Home Plus
Zero-interest financing for Westfield homeowners to install a whole-home heat pump and the home efficiency improvements required by their energy audit.
Deze mogelijkheid is momenteel in het Engels beschikbaar.
Westfield Gas + Electric (WG+E) finances a whole-home air-source heat pump together with any insulation, windows or exterior doors required by its energy audit. If the audit finds those additional improvements unnecessary, the heat pump alone can qualify. Efficiency improvements cannot be financed on their own through Home Plus.
WG+E provides up to $27,000 per project after its incentives have been applied. This is also the maximum for a property with several dwelling units, with repayment charged to the owner's electric account. After the work is completed, WG+E issues you a check; you pay the contractors.
You repay the financed investment through a $150 charge on your monthly electricity bill, alongside your normal electricity charges. There is no interest or carrying charge. The term depends on the financed amount and cannot exceed 180 months (15 years); the first payment adjusts any amount that does not divide evenly by $150. Residential early-payment and farm discounts do not apply to this repayment charge.
You can pay the full remaining balance at any time. An extra payment that is less than the remaining balance becomes a credit on your customer account. You must fully repay the original project before applying for a similar WG+E programme.
If you sell the home, you must repay the balance unless the buyer agrees to take over the Home Plus bill charge when taking WG+E electricity service. The owners must sign that agreement and give it to WG+E before closing the sale.
The bill charge is subject to WG+E's electricity service terms, including default and collection provisions. Failure to remain current may lead to service disconnection; the terms allow disconnection for unpaid valid bills subject to the cited Massachusetts regulations. Reconnection following non-payment costs $50, with the terms also specifying a minimum $50 or labour charged at 1¾ times the labour rate with a minimum 2½-hour call-out, plus truck and equipment charges. The service terms' 1.5% monthly late charge applies only to commercial and industrial customers.
Eligibility
- You must own and live in a home in Westfield, Massachusetts, and receive WG+E residential electricity under rate E11 or E12. Participants are classified under E12 Residential Electric Heat.
- At application, the home's primary heating must be oil, propane, wood/pellets or electric baseboard heat. Homes primarily heated by natural gas do not qualify. You do not have to remove your existing heating system.
- Your WG+E and Whip City Fiber accounts must be current, with no more than one collection-related disconnection during the previous 12 months. If you have less than 12 months of WG+E history, your accounts must be current with no collection disconnections, and you must supply a good-standing letter from your previous utility.
- The property must be owner-occupied and have no more than three dwelling units. An owner-occupied condominium or townhouse with its own heating system counts as an individual dwelling. Tenants, non-owners and properties that are not owner-occupied are excluded.
- The property must have no municipal, state or federal tax liens. You must prove that any outstanding mortgage payments are current. New construction and properties with active knob-and-tube electrical wiring are excluded.
- A 200-amp electrical panel is required. WG+E must complete an energy audit before the project proceeds, and you must install every improvement it identifies as needed, alongside the whole-home heat pump.
- The heat pump must meet the programme's ENERGY STAR 6.1 specification. Ducted and ductless systems need a seasonal cooling-efficiency rating (SEER2) of at least 15.2. Their seasonal heating-efficiency rating (HSPF2) must be at least 8.1 for ducted systems or 8.5 for ductless systems. At 5°F, the coefficient of performance must be at least 1.75: this compares heat output with electricity consumed. Required insulation, windows and doors must meet the corresponding WG+E rating specifications.
How to apply
- Status
- Doorlopend open
- Voorwaarden voor deze aanvraagronde
- Apply to WG+E for qualification; acceptance and a signed agreement are required.
Start with the Home Plus application to see whether you qualify. WG+E's customer service is available at 413-572-0100 or customerservice@wgeld.org. If accepted, you sign an agreement with WG+E and have its energy audit completed before the project moves forward.
Gather three bids for each part of the project, including every improvement required by the audit. Installers must be licensed and insured in Massachusetts and provide their licence details, proof of insurance, a full scope of work and a detailed quote, with references available on request. The heat-pump contractor must provide a Manual J calculation showing the building's heating and cooling needs.
Use the linked WG+E equipment specifications when requesting bids. Contractors must obtain and pay for required City of Westfield permits, clean up the site and help you submit the WG+E Ways to Save rebate application. WG+E does not pay contractors directly; you pay them from the check it issues after project completion.