Ashley Muspratt
Username
Ashley Muspratt
Proposer First Name
Ashley
Proposer Email
ashley.muspratt@cetonline.org
Proposer Last Name
Muspratt
Proposer Company/Organization
Center for EcoTechnology
Proposer Phone
(781) 492-6946
Boston 2022 Areas of Focus
Proposer Job Title
Direction of Innovation
Proposed Session Description
This session explores the concept of tariffed on-bill (TOB) financing and results of a feasibility study in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Unlike traditional on-bill financing, where a utility makes a loan to a property owner—requiring adequate credit history, willingness to take on personal debt, and long-term occupancy—with TOB, utilities invest in the measures and payback is tied to a meter. The incremental repayment is guaranteed to be lower than the energy cost savings on an annual basis; therefore, occupants enjoy immediate cost savings and improved comfort without any upfront costs or long-term debt.
Presenters will discuss the potential for TOB to unlock deep energy retrofits, especially among underserved customer segments, as well as the legal and financial hurdles for a Massachusetts municipal utility to implement TOB.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
This session topic is directly related to equity, access, and economic justice.
Learning Objectives
• Explain tariffed on-bill financing and the key differences from traditional on-bill financing.
• Describe criteria for energy efficiency and electrification measures to be financed through TOB and examples of measures that typically meet the criteria.
• List key risks and mitigation strategies for utilities and occupants entering into TOB agreements.
• Apply findings from the Ipswich case study to approximate if/how TOB would work elsewhere in Massachusetts under different conditions, including municipal vs. investor-owned utility territory, average housing type and demographics.
Has this session been presented before?
No
Session Format
Presentation followed by facilitated discussion or breakout groups
Recommended Length
60-minute session
30-minute session
Strongest Content Connection - Boston 2022
Reviewer 1
Moody, Kaitlin
Proposal #
103
Committee Decision
Rejected
Presenters
Full Description
• There are over 2.6 million households in Massachusetts and the majority still need to become 2050 compliant. Relying on individuals to mobilize funds will be too slow, depending on grants for low-income households would amount to an unparalleled public investment—building decarbonization at the rate and scale required demands new and scalable financing tools.
• Split incentives between landlords and renters are a chronic roadblock to efficiency and electrification upgrades in rental properties. TOB has potential to unlock access to lower energy bills and climate friendly technologies by a long under-served population.
• Tariffed on-bill financing is an emerging and still little-known tool among utilities and energy practitioners. It has been successfully implemented in eight states in the Southeast, but not yet in the Northeast, where climate, building types, and existing energy efficiency programs present a unique set of conditions. This case study helps demonstrate the applicability of TOB in Massachusetts.