Andy and his wife bought their Ipswich home in 2025, a well-maintained property that was built in 1950. The couple knew they would eventually need to upgrade the home and its systems.

"We knew it was in decent shape, and the prior owners had taken good care of it, but there were some systems that were out of date," said Andy. "Our home inspector provided us with a report and a list of things to pay attention to over the next five years."

The couple took advantage of a no-cost, home efficiency audit provided by ReSource Ipswich, the first in-state utility decarbonization and water conservation program, which is offered through the Town of Ipswich Utilities Department.

"We started to understand all the clean energy investments that could be made in the house," said Andy.

It was during their interaction with ReSource Ipswich and through their own research that the couple learned about the Energy Saver Home Loan Program (ESHLP) through MassHousing and the Massachusetts Community Climate Bank (MCCB).

The ESHLP helps eligible Massachusetts homeowners cut their energy use by at least 20 percent and reduce or eliminate their reliance on fossil fuels. It provides low-interest rate, 20-year second-mortgage loans that support a variety of energy-related home improvements. Another benefit of the program is that participants receive guidance on available incentives and tax credits to lower the cost of their home energy projects.

"As we did the research, we stumbled on this loan program and this is what actually allowed us to make these improvements," said Andy. "We would not have been able to do all this without the loan program."

Using a 20-year ESHLP loan with 2 percent interest they obtained through Nectar Community Investments, the couple installed heat pumps for heating, cooling, and water heating. They added new home air sealing and insulation, new exterior doors, new gutters and a replacement bulkhead, as well as chimney repair and electrical system upgrades, including the replacement of all the 75-year-old home's wiring that no longer met current building codes. The couple was also happy they could install a home charger for their electric vehicle.

"My wife are I are very concerned about the environmental considerations, and we also took that into account (in making these improvements)," said Andy. "Homes are a huge source of carbon emissions."

Their improvements qualified them for rebates from the town of Ipswich for heat pumps and a heat pump water heater, weatherization, and the EV car charger installation. They additionally received federal rebates for heat pumps and their heat pump water heater, weatherization, electric panel upgrade, and exterior doors.

The couple had determined they were eligible for the ESHLP through Center for Eco Technology (CET), the Concierge Service Provider (CSP) covering their community. Energy Saver Home Loans are made in partnership with CSPs, who will guide you through all aspects of the home energy improvement process.

"Their home was beautiful, but the heating system was outdated, and the building needed a lot of work to bring it up to modern standards. The ESHLP helps mitigate the capital costs of a retrofit project, in Andy's case, cutting his home energy consumption while improving occupant comfort and lowering monthly energy costs. I was glad to assist Andy, starting with his initial Home Energy Assessment through the ReSource Ipswich Program and to refer him to the Energy Saver Home Loan Program to help make this project possible," said Sam Freeman, Energy Consultant at CET.

After consulting with CET, Andy was referred to Abode Energy Management, the Energy Service Provider for the ESHLP. Michael Simons, a Decarbonization Consultant from Abode, conducted a no-cost assessment of the couple's home and provided them with a detailed report of solutions that would reduce the home's energy usage by an estimated 61.3 percent and lower its CO2 emissions by six tons a year.

"It was a pleasure getting out to Andy's home, especially when I did. While the house had been well cared for, its systems were designed for a different century with inefficient oil heat and undersized electrical service," said Abode's Simons. "The ESHLP allowed the family to address all of it together in one comprehensive retrofit. And the timing couldn't be better with heating oil prices swinging wildly. Moving off fossil fuels just makes sense.

"But even independent of cost, heat pumps deliver more than twice the heat energy per unit consumed compared to burning oil, meaning Andy's family will use less than half the total energy to stay comfortable. In a community like Ipswich, where electric rates run below the state average, the math becomes even more compelling," Simons added.

Because the couple had recently purchased their home and still had much of the documentation from their first mortgage loan, obtaining their ESHLP loan through Nectar went smoothly.

"Jennifer Sanchez was tremendous and really great," said Andy. "It was reminiscent of the first mortgage process, and we had all that fresh in our minds with all the things we needed to do."

"It was a pleasure assisting Andy and his wife in navigating their loan process. It is truly inspiring to work with homeowners so committed to reducing their environmental impact and investing in a sustainable future. Their proactive approach to these upgrades not only benefits their household's efficiency but sets a fantastic example for the community. We're glad to help turn their vision for a more sustainable, low-carbon home into reality," said Nectar's Sanchez.

With the improvements they made using the ESHLP, the couple have significantly upgraded their home and made it much more energy efficient with a large reduction in its carbon footprint.

"We upgraded and heated our sunroom and put on an exterior door so that we can use it year-round," said Andy. "We replaced all the wiring in the home that was not currently up to code. Now we should be safe and sound for decades.

"It feels good to reduce the carbon footprint," he added. "We are big about nature and love the birds around our house. We figured anything good for the birds is good for us," he laughed.

Andy said other homeowners around the state interested in making similar improvements to their homes should look into the ESHLP.

"I totally recommend it," he said. "It's a fantastic opportunity," noting they would not have been able to afford the scope of their work without the low-interest ESHLP loan. "I want more people to know about and have access to it," Andy concluded.

The Massachusetts Community Climate Bank at MassHousing, with resources like the ESHLP, is working to accelerate investments to decarbonize the building sector in Massachusetts. As the Commonwealth transitions to a net zero future, MCCB promotes an equitable transition to clean energy by addressing the needs of low- and moderate-income households and environmental justice communities.

"We're proud to work with MLPs like ReSource Ipswich to help customers achieve their home energy goals. Together, we are empowering residents with the knowledge and resources they need to make home energy improvements achievable and affordable," said Maggie Super Church, MCCB Director of Policies and Programs.