Home Modernization Navigator program offers free, personalized guidance to help residents lower their energy bills and improve public health through energy efficiency and clean energy incentives.

A state program to connect residents with clean energy and energy efficiency incentives is expanding to four communities in eastern Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the quasi-public state agency focused on growth in the clean energy sector in the state, announced the expansion of its Home Modernization Navigator program in December.

“We understand that many people want to improve their homes but really face a bit of a maze of programs and technical details,” said Kellie Murphy, a program manager at the MassCEC who oversees the Home Improvement Navigator. “With the navigator, [we are] trying to simplify that process and ensure more equitable access to cleaner energy.”

The program, launched in January 2025, offers free, personalized guidance to help residents — both renters and owners — lower their energy bills and improve public health through energy efficiency and clean energy incentives.

MassCEC first opened the program to residents in Lowell and Springfield. The expansion marks its move into Chelsea, Lynn, Framingham and Taunton.

MassCEC said that through its work with the Home Modernization Navigator program, it aims to address gaps in participation it has identified with clean energy programs through prioritizing engagement with low-income residents, those who primarily speak languages other than English, renters and rental property owners.

“The Home Modernization Navigator pilot program is helping break down barriers that keep too many families from making badly needed upgrades to their homes, saving them money,” said Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper in a statement.

Murphy said she hopes that the guidance can help close gaps for residents, whether it be connecting homeowners to weatherization and heating and cooling supports, or helping renters to access green initiatives like electric vehicles or e-bikes.

“There are a lot of options out there, and some things can be quite confusing,” Murphy said. “We’ve learned that having that trusted, knowledgeable person to guide them — especially someone who can explain programs and in their preferred language, which I don’t think is always offered — really makes a difference in their energy independence and control.”

Murphy said the four new communities were selected due to a high percentage of the target audiences MassCEC aims to reach with the navigator program.

Through the program, residents can connect with experts via phone, email or video call for personalized recommendations to identify their goals and access incentives and technical guidance on topics like how to save on energy bills or weatherize homes to prevent energy loss; how to access clean electricity or solar; and how to get improved appliances, yard equipment and transportation.

Residents of the now six communities the program covers can schedule a call with a member of the navigator staff who will answer questions about utility bills and clean energy or other green incentives. After that call, they will receive a personalized plan as well as contact information to follow up with program navigators through email or another call if they have additional questions.

Outreach staff is also often tabling at community events, Murphy said.

In a statement, Jennifer Le Blond, interim CEO of MassCEC, said the program is intended to simplify what might otherwise be a complicated process.

“MassCEC is committed to helping every Massachusetts resident modernize their home in ways that are good for their wallet and their health,” she said.

The expansion of the program is particularly important as residents face increasing energy prices, said Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez.

Last year, Eversource asked the Department of Public Utilities to approve a 13% rate increase, which they estimated would have raised the average gas bill by $41. The utility largely attributed the increase to maintenance and investment costs.

The request faced pushback from the Healey-Driscoll administration, which called on the DPU to launch a review to lower gas and electric costs. In December, the DPU announced it would launch an investigation into the charges on energy bills to address affordability.

Ultimately, the DPU rejected the request from Eversource, saying the utility didn’t meet certain performance metrics.

National Grid is in the process of requesting a rate hike that would raise prices for residents by about 10%.

“Chelsea families, including homeowners, face disproportionately high energy burdens,” Maltez said in a statement. “With energy costs at an all-time high in our region, it’s more important than ever for residents to have real opportunities to lower their bills and improve their homes. Personalized support for energy upgrades, electrification, and efficiency improvements can make a meaningful difference.”

For MassCEC, the expansion also represents an opportunity to get a broader understanding of how the program is working, to see how its offerings could be expanded further, Murphy said.

“Our main goal is to demonstrate the program’s value and lay the groundwork for broader integration,” she said. “What that looks like is still to be determined. We’re continuing to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in the current communities.”

Murphy said MassCEC is looking at a number of factors to evaluate how effective the program is, but the big question for the center is if the program is reaching its target audiences and that individuals are getting lower rates or signing up for other programs and services through the navigator.

“This is about public benefit, not profit,” Murphy said. “We want to deliver healthier, cleaner homes and especially lower those energy bills.”