Efficiency Maine Home Energy Loans for Insulation and Air Sealing
Pay for the part of your project the rebate does not cover, with loans from 0% APR and no lien on your home. Mattra is an Efficiency Maine Residential Registered Vendor, which is the requirement for using these loans.
The short version
- Four loans: 1-year at 0% APR, 5-year at 5.99%, 10-year at 7.99%, and an income-based 10-year at 5.99%.
- Up to $25,000 on the standard loans and $7,500 on the income-based loan.
- Unsecured. No lien on your home, no application fee, and no prepayment penalty.
- No rebate required. You can borrow whether or not your project earns an Efficiency Maine rebate.
- Not retroactive. The loan has to be approved before the work starts.
Compare the four loans
| 1-Year 0% | 5-Year | 10-Year | Income-Based 10-Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APR (fixed) | 0% | 5.99% | 7.99% | 5.99% |
| Term | 1 year | 5 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Maximum loan | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $7,500 |
| Origination fee | $500 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Application fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Prepayment fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Maximum debt-to-income | 55% | 55% | 55% | 70% |
| Minimum average FICO | 620 | 620 | 620 | 580 |
| Income verification | Not required | Not required | Not required | Required |
Rates are fixed and use simple interest on an Actual/360 basis. Payments are monthly principal and interest. A $25 fee applies to each non-sufficient funds payment, and a late payment fee of 5% of the amount due or $10, whichever is less. Rates shown are current as of October 2026 and can change.
How a loan and a rebate work together. Say a whole-home project costs $15,000 and, at the any-income level, earns a $6,300 rebate for the attic, wall, and basement plus attic air sealing. The most you could borrow is the net project cost: $15,000 minus $6,300, or $8,700. Your actual numbers depend on your project, so treat this as an illustration, not a quote.
What a Home Energy Loan can pay for
- Insulation and air sealing in the attic, walls, or basement, in space that is heated the entire heating season. It cannot be part of a new home or an addition.
- Heat pumps for heating and cooling, including electrical panel and service upgrades when they are required to finish the project. Dual-fuel systems (a heat pump paired with a fossil fuel system) are not eligible.
- Related health and safety work, such as fixing air quality, mold, radon, or moisture problems, or other costs required to complete the eligible work. This can be up to 25% of the total amount financed.
Windows are not eligible. See the Efficiency Maine rebate guide for what the rebate covers, which is a separate program with its own rules.
Who can borrow
- You own the property, or have an ownership interest in it, as an individual owner (including married couples filing jointly and single-member LLCs) or as one of several individual owners.
- Both the project property and your own principal residence are in Maine.
- The property is a single-family house, two-unit duplex, mobile home, or condominium unit.
- For the income-based loan, you or a member of your household has been verified by Efficiency Maine as low- or moderate-income, with approval within the last year.
How it works, step by step
- Get your project scoped.Mattra assesses your home, measures what is there, and writes up the work. We tell you which areas qualify for a rebate before anything is signed.
- Verify income, if you want the income-based loan.Request verification from Efficiency Maine first. Approval must be within the last year when you apply.
- Apply with the Green Bank.You create an account on Efficiency Maine's lending platform and follow the steps in your customer portal. Efficiency Maine reviews your credit and makes the decision.
- Sign the loan documents.Loan documents must be fully signed within 60 days of the credit authorization, unless Efficiency Maine agrees otherwise in writing. You and Mattra also sign the project work scope.
- The work gets done.The project must be installed within 120 days of the notice to proceed, and it has to meet the program requirements.
- Completion and payment.You and Mattra sign the project completion certification. Efficiency Maine pays Mattra directly, and you begin repaying monthly.
Questions people ask
Do I need to get an Efficiency Maine rebate to qualify for a Home Energy Loan?
No. Projects do not have to receive a rebate to be eligible for a Home Energy Loan. When a rebate does apply, the loan amount cannot exceed the net project cost, which is the total cost of the project less the anticipated rebate.
Can I finance a project that is already finished?
No. Financing is only available for upgrades that have not been done yet. It cannot be used retroactively for completed projects, so the loan has to be in place before work starts.
Does the loan put a lien on my home?
No. Home Energy Loans are unsecured and based on your creditworthiness. No lien or security interest in your property or the equipment is required. Efficiency Maine does take a security interest in any Efficiency Maine rebate or incentive payable to you, and will notify you and the contractor before it exercises that interest.
What credit score and debt-to-income ratio do I need?
The standard loans require a minimum average FICO score of 620 and a debt-to-income ratio of 55% or less. The income-based loan allows a debt-to-income ratio of up to 70% and a minimum average FICO score of 580, with a maximum of $7,500. A record of past delinquency, default, or write-off may result in denial.
Who gets paid, and when?
The financed amount is paid directly to the Efficiency Maine Residential Registered Vendor, such as Mattra, on your behalf after the project is complete and you have signed the project completion certification.
I am a low- or moderate-income household. Is there a better loan for me?
Yes. The income-based 10-year loan carries a 5.99% APR, lower than the standard 10-year loan at 7.99%, with a $7,500 maximum. You must first request income verification from Efficiency Maine and receive approval, and that approval must be within the last year before you start the loan application.
Can the loan pay for windows or doors?
No. Windows are not eligible under the insulation and air sealing definition. If a project includes windows, doors, or roofing, ask us about the National Energy Improvement Fund, which Mattra also works with.
Looking for the bigger picture? See the Efficiency Maine Green Bank overview, or compare these loans with other options on our financing and rebates page.
Talk to Mattra About Your Project
Tell us what is going on at your home. We will tell you which areas qualify for a rebate, what a loan could cover, and what makes sense to do first.