Home Energy Score Review

We are proud to announce that we are now a partner of the U.S. Department of Energy's Home Energy Score rating system !
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Check out some of DOE's informational articles on the program listed below.

​  Please note that the Energy Star rating is for appliances and equipment, while the Home Energy Score (HES) is for the complete structure of the home.

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Why Get an Energy Rating?

   Understanding your home's construction and energy systems is the first step in determining what opportunities are available to reduce energy use and their associated costs.

   The Home Energy Score, created by the U.S. Department of Energy, is an easy to understand product to help you 1) view your home's overall energy performance, and 2) determine what is most important and cost-effective to improve performance and energy savings. 

What is the Energy Score Process?

The Home Energy Score is:

• A standardized method for a quick, yet reliable home assessment
• Assesses a home’s envelope and major energy systems (heat, A/C, & hot water)
• Allows a comparison between homes of similar size
• Quicker and less expensive than a full energy audit
• Quality assurance on five percent of homes scored​

The Home Energy Score is not:

• A replacement for a comprehensive energy audit
• Comparable to a HERS rating
• Appropriate for validating Energy Star New Home certification requirements
• For determining Air Leakage values
• For determining Duct Leakage values
• For Determining Combustion Safety (CAZ) or Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) information

Standardized assumptions include:

• Typical thermostat settings
• General operational components and functions
• Electrical plug load and base load based on house size and number of bedrooms
• Number of occupants based on the number of bedrooms
  • These do not impact the resultant score, just the energy cost and MBtu estimates

These assumptions make the Home Energy Score an “asset” score,   which means:

• The score is determined by factors relating to the home’s structural components and major conditioning systems
• The score is not influenced by how the home is used by the occupants
• The scores of all homes can be compared like the mpg ratings of cars

Sample Energy Rating Report

You can view a sample Energy Score Report by clicking this link.

What will I Learn from the Review?

The Home Energy Score Can Tell You:

1.  Cost-effective recommendations to reduce the amount of energy your home wastes on inefficiencies
2. The amount of money you could save each year on energy costs by implementing recommended improvements
3. The percentage of carbon dioxide emissions that could be eliminated by implementing recommended improvements
4. Facts about your home's energy systems and estimated energy use
5. Your home's current Score based on its energy systems
6. Your home's Score if all recommended improvements were implemented

Benefits for Home Sellers

1. ​​​Customers want to know more about home energy costs. Providing a report that has been designed both for national and regional ratings is beneficial to both the seller and buyer.
2. Financial incentives are available for home improvements on rated homes. With Fannie Mae's HomeStyle Energy mortgage, borrowers can finance up to 15% of a home's "as completed" appraised value for energy efficiency improvements by receiving a Home Energy Score. Borrowers in this program can also qualify for a stretch on their debt-to-income ratios for homes that score a 6 or higher, or for making improvements to a less efficient home. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has a similar policy that allows larger debt-to-income ratios for high scoring homes. These policies reflect the fact that more efficient homes have lower operating costs.
3. Homes sell faster with energy disclosure. Buyers appreciate having more information on the quality and efficiency of a home when comparing homes. Having a  Home Energy Score available in the sales packet helps convey this information, and makes the home more appealing even if the score is low.

Some of the Items in the Report

Features of the Home Energy Score:

1. An energy efficiency score based on the home's envelope (foundation, roof, walls, insulation, windows) and heating, cooling, and hot water systems
2. A total energy use estimate, as well as estimates by fuel type assuming standard operating conditions and occupant behavior
3. Recommendations for cost-effective improvements and associated annual cost savings estimates
4. A "Score with Improvements" reflecting the home's expected score if cost-effective improvements are implemented

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Why Home Energy Score?

There are many home energy audits available from $100 to over a thousand dollars.  What's the difference? Mostly the level of testing in the home. The more testing of the structure and systems, the more time and effort spent by the inspector. Unless you know the problems in your home, it's best to start with a simple audit to see where the weak points on the home might be. Then based on the information gathered, a more complex set of testing may need to be recommended. For the more complex tests, having the home inspected in either the hot months of summer or the cold months of winter provide much better conditions for monitoring heat energy transfer in the home's shell.

​Why is the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Home Energy Score (HES) better? It's inexpensive, it's broad based, and it's designed by scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), with input from a variety of home and building industry experts.

Whatever energy audit you choose, just make sure it is based on a national standard that requires certification by an organization, and is not connected to the inspecting company or inspector in any way.

We hope this information is helpful.  Call, text, or e-mail us to schedule a review or for more information.

Pricing (through 12/31):
        DC => $50.
        MD => $50.
        VA => $100.
        With Home Inspection => No Extra Charge!