Buildings account for 41 percent of the United States’ primary energy consumption. One generally cost-effective way to decrease buildings’ energy consumption is by improving building efficiency. However, the high up-front cost of efficiency improvements is often a barrier. To address this challenge, many states and utilities are exploring innovative financing mechanisms to make efficiency measures more financially feasible. On-bill financing is one such measure that has recently been gaining popularity.

On-bill financing (OBF) refers to a type of loan that can be used to invest in improving the energy efficiency of a building. The loan is paid back over time through additional charges on the building’s utility bill. This mechanism encourages building occupants and owners to invest in energy efficiency measures, which can decrease energy consumption and utility bills.

This brief explains the basics of OBF, describes its distribution across the United States, and provides a number of examples of programs in place.