Go Green Residential

For a professional opinion on home energy use, the best way to get started is by taking advantage of the Mass Save® program’s no-cost Home Energy Assessment. This program is funded through charges on National Grid electric and gas bills. You pay an “Energy Efficiency Charge” every month which helps to fund this program. Since you are already paying for it, we encourage all residents to take advantage of a no-cost Home Energy Assessment.

1. Take Mass Save®’s short Online Home Energy Assessment to identify if your home is a good candidate.

Mass Save® Energy Assessments are available for homeowners, renters, landlords of up to 4 units, multi-family facilities of 5+ units, and business facilities. Please note that incentives and rebates vary based on the property type.

2. Sign up for an in-home or virtual Energy assessment with an Energy Specialist here.

As part of a typical in-home Energy Assessment, an Energy Specialist will come to your home at no cost. The process takes approximately 1.5 to 2.5 hours. You also have the option to schedule a virtual assessment. During the assessment the specialist will:

• Examine your heating and insulation systems
• Use thermal imaging to identify heat leaks throughout your home
• Provide free LED light-bulbs, advanced power strips, water-saving fixtures, and programmable thermostats as needed throughout your home

Based on the results of the in-home study, the Energy Specialist will provide:

• A report with recommendations for improvements to make and how to go about it. Making these improvements could save you up to 30% on energy bills
• No-cost targeted air sealing of leaks in drafty areas of your home
• An instant incentive for 75% off approved insulation improvements. Based on your income, you may be eligible for an enhanced instant incentive for 100 percent off
• Generous rebates of up to $2,750 on qualifying energy-efficient heating, cooling, and water heating equipment
• The opportunity to apply for a 0 percent HEAT loan for eligible energy efficiency upgrades to your home. These interest-free loans can be used to finance energy-efficient home upgrades like heating and water heating equipment, central A/C and heat pumps, insulation, and more. Find local participating banks in the HEAT Loan program here.

Call 1-866-527-SAVE (7283) to schedule your assessment with an Energy Specialist from a Mass Save® Lead Vendor. Any insulation work will be performed by an Independent Installation Contractor at a later date. You may opt instead to schedule your Energy Assessment with a participating Home Performance Contractor, who can perform any insulation work at the same time as the Energy Assessment.

Mass Save® also provides incentives for homeowners incorporating energy-efficiency upgrades to the renovations and/or additions of existing homes.

For more information visit the Mass Save® website.

Click here to view frequently asked questions.

Enrolling in Medford’s Community Electricity Aggregation (CEA) program allows you to use more – or all – renewable energy at a stable and competitive price.

Prices for December 2022 – December 2024:

Medford CEA

• Extra Renewables: 15.348¢/kWh
• 100% Renewable Energy: 18.910¢/kWh.

National Grid

• Basic Service: 33.891¢/kWh

Learn more about the Medford CEA program here.

Replace your existing light bulbs in your home with Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs. LED bulbs contain no mercury, use about 75% less electricity than traditional incandescent light bulbs, and have an estimated bulb life of 25,000 hours.

Appliances that have qualified for the U.S. EPA EnergyStar label use 10-50% less energy than conventional models. Households with EnergyStar appliances save an average of $80 per year in electricity costs. Saving energy helps the environment too. If just one in ten U.S. households switched to EnergyStar appliances, it would have the same reduction in carbon dioxide as planting 1.7 million acres of new forest. Find EnergyStar rebates for your area.

Installing a solar photovoltaic (PV) system (solar panels) is a great option for those who have available ground and roof space, as well as good sun exposure. In addition to the positive environmental impact of switching to solar energy, additional benefits include long-term financial returns, lower utility bills, and increased home value. 

Visit our Solar Central page to learn more about installing solar, including affordability and next steps.

From setting up a bin in your backyard to enrolling in a curbside pickup service, composting is a great way to reduce the amount of food scraps and garden waste you send to the landfill. This not only avoids additional methane emissions released when organic waste decomposes in landfills, but can also improve soil health when repurposed for farming and gardening.

Check out our page on household composting for more information.