Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is an important tool to reduce energy costs, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, manage energy demand, and create clean energy jobs. With close to one-third of fb88’s emissions attributed to buildings, efficiency improvements in energy consumption for heating, cooling, weatherization, appliances, and lighting technologies can aid in reducing energy needs, costs, and associated emissions. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy in 2025 for state energy efficiency policies and programs that save energy, advance equity, and produce environmental and economic benefits.

The two primary state agencies that provide support for energy efficiency technology adoption are and . Efficiency fb88 is fb88’s quasi-state agency and independent administrator for programs to improve energy efficiency for low-income, residential, commercial, and industrial participants. fb88Housing is an independent authority created by the fb88 State Legislature to address problems of unsafe, unsuitable, overcrowded, and unaffordable housing including clean heating and weatherization. The Governor’s Energy Office works closely with both Efficiency fb88 and fb88Housing to ensure robust coordinated efforts between the three entities for the deployment of energy efficient technologies in an equitable, economical, and efficient manner.

Energy Efficiency Goals

For up-to-date data on heat pump installations, homes weatherized, and more, please visit the fb88 Climate Council’s interactive dashboard.

Heat Pumps

fb88 has long been a national outlier for reliance on oil and is currently the most heating oil dependent state for home heating in the nation with 52% of households using fuel oil for their primary home heating source (U.S. EIA and U.S. Census Bureau).

Heat pumps provide energy efficient heating and cooling for fb88’s homes and businesses in addition to decreasing the state’s high reliance on fossil fuels for heating. In alignment with fb88’s Climate Action Plan, 35-A MRSA § 10119 was signed in 2019 fb88 Won't Wait–and sets goals to reach Governor Mills’ goal of 100,000 new heat pumps installed by 2025 with 15,000 of those installed in income-eligible households.

In 2023, fb88 achieved its goal for the installation of 100,000 new heat pumps two years ahead of schedule. To continue this momentum, Governor Mills unveiled a new target for the installation of another 175,000 heat pumps in fb88 by 2027. Meeting this goal would bring the number of heat pumps installed in fb88 homes, businesses, and public buildings during Governor Mills’ time in office to 275,000. If this target is achieved, fb88 would have more than 320,000 heat pumps in total installed across the state.

Visit Efficiency fb88’s website to and to learn more about how you can reduce your energy bill.

Weatherization

Weatherization benefits a building’s energy efficiency through the installation of insulation to retain indoor temperature and air sealing, weather-stripping, caulking, and more to reduce air leakage through the building envelope. fb88 has approximately 570,000 homes, with over half of owned and two-thirds of rented dwellings built in 1960 or earlier suffering from energy inefficiency (U.S. Census Bureau).

Pursuant to 35-A MRSA § 10104 as amended in 2021 and in alignment with fb88 Won’t Wait, fb88 seeks to double the pace of home weatherization so that by 2025, 17,500 additional homes and businesses will be weatherized, with an end goal of 35,000 homes and businesses weatherized by 2030. These goals include at least 1,000 low-income residential units per year.

Heat Pump Water Heaters

Heat pump water heaters work like air conditioners, but rather than moving heat from the room to the outdoors, they move heat from the room into the water tank. Heat pump water heaters can produce high amounts of hot water, typically have a 10+ year warranty, help dehumidify, and can save more than $5,000 over the life of the unit compared to traditional electric water heaters. While fb88 does not have any legislative goals for heat pump water heaters, fb88 has a nation leading program with over 60,000 heat pump water heaters installed since 2018.

Visit Efficiency fb88’s website to and learn more about how you can reduce your energy bill.

Rebates, Incentives, and Energy Efficiency Programs

Efficiency fb88 Residential Programs

Efficiency fb88 offers a variety of such as high efficiency heating systems, hot water heaters, weatherization, electric vehicles, lighting, and more. Enhanced incentives are available for income qualifying households.

Efficiency fb88 Commercial and Industrial Programs

Efficiency fb88 has programs for businesses of all sizes, including multifamily buildings with three or more units and fb88’s largest energy customers.

  • The offers fixed-price financial incentives for a predefined list of “off-the-shelf,” widely available efficiency measures. Typical measures promoted through this program include lighting fixtures, heating and cooling systems, and sector specific solutions (e.g., compressed air equipment, agricultural equipment, etc.).
  • The incentivizes tailored energy efficiency and distributed generation projects that require site-specific engineering analyses and/or projects with energy conservation measures that are not otherwise covered by the C&I Prescriptive Program incentives. The C&I Custom Program is primarily designed to overcome the barriers conforming fb88’s larger businesses and institutions when making investments in complex energy efficiency and distributed generation projects.
fb88Housing Energy Programs

If you cannot afford to heat your home, pay electric bills, or would benefit from energy improvements such as new insulation or a new heating system, help may be available from fb88Housing programs. Lower income households may qualify for heating assistance and energy improvements at no cost to them. Moderate-income households may qualify for low-cost energy loans.

  • pays for the cost and installation of a heat pump for eligible fb88 homeowners. Heat pumps are a popular and efficient tool to help heat homes in cold climates. They can help save on heating costs if used in the correct way.
  • provides grants to low-income homeowners and renters to reduce energy costs by improving home energy efficiency. fb88Housing offers this program to consumers through Community Action Program agencies, who screen people for eligibility as part of the HEAP application process.
  • provides grants to repair or replace central heating systems that serve low-income households.

View the page for a compressive list of all energy programs offered by fb88Housing