Toronto Home Energy Loan Program (HELP)

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City loans up to $125,000 (or 10% of your home's assessed value) for energy retrofits, repaid on your property tax bill

Run by City of Toronto · verified against the official page 2026-10-02

A Victorian red-brick semi-detached house with a front porch in autumn

What it pays

up to $125,000Loan amount — or 10% of assessed value if less, including interest and fees
Reset quarterlyFixed interest rates
3.34%–4.75%Last posted table (valid until Sept 30, 2026): 5, 10, 15 and 20 years
2%Administrative charge
up to 30%Advance once your agreement is signed

The audit question

Audit required

An EnerGuide assessment before and after the work, by an NRCan-registered energy advisor, is required for most projects. Heat-pump-only and rooftop-solar-only projects are exempt — the installer signs an attestation instead.

Who qualifies

Owners of detached, semi-detached and row houses, duplexes, triplexes and low-rise buildings (up to 3 storeys and 6 units) in Toronto. Every owner on title must agree, your mortgage lender has to consent in writing, and you can't have repeated overdue tax or utility accounts. 20-year terms are only for projects that include solar, geothermal, windows or heat pumps.

How to apply, step by step

Apply online with the City. Expect a reply in about 5–7 business days; if you have a mortgage, the City sends a lender-consent form.
Once the City has your lender's consent, it sends a funding offer (about 5–7 business days).
Book the "before" EnerGuide assessment, get contractor quotes, and submit your funding request. Heat-pump-only and solar-only projects just need quotes.
Sign the Property Owner Agreement the City drafts (up to 15 business days). You can then ask for up to 30% of the loan in advance.
Do the work and the "after" assessment, then send the completion report, invoices and your new EnerGuide label. Final payment follows in about 10 business days, and repayment on your tax bill starts 60 days after the file closes.

The gotchas

The 10%-of-assessed-value cap often bites first: a home assessed at $900,000 can borrow at most $90,000, and that includes the interest and the 2% fee.
You pay contractors and receive most of the money after the work is verified, so plan cash flow for about 70% of the project.
The loan stays with the house. If you sell, pay it off or the buyer takes over the balance — disclose it.
Your mortgage lender has to consent in writing, so start that paperwork early.
The City's separate HELP rebates were fully subscribed and closed in January 2025; only the loans remain.

Worth knowing

HELP is financing, not a rebate, and the City says it can be combined with provincial, federal and utility rebates. A common Toronto path is HELP to pay for the work, then Home Renovation Savings rebates on top. The City sets HELP's fixed rates every quarter. The table on its page was valid until September 30, 2026 (3.34% for 5 years, 4.01% for 10, 4.46% for 15 and 4.75% for 20), and no newer table was posted when we checked on October 2, 2026, so check the City's current rate table before you apply.

Common questions

Do I need an energy audit for a Toronto HELP loan?

Yes, before and after the work, unless the project is only a heat pump or only rooftop solar.

What are the Toronto HELP interest rates?

Rates are fixed for the loan's term but the City resets them every quarter. The last posted table, valid until September 30, 2026, was 3.34% for 5 years, 4.01% for 10, 4.46% for 15 and 4.75% for 20, plus a 2% administrative charge. Check the City's current rate table before you apply.

What happens to a HELP loan if I sell my house?

It stays with the property as a charge on the tax bill. You can pay it off at any time, or the buyer takes over the remaining balance.

Is the money paid up front?

Up to 30% can be advanced once your agreement is signed; the rest is paid after the work is completed and verified.

Can condo owners apply?

Condos aren't among the eligible property types. The program covers houses, duplexes, triplexes and small low-rise buildings.

Official program page ↗ Always confirm details there before spending — programs change faster than any tracker.

Sources

Start with the required assessment

Toronto HELP runs through a registered energy advisor. We'll match you with a licensed service organization for your area.

Email us what you’re planning, your postal code and the type of building (a house, a duplex or triplex, or a larger multi-unit building) — we’ll reply with registered service organizations for your area and which rebates apply.

Email dave@clickshift.ca

This inbox is answered by a person. Participating advisors pay us a referral fee — you pay nothing, and it never affects the directory.