Sustainable Middleboro provides guide to energy rebates

Aug 13, 2023

MIDDLEBORO — Have you been thinking about a heat pump system that will efficiently heat and cool your home using low-cost electricity? Or putting in some insulation and air sealing to save on heating and make your home more comfortable this winter? Or maybe an electric vehicle, or solar panels, or new appliances? 

Sustainable Middleboro, a local nonprofit that works on energy efficiency, has a new online guide that shows every financial incentive for energy-saving measures that Middleboro and Lakeville residents may qualify for. The guide can be downloaded at sustainablemiddleborough.org. 

“When we first started looking for energy rebates and tax credits, it was so tough to figure out how they can be combined,” said Alan Melchior of Sustainable Middleboro. “There wasn’t any place that brought together all the federal, state, and local incentives. Our new guide does that in an easy-to-read grid.” 

Middleboro and most Lakeville residents are not eligible for widely advertised MassSave rebates or 0% HEAT loans. As one of four towns in the state with a municipal utility that provides both gas and electricity, Middleboro has its own local rebate system through Middleboro Gas & Electric at mged.com.

Last year the federal government announced large new federal energy tax credits and rebates, under the Inflation Reduction Act. The 2023 tax credit, a dollar-for-dollar reduction on your taxes, increased from $300 to $2,000, with no lifetime cap, and took effect at the beginning of the year. The new federal rebates, which can help pay for up to $14,000 in energy improvements, haven’t been implemented yet but are expected by the end of the year.

“These new federal credits and rebates will be a game changer for towns like ours,” says Kimberly French of Sustainable Middleboro. “If your income qualifies _ and it can be higher than you’d think _ you could get a rebate of up to 100% of the cost. We’ll be watching this closely and alerting our members. Our advice is to get your energy audit and contractor estimates now and be ready when those rebates go into effect.” 

Sustainable Middleboro has launched a three-year campaign to weatherize as many houses in town as possible and produced the guide with help from an EmPower grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. 

To learn more about energy incentives or receive alerts about Sustainable Middleboro’s work, go to sustainablemiddleborough.org or contact sustainablemiddleborough@gmail.com.

A local heat pump contractor explains the highly efficient technology that both heats and cools your home with low-cost electricity. A new resource compiled by Sustainable Middleboro guides local residents through all the federal, state, and local tax credits they may qualify for. Photo source: Sustainablemiddleborough.org.

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