A Saco family was one of the first in the state to take advantage of the Property Assessed Clean Energy loan program recently.

Robert and Amy Dudley will be able to heat their home more efficiently this winter after workers from Evergreen Home Performance put cellulose insulation into the walls of their 126-year-old home on Main Street.

Robert Dudley said last winter they shut off about one-third of the house to save on heating, and kept the heat low to save on oil. Despite those efforts, they still used 1,800 gallons of oil through the winter.

Thanks to Saco’s local PACE ordinance, the Dudleys were able to install insulation and will save on heating costs in the future. Robert Dudley said if they did not get help with the PACE program, the insulation project would not have been done all at once and it would have taken a long time to complete.

Under the PACE program, people like the Dudleys can borrow up to $15,000 over 15 years with a 4.99 percent interest rate for energy upgrades, according to Efficiency Maine. PACE loans are available to those who live in municipalities in Maine that have passed PACE ordinances.

Currently, in York County, Alfred, Berwick, Biddeford, Dayton, Kennebunk, North Berwick, Old Orchard Beach, Saco, South Berwick and Waterboro have ordinances in place, making their residents eligible for loans. Sanford has its ordinance in the works.

This program is a great opportunity for York County ”“ and all Maine residents ”“ to make improvements to their homes that will help them save on energy costs while also reducing their use of fossil fuels.

The problem is only about a third of the county’s municipalities have an ordinance on the books. For residents to apply for loans, their town must have an approved PACE ordinance in place.

We hope all York County towns will get these ordinances passed as soon as possible so residents like the Dudleys can benefit from the program.

In addition to the savings and reduced use of non-renewable resources, when homeowners install insulation, new windows and doors, or new, energy-efficient appliances, their property value increases.

Thanks to the fixed interest rate, payments can be surprisingly low as well.

A $15,000 with a 15-year payback equates to $119 per month, while a $6,500 loan with a 10-year payback would have a monthly payment of just $69.

The reason these loans are so impressive is due to the fixed interest rate. While many banks may offer home improvement loans with similar rates ”“ or lower ”“ is because those loans have variable rates, which are subject to change at any time. So while a homeowner may sign up for a loan with an interest rate of 4 percent with a bank, they could end up paying a lot more in interest without notice.

The remaining towns without PACE ordinances would serve their residents well to get them passed, and residents who want to improve their property value, save on energy costs and conserve oil and gas should apply as soon as possible.