Ian and his partner loved their Portland home: It had plenty of space for them, their two dogs, and two cats. But small openings caused air leaks, allowing outdoor air to enter the house and indoor air to escape outside. This led to hot summers and cold winters. And month after month, the couple watched their utility bills climb until they reached nearly $500.
“Our house is super drafty, which we definitely felt throughout winter and summer,” Ian said. “We would be blasting AC, blasting the heat that we had, and it just kind of didn’t do anything.”
Thanks to assistance from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund’s (PCEF) Energy Friendly Homes Program, the couple was able to address their mounting bills and enjoy a much more comfortable home.
“Being able to have access to the program made it so that we could make some changes that really improved our comfort and also the cost of our home,” Ian said.
Like many homeowners, Ian and his partner wanted to make repairs, but they didn’t have the budget to tackle them. They started looking for assistance programs that could help, and they were referred to the Energy Friendly Homes Program.
Launched in early 2026, the program is investing $140 million to support energy upgrades in several thousand homes within the Portland city limits over the next five years. The program is designed to reduce energy use and emissions while improving comfort, health, and homeowner stability for income-qualifying households.
While Ian did not need to use this option, one of the features that makes the Energy Friendly Homes Program unique is access to a Client Navigator. For low-income households, Client Navigators serve as trusted guides throughout the process, providing support tailored to each household’s needs. This can include language assistance, answering questions, and offering one-on-one help with each step of the home energy upgrade process.
For Ian and his partner, the Energy Friendly Homes Program arrived at exactly the right moment.
“There was just a lot of stuff as a homeowner that you have to constantly be thinking of, and everything is an expense,”
Ian said.
“(The program) really took away some of the stress of tackling these more immediate improvements that we knew we needed to make but couldn’t afford.”
After their application was accepted, a program-approved contractor completed an energy assessment on the home. This assessment evaluated where energy was being lost and what potential improvements would have the greatest impact.
The work included air sealing throughout the home and a new ductless heat pump system, along with a heat pump water heater, and more.
“We had a really good time with the people that came and worked on the house,” Ian said. “They were super friendly, very professional. You could tell that they cared about doing a thorough job.”
Once the upgrades were complete, the couple noticed a difference in their home almost immediately.
It was much more comfortable, and it stayed warm in the winter. Ian and his partner also expect that their home will feel much cooler in the summer thanks to the ductless heat pump system, and any improvement to their utility bills will be a relief.
“This is my first time that I get to live somewhere where I don’t feel like I have to have temperature anxiety,” Ian said.
But for Ian and his partner, the impact of the Energy Friendly Homes Program goes beyond comfort and savings.
“Seeing this funding at work is very hopeful,” Ian said. “Having access to this kind of stuff makes me feel like there’s still good in the world, and that people who need help can actually get help.”
