H-0005.2
HOUSE BILL 1015
State of Washington | 69th Legislature | 2025 Regular Session |
ByRepresentatives Duerr, Ramel, and Ryu
Prefiled 12/05/24.
AN ACT Relating to energy labeling of residential buildings; adding a new section to chapter
19.27A RCW; adding a new section to chapter
43.21F RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that improving the energy efficiency of, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from, existing residential buildings, including detached single-family homes, is critical to meeting the state's climate goals. The legislature further finds that making information about energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions available to homebuyers will help homebuyers make more informed decisions and that this information will cause the market to better value the efficiency and the greenhouse gas impacts of energy consumed in a home. The legislature further finds that home energy labeling programs using the home energy score model developed by the United States department of energy have proven to be effective in other states.
Therefore, the legislature intends to establish a method for energy labeling of existing residential buildings.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter
19.27A RCW to read as follows:
(1) 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.
(2) If a city or county requires a home energy performance report pursuant to this section, the home energy audit must comply with the requirements of this section.
(3) In order to minimize the financial impacts on low-income home sellers associated with a requirement to obtain a home energy performance report, neither a city nor a county may require a home energy performance report until the city or county has first conducted an analysis of such financial impacts and adopted a program to mitigate such financial impacts, including the subsidization of the cost of home energy performance reports for low-income home sellers.
(4) A home energy performance report required by a city or county pursuant to this section must include the following information:
(a) A home energy score, using the methods developed by the United States department of energy;
(b) An estimate of the total annual energy used in the residence in retail units of energy by fuel;
(c) 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;
(d) At least one comparison home energy performance score that provides context for the range of potential scores;
(e) The identification of efficiency measures that may be installed directly by consumers;
(f) 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 that provides context for the range of potential scores; and
(g) The identification of the most significant energy efficiency improvements with respect to the residence.
(5) A home energy performance report required by a city or county pursuant to this section must be prepared by a qualified home energy auditor certified by a qualification certification program approved by the United States department of energy.
(6) The format of a home energy performance report must comply with the home energy performance report format developed by the department of commerce pursuant to section 3 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter
43.21F RCW to read as follows:
By November 30, 2025, the department shall develop, maintain, and make available a standardized format for home energy performance reports prepared pursuant to section 2 of this act.
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