between MassCEC and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER). “People today, more than ever, want to be energy efficient,” said Tim Gochinski, owner of Pioneer Heating & Cooling in Florence, Massachusetts. Depending on the size and type of system, qualified homeowners and businesses can receive between $750 and $3,750 with the MassCEC rebate program until December 31, 2015. After January 1, 2016 consumers can qualify for rebates between $625 and $2,500.

In addition to saving on upfront costs, homeowners will also lower the cost of their heating and cooling bills. “Consumers gain all the way around,” said Joel Boucher of Boucher Energy Systems in Mendon, Massachusetts. “They have a more comfortable home [and] will see significant savings.”

The Clean Heating and Cooling Program is part of the Commonwealth’s long-term commitment to energy efficiency. The “clean energy rebates are the best programs I’ve seen run by a government. People from all walks of life have taken advantage of putting in high-efficiency systems,” said Gochinski. With the success of the program, MassCEC plans to accommodate even more homeowners, including low-to-moderate-income customers and commercial property owners, later this year. Details about how low-income consumers can benefit will be announced  by the end of the year while the business program will not be available until 2016.

To learn more about how to take advantage of the rebate program, consumers can visit the MassCEC website or find a local Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Contractor to install the new system here.