What is the Home Energy Score?
The Home Energy Score Report estimates home energy use, associated costs, and provides energy solutions to cost-effectively improve the home’s efficiency.
Existing home upgrades or
Preconstruction planning/design
Based on an in-home assessment or construction plans, the Home Energy Score not only lets a homeowner, homebuyer, builder, or real estate investor understand how efficient the home is and how it compares to others, but also provides recommendations on how to cost-effectively improve the home’s energy efficiency.
WHAT ITEMS ARE INSPECTED DURING THE ASSESSMENT?
The inspection involves working through a checklist of roughly 40 items to examine. The "envelope" of the home is examined, which includes the foundation, crawlspace, roof, and walls. The inspector also checks the water heater, heating and cooling systems, attic spaces, and insulation. Any areas where air leakage can occur are inspected, including doors and windows, ventilation systems and areas around electrical and plumbing.
Finally, the inspector measures the size of the home, age, which direction it faces, how much daily shade it receives, and the location climate. This information provides your inspector a detailed understanding of energy use in your home.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF AN ASSESSMENT?
Allows new home buyers to have insight into the full costs of owning a home
Provides a preview of many items that would be addressed in the home inspection process
Shows a detailed report for the homes systems (heating, cooling, insulation, etc.) and their efficiency levels
When recommendations are followed:
Reduction/savings on annual energy costs
Increased comfort level
Your home is listed on the Green Building Registry: https://us.greenbuildingregistry.com/ increasing the homes market value
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What Does My Home Energy Score Mean?
https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/What%20Does%20My%20Score%20Mean%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
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Access Financing with the Home Energy Score
The Home Energy Score is an asset rating that allows homeowners, buyers, and renters to compare U.S. homes in terms of estimated energy use and costs. Based on a standard assessment of a home’s energy-related assets, the Home Energy Score Report provides information that can be included in multiple listing service (MLS) listings and potentially influence home appraisals and financing.
FHA Energy Efficient Homes Policy
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Updated policy was enacted January 2016 to include Home Energy Score
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Allows lenders to provide for a borrowers purchasing or refinancing a home
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Home must score or reach a 6 or higher with financed improvements
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See FHA’s Mortgagee Letter for additional information:
https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=15-22ml.pdf
Fannie Mae’s HomeStyle® Energy Mortgage Loan
Finance up to 15% of “as completed” home value for energy improvements with purchase or refinance; requires Home Energy Score or comparable report if financing improvements worth at least $3,500 2% stretch on debt-to-income ratios available for high scoring homes$500 incentive to lender on each loan Learn more in Fannie Mae’s fact sheet:
https://www.fanniemae.com/content/fact_sheet/homestyle-energy-real-estate.pdf
Connecticut Green Bank’s Residential Solar Incentive Program
Uses Home Energy Score as a path to fulfill the energy audit requirement Visit the Green Bank website: http://ctgreenbank.com/programs/homeowners/
Freddie Mac also recognizes Home Energy Score and plans to undertake analysis to support more systematic consideration of energy efficiency in loans Homeowner insurance companies interested in potentially using Score to set rates; provides insight into riskPACE (property assessed clean energy financing) programs considering integrating the Score
Do you have proof of certification? Yes, I am listed in the Assessor database at:
Home Energy Score Partner Map | Better Buildings Initiative
Enhance Your Score
A Home Energy Score tells you how much money you should be prepared to spend on your homes energy in the future, which makes it one of the most important advantages to have in the present!
The use of a blower door allows quantification of air flow through a structure and a way to pinpoint the location of air leaks. The resulting loss of heat/air conditioning can be immediately quantified!
