SENATE BILL REPORT
E3SHB 1433
As of February 19, 2024
Title: An act relating to energy labeling of residential buildings.
Brief Description: Concerning energy labeling of residential buildings.
Sponsors: House Committee on Environment & Energy (originally sponsored by Representatives Duerr, Ramel, Fitzgibbon, Berry, Reed and Doglio).
Brief History: Passed House: 2/9/24, 55-42.
Committee Activity: Environment, Energy & Technology: 3/22/23, 3/24/23; 2/20/24.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Authorizes cities and counties to require that the owner of a single-family residence obtain and make available a home energy performance report before the residence may be publicly advertised for sale.
  • Requires home energy performance reports, where required by a city or county, to contain specified information and be prepared by a qualified home energy auditor certified by a qualified certification program approved by the United States Department of Energy.
  • Requires the Department of Commerce to develop, maintain, and make available a standardized format for home energy performance reports.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY
Staff: Kimberly Cushing (786-7421)
Background:

United States Department of Energy Home Energy Score. The Home Energy Score was developed by the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) to provide home owners, buyers, and renters directly comparable and credible information about a home's energy use. The Home Energy Score report estimates home energy use, associated costs, and provides energy solutions to cost-effectively improve the home's efficiency.

 

United States Department of Energy?Home Energy Auditor Qualified Certification Programs. Homeowners who obtain a home energy audit may be eligible for certain tax credits at the federal level, including the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit. In order to qualify for the tax credit, the home energy audit must have been prepared by a home energy auditor who has been certified by one of the qualified certification programs approved by the U.S. DOE. Multiple certification programs are currently approved by the U.S. DOE.
Summary of Bill:

Home Energy Performance Report. Cities and counties may require that the owner of a single-family residence obtain and make available a home energy performance report before the residence may be publicly advertised for sale. If a city or county requires a home energy performance report, the home energy audit must comply with the requirements established in the bill.

 

Neither a city nor a county may require a home energy performance report until the city or county has first conducted an analysis of the financial impacts on low-income home sellers associated with a requirement to obtain a home energy performance report, and adopted a program to mitigate such financial impacts, including the subsidization of the cost of these reports for low-income home sellers.

 

A home energy performance report required by a city or county must include certain information, including:

  • a home energy score, using the methods developed by the U.S. DOE, with at least one comparison home energy performance score that provides context for the range of potential scores;
  • an estimate of the total monthly or annual cost of energy purchased for use in the residence in dollars, by fuel type, based on the current average annual retail residential energy price of the utility serving the covered building at the time of the report;
  • the amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the energy consumption of the residence, in tons per year by fuel type, with at least one comparison measure; and
  • the identification of the efficiency measures that may be installed directly by consumers and most significant energy efficiency improvements to the residence.

 

A home energy performance report required by a city or county must be prepared by a qualified home energy auditor certified by a certification program approved by the U.S. DOE.

 

Home Energy Performance Report Format. The home energy performance report must comply with the format developed by the Department of Commerce (Commerce). Commerce is required to develop, maintain, and make available a standardized home energy performance report format by November 30, 2024.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.  New fiscal note requested on February 11, 2024.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.