Your electric bill in Stoughton comes from National Grid, and your gas bill, if you have one, from Eversource. That mismatch matters because each company sponsors a different half of Mass Save’s heat pump program. Clement Boston Heat Pumps handles heat pump installation in Stoughton, MA and sorts out which half applies to your house before we price anything.
The equipment and the work are the same either way. The rebate paperwork, the winter rate and the gas shutoff are where the two utilities part ways.
Two utilities, two halves of the rebate
Mass Save pays heat pump rebates through the company that serves the fuel you’re replacing. In Stoughton, that means National Grid for oil, propane and electric heat, and Eversource Gas for gas.
| If you heat with | Share of Stoughton homes | Mass Save sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Gas | about 58% | Eversource Gas |
| Oil | about 24% | National Grid |
| Electricity | about 13% | National Grid |
| Propane | about 2% | National Grid |
The rebate amounts are the same whichever sponsor pays. Whole-home rebates need cold-climate listed equipment, an installer in Mass Save’s network, the old system removed or disconnected, and proof of weatherization. Our rebate guide lists each tier.
Leaving oil in a Stoughton house
About one Stoughton home in four still burns oil, above the state’s 22%. Those homes pay the most per unit of heat, so they gain the most from a switch.
Furnace houses
If the oil furnace feeds ducts, the heat pump’s air handler takes its place on the same plenum. We check static pressure and return size first, because a heat pump moves more air than most oil furnaces were set up for. See oil to heat pump conversion and our heat pump vs oil guide.
Boiler houses
A one-story ranch on an oil boiler has no ducts, but it has an attic. An air handler on a platform there can reach every room with short ceiling branches. Two-story houses add a basement unit or a closet chase. Our attic air handler page and heat pump vs boiler guide explain the choices.
The tank
An accessible basement tank comes out for $600 to $1,500 after the heat pump is carrying the house. The fire department’s removal permit is part of the job; see oil tank removal.
Gas homes on Eversource Gas
For a gas furnace, the case is narrower, because gas is the cheapest fuel per BTU. Most Stoughton gas owners switch when the furnace and AC are both aging.
A heat pump replaces both on the existing ducts. A licensed gas fitter caps the line, and Eversource Gas handles the rebate side. If you’d rather keep the furnace for the coldest nights, a dual-fuel system qualifies for Mass Save’s partial-home tier with a listed integrated control.
Stoughton’s houses and where the equipment fits
Most Stoughton homes are detached houses, and about one in six predates 1940. Around one in five sits in a building of five or more units, mostly condos and apartments.
| House type | The usual layout |
|---|---|
| Ranch | One attic air handler with short ceiling branches |
| Colonial or cape | Basement unit for the first floor, attic unit for the second |
| Older house near Stoughton Center | New ducts through closets, or a small-duct system |
| Condo | One system per unit, with association approval |
In older two-story houses, a small-duct system runs through flexible tubes that fit inside walls without opening them.
Condos and multi-unit buildings
In a condo complex, each unit gets its own system, and the master deed and the board decide where outdoor units can sit. We bring the equipment spec, its sound rating and a placement sketch to that approval early. Our condo guide covers the steps.
Two- and three-unit buildings, about one Stoughton home in ten, get one system per floor, sized for that floor’s own heat loss.
Sizing for an inland winter
Stoughton is about 17 miles from the harbor, and its winter nights run colder than the city’s. A heat pump sized on a Boston rule of thumb can come up short on the coldest of them.
Measured, room by room
We run an ACCA Manual J load calculation for every room at your town’s design temperature, with your actual windows, insulation and air leakage. That number, not the size of the old boiler, sets the equipment.
Capacity where it counts
Equipment is chosen by its rated output at 5°F, which can be well under its nameplate. Backup heat strips cover the rare night below that and lock out above a set temperature, so they don’t quietly run up the bill. Our sizing guide shows how the numbers fit together.
National Grid’s winter rate, and what it covers
National Grid’s heat pump rate lowers your distribution charge from November 1 to April 30 on every household kilowatt-hour. It doesn’t touch transmission or supply.
That’s a smaller discount than Eversource gives its customers in Canton next door, where both distribution and transmission drop. It still helps, and it applies to the whole house, not just the heat pump. Our electric rate guide explains enrollment.
Permits and code in Stoughton
Stoughton’s building department files permits online through PermitEyes. The town runs the stretch code and has not adopted the specialized code.
| What | The Stoughton answer |
|---|---|
| Permit route | Stoughton Building Department, PermitEyes |
| Energy code | Stretch code since July 1, 2015 |
| Electric utility | National Grid |
| Gas utility | Eversource Gas |
| Rebate program | Mass Save |
| Financing | Mass Save HEAT Loan, 0% up to $25,000 |
The HEAT Loan has to be approved before work starts. Local noise rules are confirmed per address.
What to expect, start to finish
The first visit covers a room-by-room load calculation, the ducts or the attic, the electrical panel and the outdoor spot.
- Written estimate: equipment with its capacity at 5°F, duct work, electrical, permits, rebate sponsor and price.
- Permits filed online; the HEAT Loan approved first if you’re using it.
- Install: three to five working days on existing ducts, five to eight with new ones.
- Start-up checks: a standing nitrogen test on the brazed joints, a vacuum under 500 microns, refrigerant weighed in for the line length, measured airflow and static, and the temperature where backup heat locks out, recorded for your file.
- After the first season: a maintenance visit checks filters, drains and the outdoor coil before the next winter.
Randolph and Brockton share Stoughton’s National Grid and Eversource Gas pairing.