A home energy score is a win-win for home sellers, buyers, and the city of Bend

I would like to add my voice along with the Bulletin editorial board’s (June 28 and 29) and others in clarifying and encouraging further community awareness, discussion, research and understanding of the benefits of a mandatory Home Energy Score as our City Council considers its implementation.

Like the miles-per-gallon rating for a car, the home energy score:

• Allows for an apples-to-apples housing market comparison on energy efficiencies of comparable homes for homeowners and buyers.
• Provides greater transparency for a homeowner or buyer in understanding how efficient the home is and how it compares to others.
• Incentivizes options (through a set of recommendations for the seller or buyer) on how to cost-effectively improve the home’s energy efficiency.

The HES uses a score ranging from 1 to 10 where a 10 represents the most energy efficient homes (with a five being average). The scoring criteria are based upon a calculation of a variety of measurements of a home’s structure and mechanical systems which include areas such as: insulation level, foundation, windows, heating system, cooling system, the hot water system, among other features.

These criteria reflect the actual efficiency and cost of energy in the home. Sharing a year’s worth of utility bills with potential buyers only reveals how the previous occupants used their home relative to energy and has nothing to do with measuring the home’s energy efficiency.

The Oregon cities of Milwaukie, Hillsboro and Portland all have mandatory home energy score programs in place. And according to the Oregon Department of Energy, in addition to Bend’s move toward the HES, the cities of Corvallis, Eugene, Gresham, and Hood River are in various stages of adopting home energy score policies.

The United Stated Department of Energy developed the HES system. In Oregon, the Oregon Department of Energy partners with Earth Advantage, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (based in Portland with staff in Bend) to work with cities like Bend and other Oregon cities to help implement the policy and develop sufficient numbers of certified assessors.

They will also review the work of those assessors to ensure that scores are consistent and accurate. These partners also provide trainings for Realtors and appraisers in the marketplace to broaden the understanding of the fundamentals of home energy scoring and increase awareness.

There is a charge to the home seller of on average $150-$200 (e.g., — in the Portland Metro area) for the home energy score. Each city with a mandatory HES policy has also created a “low income” fund to help those homeowners with assessor fees that qualify. According to Earth Advantage, less than 1% of all sellers access this fund, signaling that the minimal cost of the HES has not been a concern for sellers.

Earth Advantage has also seen that once the HES policy is adopted by a city council, the implementation timeline will allow for enough time to train a group of assessors prior to the launch date to meet Bend’s needs. The HES programs in Milwaukie, Hillsboro, and Portland each launched with more than enough authorized HES assessors to meet market demand.

Earth Advantage noted there were no delays in listing homes in any of the current cities with a mandatory scoring program.

In Bend, once an HES policy is adopted, ODOE and Earth Advantage, will work with the city of Bend to meet the local market’s need for training and authorizing assessors. For example, local home inspectors or appraisers could include the HES as an additional service.

Simply put, the home energy score system adds transparency and credibility to the information needed when purchasing a home.

Critically, the HES also supports Bend’s Climate Action Plan in moving Bend towards a cleaner and healthier community. It is a win-win deal.

For further information:

U.S. Department of Energy: tinyurl.com/DOEFAQ

Oregon Department of Energy: tinyurl.com/DOEHES

Earth Advantage: tinyurl.com/EarthHES

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