Saskatoon City Administration is proposing a loan program for homeowners to make their properties more energy efficient. The “Home Energy Loan Program,” or HELP, will be presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Environment, Utilities, and Corporate Services at its regular meeting on Monday.
If approved, HELP will provide loans for energy efficiency retrofits or renewable energy installations for single-family homeowners.
Jeanna South, Director of Sustainability says the loans would be paid back through the homeowners’ property taxes. She says, “The loans are attached to the property and not the person, so the loan can be passed from one homeowner to the next if the property is sold.”
Examples include window and door replacements, solar panel installations, heating and cooling system upgrades, or added insulation.
South says the program, “…will assist homeowners in paying for home upgrades that will reduce energy bills, make those upgrades financially accessible, help to make homes more comfortable, and it will stimulate Saskatoon’s economy, especially in the construction and renewables sectors.”
If approved, the goal would be to launch HELP later this year.

Based on research, public engagement and lessons learned from other municipalities, the report recommends key factors such as:
• Eligibility requirements will include homeowners’ demonstrated good standing on property tax payment
• Participants will pay an administration fee, proposed at approximately $500 per participant, that can be spread out over time in the loan
• Interest rates on loans will match the City’s interest rate on debt for the same term (between 2-4% depending on prime rate)