Home Energy Score Launched at CAR Convention
New tool helps compare homes’ energy efficiency features
The Colorado Energy Office introduced the Home Energy Score to REALTORS at the Colorado Association of REALTORS® Convention on Sept. 17 in Keystone, Colo. The Home Energy Score is a tool developed by the U.S. Department of Energy that provides REALTORS®, homeowners and homebuyers with a simple snapshot of a home’s energy rating and energy efficiency features. Similar to a vehicle’s miles-per-gallon rating, the Home Energy Score helps homebuyers understand how much energy a home is expected to use and offers recommendations for cost-saving energy efficiency improvements.
“The Home Energy Score makes it possible to consider a home’s energy usage and potential cost-savings right alongside the mix of items typically compared during a home purchase. Homebuyers are more knowledgeable than ever, and this new tool arms them with the information they need to understand the value of a home’s energy performance before they buy,” says Jeffrey Ackermann, director of the Colorado Energy Office.
The Home Energy Score, offered through the Colorado Energy Office’s Better Buildings Colorado program, makes it easier for realtors and buyers to evaluate the cost-saving benefits of efficiency features and the hidden energy costs of poor insulation or outdated equipment. It also provides REALTORS® with a new tool to help promote properties with energy efficiency features. Home Energy Score assessors collect data during a home’s energy assessment and provide a score on a 1-to-10 scale, along with recommendations for energy efficiency improvements. At the homeowner’s request, the rating can be incorporated into the multiple listing service (MLS) database to simplify home comparisons.
“Until now, a home’s energy efficiency benefits were difficult to quantify and compare,” said Tyrone Adams, CEO of the Colorado Association of REALTORS®. “A Home Energy Score provides homebuyers a chance to evaluate a home’s efficiency features before they buy so they can make the most knowledgeable decision on one of the biggest investments in their life.”
The Better Buildings Colorado program is engaging the real estate community and coordinating with multiple listing services to make energy information visible and understandable. The program also is providing REALTORS® free Home Energy Score trainings and 2 CE credits. To register for training dates, visit www.BetterBuildingsCO.com/realtor.