When a contractor quotes a new gas furnace for your Tewksbury colonial, ask for a second price on the same page: those ducts with a heat pump on them. Both jobs use the same supply trunk, returns and thermostat wire, so the two prices compare like for like.
That side-by-side is how Clement Boston Heat Pumps approaches heat pump installation in Tewksbury, MA. About two-thirds of homes here heat with gas, and almost all were built after 1940, so most jobs start from a furnace and ducts.
Furnace or heat pump: the comparison, line by line
A new furnace costs less to buy and burns cheap gas. A heat pump costs more, cools as well as heats, and earns Mass Save’s whole-home rebate once the furnace comes out.
| Question | New gas furnace | Ducted heat pump |
|---|---|---|
| Reuses your ducts | Yes | Yes, after static and return checks |
| Central cooling | Needs a separate AC | Built in |
| Mass Save whole-home rebate | No | $2,650 a ton up to $8,500 through December 31, 2026 |
| Running cost on gas vs electric | Lowest per BTU | Close to gas on National Grid’s winter rate |
| Gas line | Stays | Capped by a licensed gas fitter |
When the furnace wins
If your air conditioner is new and the furnace is the only thing failing, a furnace or a dual fuel heat pump can make more sense. We say so in the estimate rather than push a full switch.
When the heat pump wins
If the AC is also past fifteen years, one heat pump replaces two machines, and the rebate narrows the gap. Our heat pump vs gas furnace guide runs the numbers on real rates, and the quote checklist shows what both estimates should list.
What a Tewksbury house needs before a heat pump
Post-war construction helps here: ducts are usually in the basement and attics have room. The checks that matter are airflow, the electrical service and the second floor.
Ducts and returns
A heat pump delivers air at a gentler temperature than a gas burner, which means the fan has to push a larger volume through the same sheet metal. Static pressure readings and a return-grille count tell us whether it can; a cramped return gets enlarged, not covered up with a bigger unit. See furnace to heat pump conversion.
The electrical service
A heat pump plus backup strips needs a dedicated 240-volt circuit and room in the panel. If the load check shows a 100-amp service is full, moving it to 200 amps falls in our typical range of $3,000 to $6,500, priced separately from the heat pump; see panel upgrades.
Upstairs bedrooms
In a two-story colonial, one basement blower often struggles to push air up two floors. An attic air handler dedicated to the bedrooms, on a separate thermostat, evens the house out.
The outdoor spot
Tewksbury’s own setback or sound rules for outdoor units are confirmed per address. Statewide, MassDEP treats a source that raises sound more than 10 dB(A) above the background level at a neighbor’s home as a violation. We favor the side or rear of the house away from bedroom windows, on a stand above drifting snow; see outdoor unit placement.
Gas, oil and the running cost in Tewksbury
Gas heats about 67% of Tewksbury homes, oil about 19% and electricity about 10%. The oil and electric homes see the biggest drop in running cost; the gas homes mostly gain cooling and a newer system.
- Oil furnace homes: the ducts usually carry over, and removing an accessible basement tank falls in our typical $600 to $1,500 range, with the fire department’s permit on top. See oil to heat pump conversion.
- Baseboard condos: roughly one home in seven is in a building with five or more units, where a compact ducted air handler can replace resistance heat.
- Gas homes: the running cost lands near the furnace’s on the winter rate, so the case rests on cooling and the age of the equipment.
National Grid’s winter rate
From the start of November through the end of April, National Grid’s optional heat pump rate trims the distribution part of every kilowatt-hour the house uses; the transmission part is unchanged. Homes that take a Mass Save heat pump rebate are normally switched over without a separate request. The winter rate guide has details.
Sizing away from the coast
Tewksbury sits inland along I-495, where clear winter nights run colder than at Logan Airport. We size at the design temperature for your address and list each unit’s capacity at 5°F; see heat pump sizing.
Utility, code and paperwork in Tewksbury
The town’s building department issues the permits, and its filing route is confirmed per address before we start. A typical job needs an electrical permit, plus sheet metal and gas permits when ducts change or gas is capped.
| What | The Tewksbury figure |
|---|---|
| Who supplies power and gas | National Grid, on both meters |
| Energy code tier | Stretch, effective January 1, 2012; no specialized code |
| Share of homes newer than 1939 | About 93% |
| Detached houses | About 68% |
| Whole-home rebate from January 1, 2027 | $2,350 per ton, $7,500 maximum |
With one company sponsoring both electric and gas efficiency programs, oil, propane, electric and gas homes alike can reach Mass Save. The rebate guide lists the equipment, weatherization and removal conditions.
Visit, estimate, install: the Tewksbury sequence
The visit covers a room-by-room heat loss calculation, airflow readings at the furnace, a look inside the electrical panel and a walk around the house for a level spot clear of the roofline.
- Two prices if you want them: the heat pump, and the furnace or dual fuel alternative, both on the same ducts.
- Permits, then the install, typically two to five working days, plus a day if the service is upgraded.
- The furnace comes out, and a licensed gas fitter caps the line.
- Commissioning: nitrogen test, vacuum under 500 microns, charge weighed in, airflow measured, backup lockout recorded.
Billerica to the west shares National Grid and a gas-heated housing stock, while Wilmington to the east buys power from Reading Municipal Light.