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Oregon On-Bill Loan Repayment

Get affordable financing for energy-saving upgrades through your Avista bill

Adding a gas fireplace or installing more efficient windows just got easier. Now, when you upgrade to a qualified heating system, you can apply for On-Bill Loan Repayment and receive an affordable loan. Energy Trust is working with Avista and regional nonprofit lender Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union (PSCCU) for this special offer.

Payback is simple, with payments made right on your energy bill. Plus, you’ll receive cash incentives from Energy Trust to help cover your costs. You can also add the cost of insulation improvements to your loan if you bundle it with your gas fireplace or gas tankless water heater. Heating and cooling systems and insulation upgrades are a great way to increase comfort, and save energy and money.

To make sure your projects qualify, get started by contacting an Energy Trust trade ally contractor trained to offer On-Bill Loan Repayment.

  1. Establish your eligibility.

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    You must live in Oregon, reside in a single-family home, condo or townhome, and heat your home with gas provided by Avista. Additional requirements apply; check the Details tab for more information.

  2. Contact an approved Energy Trust trade ally trained to provide On-Bill Loan Repayment services.

    Your contractor will provide a bid for eligible upgrades.

  3. Fill out and sign the Energy Trust On-Bill Loan Repayment incentive application provided by your contractor.

    Your contractor will submit this form to Energy Trust.

  4. Apply for an on-bill repayment loan.

    Apply Online

  5. Sign your loan documents and begin your project

    Upon incentive approval by Energy Trust and loan approval by Craft3 or PSCCU, the lender will generate your loan documents, which can be signed electronically. Once your loan documents are signed and returned to Craft3 or PSCCU, notify your contractor to begin work. You will receive communication from your utility when your loan repayment is active and you will begin seeing it on your energy bill.

In addition to the eligibility requirements listed in the Steps tab, to participate you must reside in and own the residence receiving the upgrades. If you live in a single-family home, or multifamily residence that is an attached side-by-side unit like a rowhome, or is a unit within a duplex, triplex, or fourplex, you are eligible for all available incentives. The loan may only be used to cover the cost of materials and installation, up to $15,000 for the following projects that qualify for Energy Trust incentives:

**Insulation projects are eligible for On-Bill Loan Repayment in single-family homes and multifamily residences when installation is combined with a qualifying gas fireplace or gas tankless water heater upgrade. 

***Gas furnace incentive only available for multifamily residences.

****There is no customer-facing incentive for gas tank water heaters, but the cost of the unit and installation may be financed with Oregon On-Bill Loan Repayment.

PSCCU offers the following home energy-efficiency loans to qualifying customers. Repayment method is the home heating bill. To learn more about loan terms and to apply for financing, visit PSCCU webpage.

Project eligibility is determined by Energy Trust. Loan terms are available for qualifying projects installed in owner-occupied single-family homes, attached side-by-side units like a rowhome or units within a duplex, triplex or fourplex property; owner-occupied manufactured homes with land ownership are also eligible. Loan availability, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Not all applicants will qualify. PSCCU (NMLS ID#619183) is an equal opportunity lender.

Contact one of our trained trade ally contractors or call Energy Trust at 1.866.368.7878 to take advantage of this financing option.

To learn more about PSCCU loans and to apply for financing, visit PSCCU webpage or call 1.800.273.1550.

Why choose On-Bill Loan Repayment?

  • Inclusive loan approval criteria. You may be eligible for a loan even with a less-than-perfect credit score.
  • Big savings, small bill. The energy savings from your upgrades may offset much of the loan cost, so you could see little to no increase in your energy bill.

When will I start making PSCCU loan payments?

You will make the first payment directly to PSCCU after the lender has made the first 50% payment to your trade ally contractor. Once the work has been completed, you can expect to begin loan payments one to two bill cycles after the remaining funds are disbursed to your trade ally contractor.

I primarily heat my home with fuel provided by Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural or Cascade Natural Gas. Why can’t I participate in On-Bill Loan Repayment?

At this time Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas are not offering On-Bill Loan Repayment. Visit our financing webpage to find additional financing options. You can also talk with your bank or credit union to see if they offer loans for energy improvement projects.

What happens to the PSCCU loan if I sell my property?

You will need to pay off the remaining balance of the loan at the time of the sale.

Why don’t renters qualify for this loan?

This offer is only available for owners who live in their single-family home or qualifying multifamily residence that is an attached side-by-side until like a rowhome, or is a unit within a duplex, triplex or fourplex, because the property owner must approve all upgrades or changes to the residence in order to receive incentives and meet the required terms of the loan.

Why are is there only one lender for On-Bill Loan Repayment?

We chose to work with PSCCU as a lender for this offer because they are a regional nonprofit lender dedicated to helping Pacific Northwest families save energy and protect the environment.

What aspects of my project costs are eligible to be part of the loan provided by PSCCU?

All costs associated with the qualified energy upgrade are eligible to be included in the loan, up to your loan maximum.

What other financing options are available to me if I don’t qualify for On-Bill Loan Repayment?

Visit our financing webpage to find additional financing options. You can also talk with your bank or credit union to see if they offer loans for energy improvement projects.

I received a loan from PSCCU and completed a project using On-Bill Loan Repayment. Whom should I contact if I have questions?

For questions regarding your on-bill loan, you should contact PSCCU by phone at 1.800.273.1550 or by email at askus@psccu.org.

What is the NMLS ID number?

NMLS stands for Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry. It is a system used by most states to aggregate licensure information for financial services such as mortgage lending. For more information, visit the NMLS webpage.

Questions?

For incentive related questions, please give us a call at 1.866.368.7878 for single-family home projects or 1.877.510.2130 for multifamily projects or email us at onbill@energytrust.org.

For questions regarding the loan process, please reach out to PSCCU at 1.800.273.1550 or send an email to askus@psccu.org.