Toronto Home Energy Loan Program
Qualify for a $125,000 low interest loan for home energy improvements.
The Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) is a financing program offered by the City of Toronto to help homeowners improve energy efficiency and ultimately save money on their bills.
Through the Toronto Home Energy Loan Program, the City will provide the funding required to complete the improvements, and the homeowner will repay the City over time through installments on their property tax bill.
Upgrades to your home that are eligible for the loan are:
- High-efficiency furnaces / boilers / air conditioners
- Air-source heat pumps
- Window / door replacements
- Basement/attic/exterior wall insulation
- Air sealing (e.g. weather stripping or caulking)
- Geothermal systems
- High-efficiency water heaters
- Tankless water heaters
- Drain-water heat recovery systems
- Toilet replacements
- Solar hot water systems
- Rooftop solar PV panels
- Electric vehicle charging stations
- Battery storage
Once funding is approved, homeowners can hire the contractor of their choice and complete their renovations.
** Projects that include any of the following measures, solar, windows, geothermal and/or heat pumps are eligible for a 20-year term.
Benefits of the Toronto Home Energy Loan Program
- Enjoy low-interest rates and repayments terms of up to 20 years.
- Avoid the large upfront costs of home energy improvements and pay for them over time as you save on your energy bills.
- Repay the loan via installments on your property tax bill. You can pay off the loan at any time without penalty.
- Receive ongoing support from the HELP team and assistance accessing additional rebates incentives from Province of Ontario and utility companies.
- The loan will be attached to your property, not to you, the property owner. This means that if you sell your home before the loan is repaid, the new owner will assume the balance of the loan.
You may be eligible for a low-interest energy loan program if:
- You own a detached, semi-detached, or row house in the City of Toronto (the property’s postal code must start with an “M”);
- All of the property owners on title consent to participate in the program;
-
No late property tax and utility payments to the City in the past five years
-
You obtain written consent from your mortgage lender, if applicable**If your property is subject to a mortgage, we will send you a customized Lender Consent Form
Application Process Steps to qualify for HELP
STEP 4: Property Owner Agreement
STEP 1
Complete an Application Form
Fill out the below application form and submit it to the City of Toronto. Once received the City will review your application and notify you the maximum amount of funding your property is eligible to receive.
You may print and mail the application, or complete it online and email it to homeenergyloan@toronto.ca
Please note that if your home is subject to a mortgage, the city of Toronto will provide a letter and form for you to give to your mortgage lender. Your mortgage lender’s consent is required before the City can send you a funding offer.
STEP 2
Home energy audit and Funding Request
Once you have received your approval for funding you are ready to get started.
Book a home energy audit with The Home Inspectors Group.
Our Certified Energy Advisor registered by Natural Resources Canada will complete a full energy audit on your home. This includes a basement-to-attic evaluation of your home’s insulation, heating, and cooling systems, and detect any air leaks or drafts.
When the home energy audit is complete, you will receive:
- A Renovation Upgrade Report with recommendations for specific improvements. Renovation Upgrade Report sample
- An EnerGuide rating based on your home’s current energy performance. View Sample
- Information on available incentives and rebates
STEP 3
Submit your funding request
Determine which improvements you wish to make and get quotes from the contractor(s) of your choice, based on your goals, budget, and recommendations of the Registered Energy Advisor
Your funding request will include:
- A list of the upgrades you intend to undertake;
- Details and cost estimates based on contractor quote(s); and
- The estimated incentive and rebate amounts available to you from the utility companies.
Download and fill out the below form with your upgrades
HELP Funding Request Form
Review other ongoing incentive program that may be available to you
STEP 4
Property Owner Agreement
Once the City has approved your Funding Request, they will send you a Property Owner Agreement (POA), which is the funding agreement between the property owner(s) and the City. You must sign the POA and return to the City. Once the POA is approved by the City, The City can provide, if requested, up to 30 per cent of the funds to help you get your project underway.
STEP 5
Complete your upgrades and submit your project completion report
Homeowners assume full responsibility for the work performed, which includes selecting, hiring, and paying contractors, and obtaining all required municipal and/or provincial permits, if applicable.
When your project is complete, book your post-retrofit home energy audit with our Registered Energy Advisor. They will verify the improvements and provide a new EnerGuide rating label for your home.
Submit a Project Completion Report signed by your Registered Energy Advisor, along with your contractor’s invoices and your new EnerGuide rating label. The City will then provide you with the remaining funds for your project.
STEP 6
Repay the loan over time via your property tax bill
Once your project is complete, the City of Toronto will notify you when your loan payments will begin. You will be enrolled in the City’s Pre-authorized Tax Payment plan and repay the City via eleven monthly installments per year over the term of your loan. Loan payments made via the property tax bill are treated in the same manner, and subject to the same penalties, remedies, and lien priorities, as property taxes.
You may pay the outstanding balance to clear the loan from your property at any time during the loan term. Early repayment will be subjected to a Revenue Services service fee.
HELP offers low-interest rates and flexible terms to fit your budget
Interest rates are fixed and will not fluctuate over the term. The following rates and terms are valid until March 30, 2023:
| Terms | Fixed Interest Rate |
| 5 years | 3.5% |
| 10 years | 3.85% |
| 15 years | 4.21% |
| 20 years** | 4.32% |
An administrative charge of two per cent (2 per cent), which reflects the City’s cost of administering the program will be added.
The value of the loan, which will include the funding amount, interest, and an administrative charge, cannot exceed 10 per cent of the current value assessment (CVA) for your property, or $125,000, whichever is less.
Homeowners will repay the loan via their property tax bill and can pay off the loan at any time without penalty.
* Pending final funding agreement with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
** Projects that include any of the following measures, solar, windows, geothermal and/or heat pumps are eligible for a 20-year term.
Full details about the Toronto Home Energy Loan Program can be found here on the City of Toronto’s website.
Let The Home Inspectors Group help you get started
STEP 1
Complete an Application Form
Fill out the below application form and submit it to the City of Toronto. Once received the City will review your application and notify you the maximum amount of funding your property is eligible to receive.
You may print and mail the application, or complete it online and email it to homeenergyloan@toronto.ca
Please note that if your home is subject to a mortgage, the city of Toronto will provide a letter and form for you to give to your mortgage lender. Your mortgage lender’s consent is required before the City can send you a funding offer.
STEP 2
Home energy audit and Funding Request
Once you have received your approval for funding you are ready to get started.
Book a home energy audit with The Home Inspectors Group.
Our Certified Energy Advisor registered by Natural Resources Canada will complete a full energy audit on your home. This includes a basement-to-attic evaluation of your home’s insulation, heating, and cooling systems, and detect any air leaks or drafts.
When the home energy audit is complete, you will receive:
- A Renovation Upgrade Report with recommendations for specific improvements. Renovation Upgrade Report sample
- An EnerGuide rating based on your home’s current energy performance. View Sample
- Information on available incentives and rebates
STEP 3
Submit your funding request
Determine which improvements you wish to make and get quotes from the contractor(s) of your choice, based on your goals, budget, and recommendations of the Registered Energy Advisor
Your funding request will include:
- A list of the upgrades you intend to undertake;
- Details and cost estimates based on contractor quote(s); and
- The estimated incentive and rebate amounts available to you from the utility companies.
Download and fill out the below form with your upgrades
HELP Funding Request Form
Review other ongoing incentive program that may be available to you
STEP 4
Property Owner Agreement
Once the City has approved your Funding Request, they will send you a Property Owner Agreement (POA), which is the funding agreement between the property owner(s) and the City. You must sign the POA and return to the City. Once the POA is approved by the City, The City can provide, if requested, up to 30 per cent of the funds to help you get your project underway.
STEP 5
Complete your upgrades and submit your project completion report
Homeowners assume full responsibility for the work performed, which includes selecting, hiring, and paying contractors, and obtaining all required municipal and/or provincial permits, if applicable.
When your project is complete, book your post-retrofit home energy audit with our Registered Energy Advisor. They will verify the improvements and provide a new EnerGuide rating label for your home.
Submit a Project Completion Report signed by your Registered Energy Advisor, along with your contractor’s invoices and your new EnerGuide rating label. The City will then provide you with the remaining funds for your project.
STEP 6
Repay the loan over time via your property tax bill
Once your project is complete, the City of Toronto will notify you when your loan payments will begin. You will be enrolled in the City’s Pre-authorized Tax Payment plan and repay the City via eleven monthly installments per year over the term of your loan. Loan payments made via the property tax bill are treated in the same manner, and subject to the same penalties, remedies, and lien priorities, as property taxes.
You may pay the outstanding balance to clear the loan from your property at any time during the loan term. Early repayment will be subjected to a Revenue Services service fee.
HELP offers low-interest rates and flexible terms to fit your budget
Interest rates are fixed and will not fluctuate over the term. The following rates and terms are valid until March 30, 2023:
| Terms | Fixed Interest Rate |
| 5 years | 3.50% |
| 10 years | 3.85% |
| 15 years | 4.21% |
| 20 years** | 4.32% |
An administrative charge of two per cent (2 per cent), which reflects the City’s cost of administering the program will be added.
The value of the loan, which will include the funding amount, interest, and an administrative charge, cannot exceed 10 per cent of the current value assessment (CVA) for your property, or $125,000, whichever is less.
Homeowners will repay the loan via their property tax bill and can pay off the loan at any time without penalty.
* Pending final funding agreement with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
** Projects that include any of the following measures, solar, windows, geothermal and/or heat pumps are eligible for a 20-year term.
Full details about the Toronto Home Energy Loan Program can be found here on the City of Toronto’s website.
