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Panel and Service Upgrades in Massachusetts
Heat pumps, EV chargers, induction ranges and additions all add load, and a lot of older houses still run on small services or full panels. Call (000) 000-0000 or use the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
- Costs homeowners nothing
- Electrician license looked up first
- National Grid steps explained
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Panels and services
Panel swap, or a bigger service?
The panel is the box of breakers (or fuses) inside the house. The service is everything that brings power to it from National Grid: the drop or underground line, the meter and the main. Sometimes a full or outdated panel can be replaced on its own; sometimes the whole service has to grow. A licensed electrician works out which one your house needs, and National Grid asks homeowners to start there (National Grid service upgrades).
National Grid sorts upgrades into three kinds:
- Simple: no National Grid charge; you pay only your electrician.
- Complex: may carry additional National Grid costs.
- Full rebuild or major renovation: a temporary service fee applies if you need temporary power.
The upgrade request can go in online, by email to workrequest@nationalgrid.com, or by phone at 1-800-375-7405, and National Grid assigns a representative and then a job owner as the contact.
Who does what
How a service upgrade runs in Massachusetts
National Grid's customer guide for Massachusetts puts most of the steps on the electrician (National Grid upgrade guide):
- Application. The electrician submits the upgrade application to National Grid.
- Permit. The electrician files the state's uniform permit form with your town's inspector of wires; it has entries for service size, overhead or underground, and meters (permit application).
- Disconnect. The electrician schedules it, and National Grid's crew cuts power before the work starts.
- Inspection. The town inspects the new service. National Grid won't reconnect until it has the approved inspection.
- Reconnect and meter. National Grid makes the final connection and sets any new meter.
The guide's timelines are estimates. Where National Grid needs a service agreement and payment, they have to arrive within 90 days or the charge is recalculated.
Heat pump rebates. Mass Save's heat pump pages list rebates for the heat pump equipment. The pages we reviewed don't list one for panel, service or wiring upgrades, and the equipment rebates change on January 1, 2027 (Mass Save air source heat pumps).
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by January 2027. New England Electric Pros is a referral service. We don't do electrical work, and we don't file permits or utility applications.
FAQ
Panel and service upgrade questions
Who contacts National Grid about a service upgrade?
Your electrician does. National Grid's Massachusetts guide says the electrician submits the upgrade application, schedules the disconnect and reconnect, and builds the new service to National Grid's standard.
Will National Grid charge me for the upgrade?
National Grid says a simple upgrade has no National Grid charge, so you pay only your electrician. Complex upgrades may carry extra National Grid costs, and a full rebuild that needs temporary power has a temporary service fee.
Why can't the power go back on as soon as the electrician finishes?
National Grid won't reconnect a service until it has an approved inspection from your town. The electrician arranges that inspection with the inspector of wires.
Does Mass Save pay for a panel upgrade?
The Mass Save heat pump rebate pages we checked list rebates for the heat pump itself, not for panel, service or wiring upgrades. Check with Mass Save before you count on one.
What does it cost me to use New England Electric Pros?
Nothing. We don't charge homeowners for the request or the referral; the electrician prices the job.
Town guides
Local rules for panel and service upgrades by town
Each town page names its inspector of wires, how permits are filed there and what its housing stock means for the wiring. Towns with a local guide so far: Greater Lowell, MA (Lowell, Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Tewksbury and Westford). We add towns across New England as we can cover them properly.
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