Energy.gov

The Home Energy Loan Program (HELP), administered by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), allows homeowners to get a five-year loan to improve the energy efficiency of their existing home. DNR subsidizes half of the financing for energy efficiency improvements at a low interest rate to participating lenders, up to a maximum DNR subsidy of $6,000. Each participating lender sets the maximum loan amount offered to homeowners, as well as the interest rate that is charged to the homeowner. A homeowner can qualify for an energy improvement loan in two ways – either through an energy audit in which an Energy Home Rater makes recommendations, or by choosing pre-approved home improvements as designated by the program.

In order to participate, a homeowner must contact a participating lender directly and must complete a credit application. The HELP home improvement loans may either be consumer loans or second mortgages; this is left to the discretion of the participating lender. The list of participating lenders and pre-approved home improvements is available on the program web site.

''A homeowner can not participant in both the Louisiana [http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=LA07F&re... Home Energy Rebate Option (HERO)] Program and the HELP program at the same time, and can only participate one time per property. See guidelines on maximum times of participation.''