Financial help for a greener home
Home retrofit loan: New Durham Region Loans
Get up to a $125,000 loan for home upgrades!
Durham Greener Homes Loan
Durham residents may be eligible for a loan if they reduce their Energy Use (Gigajoules/year) by at least 50 per cent between pre- and post-retrofit EnerGuide Home Energy evaluations.
Local improvement charge loan
Attached to the property, not the owner — transfers upon sale of property.
A Local Improvement Charge (LIC) loan is a municipal financing tool that allows property owners to pay for local infrastructure upgrades (e.g., sidewalks, sewers) or energy retrofits through a special charge on their property tax bill. It is attached to the property, not the owner, and transfers upon sale of the property.
Loan details
Featuring a low-interest rate of only 2%.
Durham residents can apply for a local improvement charge loan of up to $125,000 to increase the energy efficiency and comfort of the home at a low-interest rate of 2%. The upgrades must achieve at least 50% or greater in energy use reductions. The loan can be split between 80% energy efficiency and 20% for weather resiliency measures (flooding, heat, wind). Loan repayment period is fixed at 15 years. Homeowners will be eligible for an initial disbursement of up to 50% of the eligible funds.
Loan payment examples
| Loan Amount | Monthly Payment | Total Payment (over 15 years) |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $64.35 | $11,583.16 |
| $50,000 | $321.75 | $57,915.78 |
| $100,000 | $643.51 | $115,831.57 |
| $125,000 | $804.39 | $144,789.46 |
Terms and conditions
The maximum loan amount must not exceed $125 000
The project must meet a minimum 50% energy reduction savings
Only projects approved in the application after enrollment in the DGH LIC program will be considered for any loan amount.
Pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluations are only eligible if completed on or after April 28, 2022.
Post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluations are only eligible if completed after enrollment in the DGH LIC program.
Loans are only disbursed upon completion of the project and post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation and a project completion report.
Mandatory participation in case studies (various media formats).
Mandatory data sharing — at least 24 months of energy and utility data pre-and post-renovation for Measure and Verification purposes.
How to qualify
Book a free consultation with a Durham Greener Homes Coach.
Your coach will inform you of available loans, rebates, and help you decide which applicable funding programs make sense for your renovation plans.
Fill out the Eligibility Verification Form provided by your Greener Homes Coach.
Upload the Eligibility Verification form to your user portal.
Your Greener Homes Coach will review your application, and if approved will send you a funding request form so you can proceed with a loan request.
If you have not already done so, have a pre-retrofit EnerGuide Home Energy Evaluation performed on your home (pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluations are only eligible if completed on or after April 28, 2022)
Upload the application form alongside your EnerGuide Energy Evaluation documents and contractor quotes of planned upgrades to your user portal.
If everything is approved, your Greener Homes Coach will pass along a Property Owner Agreement to be signed
Access up to 50% of the eligible funds.
Complete your approved retrofits (be sure to retain all documents, receipts, and invoices)
Complete a post-retrofit EnerGuide Home Energy Evaluation
Submit a Project Completion Report (which will include your post-retrofit EnerGuide Home Energy Evaluation along with all documents and invoices of the completed retrofits) to your user portal.
If all conditions are met, you will receive the remaining funding amount.
You can choose to pay off the lump sum of the balance at any point otherwise repayments for the loan will be made through property taxes.
Talk to a Greener Homes Coach
by phone or virtual meeting
Durham Region residents can get free expert and personalized advice from a trained Greener Homes Coach