Jill and her husband Steve had their Holden home built 36 years ago. With a quiet spot in a wooded area, it remains the right size and location for them even though they are now empty nesters. After deciding they wanted to continue living there, Jill and Steve realized the property needed significant – and expensive – upgrades.

Jill, who works at a bank, was immediately interested when she learned about the launch of the Energy Saver Home Loan Program (ESHLP) through the Massachusetts Community Climate Bank (MCCB) and MassHousing.

"I heard about it, and I was all over it. It's a great opportunity," she said.

The ESHLP helps eligible Massachusetts homeowners cut their energy use and reduce or eliminate their reliance on fossil fuels. It provides eligible homeowners with low interest rate, second mortgage loans that support a variety of energy-related home improvements.

"The house is 36 years old, and it needs updating. This was an affordable option for us, and we got the things done we were hoping for," Jill said.

That included a new roof, updates to the heating and cooling systems, a heat pump water heater, and insulating the basement perimeter. In the spring, the couple is scheduled to have some trees removed that threaten the house.

"When this loan came to my attention, we had been wanting to make improvements for a long time, but the affordability was a problem," Jill said. "I said, 'this is the greatest opportunity we will ever have.'"

Abode Energy Management, the Energy Service Provider for the ESHLP, conducted a free energy audit of the home and provided the couple with a detailed report of solutions that would reduce their energy use by at least 20 percent.

"The best part of the process was the guidance we got from Abode on what we were trying to accomplish," Jill said.

The couple was among the first to obtain financing from the ESHLP. They initially contacted the Concierge Service Provider (CSP) for their community, Center for Eco Technology (CET), who determined their eligibility and connected them with Abode.

After Abode had conducted its energy audit, Jill and Steve got project estimates from a network of pre-approved contractors that were reviewed by Abode, who also helped the couple prepare a project budget and schedule.

Once that was accomplished, their CSP connected them with BankFive, a program lender, and helped them prepare their loan application. The process does not require program participants to put money up front, and Jill and Steve make their monthly loan payments to MassHousing.

"I've told anybody who would listen it’s a good program," said Jill. "It's showing that we are saving energy."

Another benefit of the program is that participants are eligible for cash-back incentives and tax credits. Jill and Steve expect to receive substantial rebates from their town's municipal light department and from federal tax credits.

Jill recommended that new households seeking ESHLP financing have patience with the contractor estimate and work process and suggested that more contractors will participate in the program as word spreads through the industry.

"Our contractors are now getting calls (from people interested in the program)," said Jill. "You have to do your homework. Read up on it and you'll have a better comfort level on your decisions, but it's all hands and feet in. Before we found this program, we had general contractors and insulation companies trying to sell us a bunch of stuff we didn't need."

Jill said she highly recommends that homeowners who want to upgrade their properties and make them more energy efficient look into the ESHLP.

"I hope someone else benefits because we are very happy with the whole experience," she said. "I feel like we blazed a trail."