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.
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 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.
PRO: When you buy a new car, there's a sticker on the window that shows you the price and the miles per gallon, which is essential information to have to make a decision. This provides transparency and understanding about not only can a person afford to purchase a home, but also can they afford to heat a home? This is a permissive program. Education for homeowners is a critical piece of the bill. The bill no longer stands up its own licensing program for auditors. The bill includes an assessment on impact and mitigation for low-income home owners. The cost for a report is only about $200. It is up to local jurisdictions to decide whether or not to require a home energy report card. If homeowner chooses to have such a report card the cost is only about $200 according to people in Oregon. Neither home appraisers nor utilities have a standardized report card. This is a way to have standardized information across the state.
CON: There is not enough transparency. We don't know who will qualify as low income. If it is such a good idea, it should be mandatory. This bill makes housing even more expensive.
OTHER: This bill has progressed a lot since last year. When local governments adopt local real estate requirements, typically they have the authority already. Cities can probably require home energy reports already. The upside of the bill is the standardization of the report. One thing that is frustrating to people is when we have different requirements in different cities. By standardizing these reports, it makes them more affordable, effective, and understandable. Don't be surprised with opposition at the local level if this is opposed when cities adopt this requirement. Ultimately it is a city's choice.