April 1st (no joke) Enbridge raised its natural gas rate by 40%. Ouch. Feel like you might want some help? How about some HELP? What’s the difference?

The City of Toronto has started a pilot program called the Home Energy Loan Program or HELP (clever, right?). In a nutshell, they front you the costs for tackling those energy-saving improvements you’ve been meaning to do. The eligible improvements run from the unglamorous such as weatherstripping and insulating your attic to the super sexy like new windows and drain water heat recovery systems. I know, you’re excited.

You do the improvements and the loan gets paid back in instalments as a special charge tied to your property tax bills and you have 15 years to pay it back. Neat, right?

It hasn’t rolled out across the city yet, but if you are in these neighbourhoods, you get first dibs:

• Black Creek: M3N
• Toronto Centre/Riverdale/Beaches: M4E, M4L, M4M, M4J, M1N, M4C, M4K, M5A
• Junction/High Park: M6P, M6S
• South Scarborough: M1M, M1E, M1C, M1L, M1K, M4B

There are, as always, eligibility requirements to qualify, and you get all the details straight from the source here: City of Toronto Home Energy Loan Program

If you apply let us know – we’d love to hear about some real life experience with the program! Maybe next winter you won’t even notice the 40% increase in gas rates…