All of Maryland · Loan
BeSMART Home Loan Program
Run by Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
Unsecured loan of $5,000 to $30,000 at 6.99% APR for up to 10 years, for ENERGY STAR HVAC, water heaters, insulation, windows and other efficiency upgrades for Maryland homeowners.
Amounts
How much you get
Loan from $5,000 to $30,000 at 6.99% APR, term up to 10 years. Solar financing is capped at a 1:1 match with the efficiency measures. Up to 25% can go to health and safety work needed for the upgrades.
Eligibility
Do I qualify?
You need to meet all 4 of these.
Your home is in Maryland.
Maryland homeowner.
Credit score of 640 or higher and a debt-to-income ratio of 50% or less.
BeSMART can't finance upgrades already bought or completed. You need loan approval before starting.
What to doApply and get the project approved before you buy equipment or start work.
Equipment
What equipment counts
The program sets these minimums for heat pumps.
- Heat pumps
Heating, cooling and hot water equipment, appliances, windows and doors must be ENERGY STAR.
Applying
How to apply
You apply online. Get approved before you buy anything.
- Submit the online BeSMART application.
- Send income documents for financial pre-approval.
- Submit project specs.
Scope of work, contractor estimates and ENERGY STAR equipment specifications.
- Sign and notarize the loan documents.
- Initial draw starts the project.
- Sign the Certificate of Completion for the final draw.
Your contractor submits photos.
Questions about applying301-429-7402
Stacking
Use it with
For insulation and air sealing, check EmPOWER Limited Income grants first if you're under its income limits.
All of Maryland
EmPOWER Maryland Limited Income Energy Efficiency Program
Work done at no cost
Free energy audit and efficiency upgrades for limited-income customers of BGE, Delmarva Power, Potomac Edison, Pepco, SMECO or Washington Gas. Income limits are higher than the Weatherization Assistance Program's.
Checked Oct 27, 2026
Your address
Next steps
Check that it covers your address. This program has to approve you before you buy anything, so start with the program, not a contractor quote.
Is it available at your address?
Before anything else
Apply and get the project approved before you buy equipment or start work.
Your quote request is in If a contractor we work with serves your ZIP, they can contact you. We take one request per person; contact us to change it.
Get an email if this program changes
We'll write if its amount, status or deadline changes. Nothing else.
FAQ
Questions
How much does BeSMART Home Loan Program pay?
Up to $30,000 loan.
Do renters qualify?
Maryland homeowner.
Do I need approval before I buy?
Yes. Apply before you buy or install anything; purchases made first don’t qualify. BeSMART can't finance upgrades already bought or completed. You need loan approval before starting. Apply and get the project approved before you buy equipment or start work.
Can I combine it with other rebates?
Yes, with EmPOWER Maryland Limited Income Energy Efficiency Program. See Use it with.
Is it still available?
Yes. It was open when we last checked, on October 19, 2026.
Plain words
Words used on this page
- EmPOWER
- EmPOWER Maryland, the state’s energy-saving program, run through your electric and gas utility.
References
Sources
This page is built from these official pages, run by the program itself.
When one of these pages changes, we re-check this page against it.
Nearby
More in Maryland
BGE and SMECO and FirstEnergy and Delmarva Power and Pepco and Washington Gas customers, Maryland
Clean Energy Advantage (CEA) Loan
Up to $50,000 loan
Loans of $3,000 to $50,000 at 0% APR for the first 24 months for HVAC, insulation, windows and other upgrades done through your utility's EmPOWER rebate program.
Checked Oct 19, 2026
All of Maryland
Maryland Solar Access Program (MSAP)
Up to $7,500 back
Rebate of $750 per kW (up to $7,500) toward rooftop solar for Maryland homeowners with household income up to 150% of state median income.
Checked Oct 19, 2026
All of Maryland
Real Property Tax Exemption for Solar and Residential Wind Equipment
Amount varies
Solar panels, solar water heating and residential wind equipment aren't counted toward your Maryland real property tax, so adding them doesn't raise your property tax bill.
Checked Oct 27, 2026