How Oregon started the Home Energy Score
The City of Portland introduced the Home Energy Score (HES) program in 2018 with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050. Portland was one of the first cities in the US to implement the program after Berkeley, California. A year later, the Oregon Department of Energy partnered with green home certification nonprofit Earth Advantage to create a standard home energy scoring system that can be voluntarily adopted across the state. Earth Advantage also manages the Green Building Registry, a database where buyers and sellers can access HES reports.
Since 2019, the cities of Bend, Hillsborough and Milwaukee have implemented their own versions of Portland's program. All four cities require sellers to include their recorded scores before listing their home for sale on the MLS. The cities of Eugene, Corvallis, Ashland and Hood River are considering whether to make this mandatory.
So, is the program working? What changes have been made since it was introduced? Here's all the latest information on the HES program for 2024.
Is Oregon's Home Energy Score program working?
Portland was the first city in Oregon to publicly release the results of its HES program, and the 2022 City Council Report from the Department of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) noted that 20,000 HES assessments have been completed.
The report includes results from a survey sent to homeowners who purchased homes in Portland in 2018 and 2019. Buyers said they wanted to prioritize homes with higher scores or use score data to determine overall energy costs before purchasing. Buyers also referenced the scores during purchase negotiations.
Demand for home energy scores is also growing nationwide. As of January 2024, the Green Building Registry has collected 3 million records across the country since its launch in 2017. Earth Advantage Executive Director David Heslam expects this number to continue to grow significantly: “As more homes are built to high-efficiency levels and many others are retrofitted, we expect data on over 1 million homes per year to be shared with partners through the GBR.”
Here's the latest information on Oregon's statewide Home Energy Score program.
Portland Home Energy Score Program – Active
Portland may approve HES requirements for rental properties
Given the positive feedback so far on the HES program from the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS), Portland is considering expanding the HES program to rental properties in 2022. As of 2024, a final decision is still pending. Currently, Oregon does not require Home Energy Scores for rental properties, so this would be a first.
Corvallis is still reevaluating previously approved HES requirements
On June 21, 2022, the Corvallis City Council, by a vote of 5-4, approved the Home Energy Score requirement to begin on April 1, 2023. However, on November 21, 2022, prior to April 2023, the ordinance was rejected to further evaluate the program. As of 2024, a special council meeting is still debating the issue.
Eugene awaits approval of mandatory HES proposal
Eugene has a voluntary residential energy program, but efforts are underway to make it mandatory. Data trends in Eugene show that greenhouse gas emissions from residential heating and cooling with natural gas and electricity account for more than one-third of the city's total greenhouse gas emissions. A mandatory program was proposed to City Council in 2021, but the outcome is yet to come.
In 2024, the City of Eugene will partner with the University of Oregon and EWEB to provide a free HES program to low-income and renter households to better understand energy consumption and home efficiency improvements. After the committee hears more about the partnership from University of Oregon students, they will consider HES policy options for City Council consideration.
Milwaukee Home Energy Score Program – Active
Milwaukee considers phasing out gas in new homes
Milwaukee instituted a mandatory energy scoring program in 2020 with the goal of reducing total emissions by 35% by 2035. The program is nearly identical to Portland's and is still in place.
One solution to keeping a home's HES score low is to weigh gas and electric use. Milwaukee homes currently offer both, but this may change. In December 2022, the Milwaukee City Council voted to draft an ordinance that would ban the use of natural gas in new homes in 2024. The concern is due to the health effects that methane can have.
The Oregon Tree Seed Association has joined Milwaukee for Energy Choices, a group of residents and 22 business groups, in opposing the ordinance. Updates will be released in the coming days.
Bend Home Energy Score Program – Active
The City of Bend began a mandatory Home Energy Score program on July 1, 2023. It is nearly identical to Portland's program, which is still in place. Homes that were enrolled before July 1 and are still in place after that date are not required to get a score. There have been no changes since the program began.
Hillsboro Home Energy Score Program – Active
Hillsboro instituted a mandatory energy scoring program on September 1, 2021. Like Milwaukee, the city's program is roughly equivalent to Portland's and is currently in place, with no new laws or regulations and steady progress.
What is Home Energy Score (HES)?
HES is a scoring system that indicates a home's energy usage. Scoring follows a ranking system from 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. A score of 5 means the home's energy usage is average compared to other homes in the city. A score of 10 means the home is in the top 10% of homes with the lowest energy usage. A score of 1% means the home's energy usage is higher than the other 85% of homes.
How to earn and improve your score
You can get your score by working with a Home Energy Score company. You can improve your score by installing solar power, using energy-efficient windows, doors, appliances, etc. Special federal rebates and financial incentives are available to help you make upgrades.
For more information on getting your score, improving your score, rebates and financial incentives, visit Orderhomeenergyscore.com.
Benefits of the Home Energy Score Program
The program highlights energy usage to lower carbon emissions and help residents save money on their energy bills, and the scores can also help lower the cost of upgrades.
According to Oregon.gov, Oregonians are considered “energy burdened” when a household's energy-related expenses exceed 6% of income. In some Oregon counties, nearly half of residents who earn at or below 200% of the federal poverty level are energy burdened. Owners can use documentation of their scores to secure federal loans for more affordable home improvements. The reports are provided free of charge to applicants who meet the income criteria.
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