Do You Know the Energy Costs of that Home You’re Thinking of Buying?

US Department of Energy's Better Buildings | Sample Energy Score

​Homeowners in Portland Oregon soon will. The City of Portland just joined a small group of other US (Austin, Berkeley, Boulder, Santa Fe) and international cities (in the UK, Denmark and Australia) to require energy scores as part of home sales.
 
Beginning in 2018, sellers of certain single-family homes in the City of Portland must obtain a home energy score and share the report with:

1. real estate agents working on the seller’s behalf,
2. real estate listings,
3. prospective buyers who visit the home while it is on the market, and
4. the City of Portland.

 
To reduce costs and carbon emissions, the City has adopted its new ordinance in hopes of increasing the pace of energy efficiency improvements in its residential stock. The energy assessment and report is similar to a miles per gallon sticker required for car sales.
 
Among other benefits, these disclosures help homebuyers make more informed decisions about the total cost of owning a particular home.

City of Portland | Benefits of Home Energy Scores

Read the adopted City code language, Title 17.108, and FAQs from the City.
 
This move follows a similar push in the City’s commercial buildings market. In 2015, the City adopted an ordinance, Title 17.104, mandating energy benchmarking and disclosure for large commercial buildings. That rule requires owners of buildings greater than 20,000 square feet to report annual energy use. The City estimates that by mid-2017, about 80% of Portland’s commercial building stock will report energy performance data via the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. The US Environmental Protection Agency maintains the Portfolio Manager tool. It is widely used in the commercial market. Read the associated administrative rules for the commercial building ordinance here.