Connecticut recently launched a statewide residential energy labeling program that will make energy efficiency labels ubiquitous across the state. Using the Energy Department’s Home Energy Score, EnergizeCT’s Home Energy Solutions program will provide an energy efficiency score and recommend efficiency improvements to residents across the state. This change signals an important step to improve the nation’s housing stock and encourage energy-saving solutions.
Several other states are following Connecticut’s lead and making the Home Energy Score available on a statewide basis where the score is available at the point of sale. Besides Connecticut, Colorado and Vermont are close to implementing a Home Energy Score program. Elsewhere, some cities, including Berkeley, California, are exploring its use in energy disclosure policies. The goal is to help more Americans realize potential energy savings when purchasing a new home.
Similar to a vehicle’s miles-per-gallon rating, the Home Energy Score helps homeowners and homebuyers determine a home’s expected energy use. It also provides recommendations for improving energy efficiency. In Connecticut, Home Energy Score Assessors collect data during a home’s energy assessment and provide a score on a 1-to-10 scale. A score of 10 indicates that the home has excellent energy performance.
The Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund funded both United Illuminating Company and Eversource to integrate the Home Energy Score into their Home Energy Solutions program. It is regarded as the flagship residential energy efficiency program.
The in-home program begins with on-the-spot improvements, including energy efficient lighting, hot water measures, and air and duct sealing to seal critical leaks. Residents are then presented a Home Energy Score containing information about their house and recommendations for further improvements.
After launching the home energy score program, Connecticut plans to score between 12,000-14,000 homes annually. The effort helps the state track its progress in meeting a goal of weatherizing 80% of homes by 2030.
To keep up the momentum, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is convening a work group to enable residential energy efficiency information like similar to the Home Energy Score to be included in real estate listings. This type of information will be compiled in the multiple listing service, putting future homeowners in a better position to understand the true cost of living in a home.
The Department’s Home Energy Score program welcomes the opportunity to work with additional state and local governments, utilities, and others interested in offering residential energy labels. For more information about the Home Energy Score, visit www.homeenergyscore.gov or email homeenergyscore@ee.doe.gov.
