Home Energy Score

What is a Home Energy Score?

The Home Energy Score is a measurement of the energy efficiency of a home based on an onsite evaluation of the physical characteristics of the house. A Home Energy Score is not a measurement of the household’s actual energy usage, which is influenced by occupant behavior.

More than seventy pieces of home information are collected during an energy assessment. Information about a home’s envelope (foundation, insulation, walls, windows) as well as its heating, cooling and hot water systems will be entered into energy modeling software.

If your home scores a 5, it is expected to perform comparably to an average home in Portland in terms of energy use. If your home scores a 10, it ranks among the 10 percent of homes expected to use the least amount of energy. A home scoring a 1 is estimated to consume more energy each year than 85 percent of homes.

STEP 1: Get a Home Energy Score

Contact an authorized Home Energy Assessor to get a Home Energy Score and Report before listing your home for sale. A list of authorized Home Energy Assessors can be found at https://www.earthadvantage.org/resources/hes-assessors.html

The Home Energy Assessment takes about an hour and can cost around $200-$350, depending on size and complexity of the home. The seller should plan to be present during the assessment, and for payment to be due upon assessor’s arrival.

STEP 2: Show the Home Energy Score

Once the report is completed by Home Energy Assessor, your Real Estate Agent can access it from the Green Building Registry and include the Home Energy Score and Report in the listing and all marketing as required.

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City of Portland

Beginning in January 2018, sellers of single-family homes in Portland, Oregon are required to obtain and disclose a Home Energy Report estimating the energy-related use, associated costs, and cost-effective solutions to improve the home’s efficiency. To see if the home is in Portland city limits, visit PortlandMaps, enter the property address and look for “Portland” next to “Jurisdiction.”

Visit www.pdxhes.com for more information and frequently asked questions.

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City of Milwaukie

The policy only applies to home sellers that are listing or advertising a home for sale publicly in any manner starting on or after October 1, 2020, and within Milwaukie’s jurisdictional city boundary. To confirm that the house is within Milwaukie city limits, enter the address in Milwaukie Maps ‘Lookup’ Tool and look for “Yes” next to “In Milwaukie?”.  Visit https://www.milwaukieoregon.gov/sustainability/home-energy-score for full details and requirements.

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City of Hillsboro

Home sellers must obtain and disclose a HES and Report prior to listing the home for sale if the home is located within the Hillsboro city boundary. Check the address with our Hillsboro maps tool. Stacked units (including apartment buildings) are currently exempt. Visit City of Hillsboro website for a full list of exemptions and program requirements.