Low or No Cost Options

Low or no cost options for a safe and comfortable electric home in Portland, Oregon

Are you ready to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient? If you income qualify, there are resources available to you at low or no cost!

Home Repair & Weatherization | Energy Audits

 

AAAH Power to the People PDX

Free home energy audits, weatherization upgrades, utility resources, and energy efficient retrofits

Power to the People PDX (P2P) is a residential energy efficiency program operating under the auspices and leadership of African American Alliance for Homeownership. By offering free home energy audits, weatherization upgrades, utility resources, and energy efficient retrofits, P2P creates a more climate resilient and equitable future for Oregonians of all backgrounds. P2P provides free inspection of panels, appliances, and home features to determine Energy Score plus a custom action plan detailing opportunities for improvement. The program provides project management every step of the way to reduce carbon emissions, reduce energy costs, and improve resilience to extreme weather caused by climate change.

Eligibility: As an income-based program, installations can be provided at a steep discount for homeowners making 80% or less of Portland’s median area income.

Area Served: City of Portland

Phone: 503.595.3517

Email: info@aaah.org

Renewable Electricity & Utility Assistance

 

Community Energy Project

Community Solar: Get clean energy and save on your electric bill!

The Oregon Community Solar Program allows Oregonians to power their homes with solar energy, even they don’t own their own home. You can, too, by subscribing to a large off-site solar project being built here in Oregon. It’s easy to enroll, there’s no upfront cost, and you’ll save up to 15% on your electric bill once the solar farm is completed.

Community Energy Project connects income-qualified customers to the program. Get started by scheduling a quick intake appointment here.

Eligibility: Must live in Oregon and be customers of Pacific Power, PGE, or Idaho Power. See income guidelines here

Area Served: Oregon

Phone: 971.544.8702

Email: admin@communityenergyproject.org

Home Repair & Weatherization | Energy Audits

 

Community Energy Project

Deep Energy Retrofitting

Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) is a grant program within the City of Portland that is creating green jobs, funding improvements to homes through renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, and supporting local minority owned businesses.

Homeowners who qualify may receive a complete home energy retrofit to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of their home. It all starts with a simple screening which may include a free home energy score to determine your potential savings and energy improvements.

Eligibility: Must income qualify. Call CEP for more information.

Area Served: City of Portland

Phone: 971.544.8710

Email: admin@communityenergyproject.org

Home Repair & Weatherization

 

Community Energy Project

Free Home Energy Score

Selling your home? Community Energy Project provides free home energy scores to home sellers at or below 80% median income in Hillsboro, Portland, and Milwaukee. This service is for home sellers with an active listing on the market. Similar to a Miles Per Gallon rating for your car, the Home Energy Score gives you an easy to read benchmark on efficiency and opportunities for improvement.

Eligibility: Income-qualified homeowners and home sellers at or below 80% median income. See income guidelines here

Area Served: Portland, Hillsboro and Milwaukie, Oregon

Phone: 503.284.6827

Email: frances@communityenergyproject.org

Home Repair & Weatherization

 

Community Energy Project

Free home repair, weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades

Low or moderate-income homeowners may qualify for a complete home energy retrofit to improve energy efficiency and comfort of their home. Free weatherization and repair may also be available for people who: own and occupy their homes in the city of Portland, earn 50%-80% of media income or less (see their site for income guidelines), and are 55 and older and/or have a disability.

Eligibility:

  • Own and occupy their homes in the City of Portland
  • Earn 50% of median income or less (situationally up to 80% MFI)
  • 2024 Income Guidelines can be found HERE
  • Are 55 or older and/or have a disability

Area Served: City of Portland

Phone: 971.544.8702

Email: admin@communityenergyproject.org

Water Heating

 

Community Energy Project

Free replacement for old electric water heaters

If you are income-qualified and have an electric water heater at least 10 years old, CEP can help you replace it for free and start saving on your monthly electric bill.

Community Energy project provides free community education, supplies, and direct home energy upgrades and repairs.

Eligibility: Contact CEP to see if you qualify

Area Served: Portland Metro Area

Phone: 1.971.544.8710

Email: admin@communityenergyproject.org

Air Heating & Cooling

 

Cooling Portland

Free air conditioning units

The PCEF Cooling Portland Program connects vulnerable low-income Portlanders with free efficient portable cooling/heating units.

Note: Applications will be closed until March 2025

Eligibility: Must live within Portland city limits and have income that is 60% or less of Area Median Income, adjusted for household size. See income guidelines here. Additionally, priority is given to applicants who are over 60 years of age, have medical conditions that increase the risk of heat-related illness, and who live alone.

Area Served: Portland

Phone: 3-1-1

Email: 311@portlandoregon.gov

Home Repair & Weatherization

 

City of Portland

Home repair and home ownership retention services

Portland Housing Bureau funds community organizations to provide services to help homeowners repair and retain their homes. Find help for small to large repair projects, accessibility modifications, home retention case management, foreclosure prevention counseling, and more.

Eligibility: Must own home within the city of Portland and have income of 80% or less of Area Median Income, adjusted for household size. Fill out their short online interest form to determine your eligibility

Area Served: City of Portland

Phone: 503.823.2375

Email: 311@portlandoregon.gov

Home Repair & Weatherization

 

Habitat for Humanity

Home repair for low-income homeowners

The Home Repair Program helps homeowners with low incomes restore and maintain their homes. They offer various home repair services depending on the location of your home.  Repairs may include plumbing, electrical, roofing, HVAC/mechanical, siding, water intrusion, ADA ramps, Fall prevention, wheelchair-friendly flooring, widening doorways for accessibility and other modifications for disabilities.

Note: This program has reached its capacity and applications are closed. Please check back in spring 2025 for updates.

Eligibility: Homeowners living on a low income in the city of Portland, or Multnomah or Washington counties. Home must be owner-occupied and be the primary residence of the owner. Homeowner must be current on mortgage payments and property taxes, and have $20k equity in home. Homeowner’s insurance must be current or attainable. Maximum household icome is 80% or less of median family income for Portland area. See guidelines here

Area Served: Multnomah and Washington Counties

Phone: 503-858-9070

Email: homerepair@habitatportlandregion.org

Home Repair & Weatherization | Energy Audits

 

LatinoBuilt

Low or No-Cost Energy Upgrades for Latino Households

LatinoBuilt is committed to serving the Latino community, especially low-income households and families in need of assistance, resources, and healthier homes. We strive to create a win-win scenario for the Spanish-speaking community by connecting households with our member Latino contractors.

Our priority is enabling access to energy efficiency and resilient measures for Latino households. To achieve this goal, LatinoBuilt Green Contractors (training graduates) can begin offering home energy upgrade projects with enhanced incentive funding from Energy Trust of Oregon, sometimes representing a no-cost installation to the homeowner. These projects and services are significant, with advantages to both sides of program participants.

Home Energy Assessments: Home Energy Assessments (HEAs) are a visual and comprehensive inspection to identify recommended low-cost, medium, or higher-cost home upgrades to increase the household’s energy efficiency and resilience to extreme weather events. LatinoBuilt offers free-of-cost assessments for eligible and referred customers through our partnership with Energy Trust of Oregon.

Eligibility: Latino and/or Spanish speaking households that income-qualify

Area Served: Portland

Phone: 503.889.0511

Transportation

 

Metropolitan Family Service

Get an incentive towards the purchase of an EV, plug-in hybrid, or electric bike

Did you know that on average, the cost to power a vehicle by electricity is half the cost per mile to power it by gasoline? And that switching to an electric vehicle can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 50%?

In partnership with the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF), the MFS Electric Ways to Work Program helps qualified Portland residents:

  • Navigate federal and state EV rebates
  • Learn about Electric Vehicles (EVs), Plug-in Electric Hybrids (PHEVs), Hybrids, and E-bikes
  • For eligible participants, MFS is currently offering an incentive towards the purchase of a vehicle: $5,000 off an electric vehicle, $4,000 off a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle,$3,000 off a hybrid vehicle, $500 off an electric bike.
  • Access loans up to $12,000 through local credit unions even if you have a challenged credit history

Eligibility: Must be a Portland resident, have a household income less than 80% of the Portland median family income, be working at least 30 hours a week and have at least 6 months at your current job

Area Served: City of Portland

Phone: (503) 232-0007 x104

Email: waystowork@mfs.email

Air Heating & Cooling

 

Multnomah County

Wood Burning Exchange

The MultCo Wood Burning Device Exchange Program is designed to encourage residents of Multnomah County to remove their older, smoky wood stoves and fireplaces and replace them with cleaner heat pumps for a healthier home and cleaner air. Participating homeowners will receive a financial incentive for replacing their wood burning device.The incentive amounts range from $3000 to full cost replacement, dependent on eligibility and household income.

Eligibility:

  • Be located in Multnomah County
  • Decommission or permanently remove a wood burning device that is indoors, is currently working, and burns wood for heating purposes
  • Be approved by the legal homeowner. For rental properties, formal approval from the property owner will be required as part of the approval process
  • There is not an income limit to participate in this program. However, priority and higher incentives will be given to low to moderate income homeowners within target areas of
  • Multnomah County. This program is also available to rental units with homeowner approval.

Area Served: Multnomah County. The Cully, Lents, Portsmouth, and Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhoods will be prioritized. These target neighborhoods were prioritized by taking a closer look at areas in Multnomah County that have households with lower incomes, more people of color, higher risk of cancer from air toxics in wood smoke, and likelihood of heating by a bulk fuel (wood, oil, or propane tank).

Phone: 503.988.6189

Email: woodburnexchange@multco.us

Home Repair & Weatherization

 

Multnomah County

Free weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades

These free services can save you money on your energy bill and improve your indoor air quality, and are available to people with limited incomes. Potential free energy saving measures such as insulation, air sealing, and ventilation are based on an energy audit.

Eligibility:

  • If you live an apartment building, please have the property owner contact us.
  • You must live on a limited income (which can be found on the State of Oregon website.)
  • You must live in Multnomah County
  • Own or rent a site built or mobile home (if you are a renter, landlord’s approval is required)

Area Served: Multnomah County

Phone: 503.988.7423

Email: weatherization.team@multco.us

Home Repair & Weatherization

 

NAYA Family Center

Critical home repair for East Portland homeowners

The Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) is partnering with the Portland Housing Bureau to work with East Portland homeowners. They’re addressing critical home repair and weatherization needs for the East Portland, City of Portland Neighborhoods, and stabilizing the community one home at a time.

Eligibility: Must own or occupy their homes in East Portland and be 55 or older and/or have a disability See map and guidelines here

Area Served: East Portland

Phone: 503.288.8177 ext. 313

Email: BrentL@nayapdx.org

Home Repair & Weatherization | Energy Audits

 

Northwest Native Chamber (NWNC)

No-cost home energy upgrades for Native homeowners

The Northwest Native Chamber (NWNC) has developed a program that provides energy efficient upgrades for Native homeowners. NWNC seeks to address climate change and its disproportionate impact on communities living on the frontlines of climate change, including communities of color and people with low incomes.

NWNC’s Clean Energy Contractor Development Program is a culturally-specific program seeking to connect Native homeowners and Native-owned businesses who can assist in preparing their homes for a changing climate.

The CECDP:

  • Enables clean-energy home upgrades and repairs for Native homeowners at no cost
  • Provides clean-energy workforce opportunities to Native contractors and construction firms
  • Supports Native economic revitalization
  • Recirculates public dollars for clean energy directly into Native economies

Eligibility: Native homeowners

Area Served: Portland Metro Area

Phone: 503.894.4525

Email: support@nwnc.org

Renewable Electricity & Utility Assistance

 

Oregon Energy Fund

Energy bill assistance

Oregon Energy Fund provides funds for energy assistance to 30+ partner agencies and nonprofits throughout Oregon. If you need help paying your gas or electric bill, use their website to find the organizations in your area that can provide energy assistance.

Eligibility: Households are eligible for energy assistance when their total gross income is 70 percent or less than the statewide median income as determined by the State of Oregon. See income guidelines here

Area Served: Oregon

Renewable Electricity & Utility Assistance

 

Pacific Power

Oregon Low-Income Discount

Eligibility:

To qualify, the Pacific Power bill must be in your name. You must meet the current income guidelines, adjusted for household size. Qualifying income refers to total gross income from all sources, both taxable and nontaxable. Household size reflects all permanent residents in the home, including adults and children.

Area Served: Oregon, Pacific Power territory

This information is also available in Spanish. Esta información también está disponible en español.

Phone: 888.221.7070

Home Repair & Weatherization

 

PCRI

Home repair low- and moderate-income homeowners, aged 55 or older

PCRI’s homeownership retention/home repair program objective is to foster homeownership stability for low- and moderate-income homeowners, aged 55 and older, living within the City of Portland. This program is designed to prevent community displacement and assist elders with aging in place. Financial assistance for repairs such as water heater repair or replacement, AC repair or replacement, electrical/mechanical repairs, plumbing repairs and more.

Eligibility: Homeowner must be 55 or older. Home must be within the City of Portland and demonstrate a need for repairs. Home must be a single-family residence and be primary dwelling. Gross household income at 80% or below Area Median Income. See guidelines here

Area Served: City of Portland

Phone: 503.288.2923

Email: hra@pcrihome.org

Renewable Electricity & Utility Assistance

 

Portland General Electric

Income-Qualified Bill Discount

The Portland General Electric Income-Qualified Bill Discount offers a 15% to 60% discount depending on household income.

Eligibility: PGE customers with gross annual income at or below 60% of State Median Income. The program does not require proof of income upon registration, though income verification may be needed after registration. The monthly discount lasts two years and will require re-enrollment at the end of the two years.

Area Served: PGE customers

This information is also available in these languages: Arabic, Burmese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), English, Farsi, Japanese, Korean, Rohingya, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili and Vietnamese.

Phone: 503.228.6322

Home Repair & Weatherization

 

Rebuilding Together Portland

No-cost safety and livability repairs for eligible, low-income homeowners

Rebuilding Together Portland provides home repair services, which may include carpentry, minor plumbing, painting, minor electrical work, debris removal, weatherization, energy efficiency work, grab bars and handrails. Nonprofit community facilities may also apply.

Eligibility: Serves low-income households below 80% Area Median Income (AMI). Applicants must own and live in their home and be financially and/or physically unable to complete repairs on their own.

Area Served: City of Portland

Phone: 503.206.7993

Email: info@rtpdx.org

Renewable Electricity & Utility Assistance

 

Verde Builds

Subscribe to PDX Community Solar and save on your electric bill

Now anyone can get the benefits of solar, even without a sunny roof of your own. Whether you rent or own your home, subscribe to PDX Community Solar and get credits on your utility bill for the energy produced, plus support clean renewable energy. Get guaranteed savings on your electric bill.

Eligibility: Live in Cully Neighborhood or NE Portland, be a customer of Pacific Power, have an income that is 80% or less of the State Median Income, adjusted for household size. See income guidelines here. Additionally, people of color and people living with disabilities will be prioritized.

Area Served: Cully Neighborhood and NE Portland

Phone: 503.290.8570

Email: info@verdenw.org

Air Heating & Cooling

 

Verde Builds

Replace your old electric heating with a heat pump

Verde and Energy Trust have teamed up to help you save on heating and cooling costs. Get up to $3,600 off when you replace your old electric heating with a ductless heat pump (DHP). If the system costs any more than that, you can finance it through a community lender on your utility bill.

Eligibility: Income-qualified candidates may be eligible for a free heat pump upgrade. Middle-income families may be able to take advantage of their low-cost offer. Fill out their interest form to determine eligibility.

Area Served: Portland

Phone: 971.272.4126 (Hablo Español) / 971.468.8431

Email: dhp@verdenw.org