Five Million Homes Built for Better Living: Industry Achievement Highlights Growing Demand for More Affordable, Higher-Performing Homes Sacramento, Calif. — June 2, 2026 — The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET®) today announced a landmark achievement for the housing industry: more than 5 million homes have now been rated using the HERS® Index, the nation’s leading standard for measuring and verifying home energy performance. The milestone comes as HERS Ratings continue to gain market share across the country. In 2025, more than one in three newly constructed homes in the United States received a HERS Rating, with adoption continuing to increase in 2026. This achievement reflects the growing importance of verified home performance in helping builders deliver homes with lower utility bills, greater comfort, and stronger long-term value as an investment for homeowners. The milestone was officially reached on May 29, 2026, when a home in Chardon, Ohio, verified by RESNET HERS Rater Chamarra Ingram, was entered into the RESNET National Registry. “Five million HERS Rated homes represent far more than a number—it represents millions of families living in homes designed and independently verified to perform better,” said Shelby Gatlin, Executive Director of RESNET. “At a time when housing affordability and rising utility costs matter more than ever, the HERS Index helps provide confidence that a home’s energy performance has been measured and verified by a qualified third party.” A Milestone Built by the Industry Reaching 5 million HERS Rated homes reflects the collective efforts of home builders, HERS Raters, Rating Companies, utilities, manufacturers, lenders, code officials, and housing industry partners who have helped make verified home performance an established part of the residential construction market. The home that crossed the 5 million threshold was built by NVR, Inc., one of the nation’s leading homebuilders serving families across multiple states, and rated through PEG, LLC, a nationally recognized energy-efficiency and building performance firm. Their work represents the thousands of professionals and organizations that have contributed to making home energy performance a valued component of the homebuying process. HERS Ratings Have Become Mainstream The HERS Index has evolved from an emerging energy-efficiency tool into one of the most widely used measures of home energy performance in the United States. In 2025, 34 percent of all new homes nationwide were HERS Rated, with adoption continuing to increase in 2026. The milestone demonstrates the growing importance of independently verified home performance throughout the housing industry. Today, HERS Ratings play an important role in how new homes are designed, built, marketed, financed, and purchased. Consumers increasingly rely on HERS Ratings as a trusted, data-driven measure of a home’s expected energy performance and operating costs. The growth of the HERS Index has produced measurable results. Since the program’s inception, HERS Rated homes have helped homeowners save an estimated $16 billion in energy costs while avoiding more than 81 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, water-efficiency measures incorporated into HERS Rated homes have reduced water use by at least 30 percent in more than 22,000 homes. These outcomes highlight how verified home performance benefits both individual families and communities nationwide. Delivering Value Beyond the Mortgage For homeowners, a HERS Rating provides more than an energy score. It offers an independent assessment of a home’s projected energy performance and helps families better understand expected energy use and long-term operating costs. As energy costs continue to impact household budgets, consumers are placing greater value on homes designed to deliver: Lower utility bills Improved comfort Better indoor air quality Increased durability Long-term affordability The growing adoption of HERS Ratings reflects increasing consumer demand for homes that deliver measurable performance rather than simply promises. Looking Ahead The 5 million home milestone comes at a time when affordability, energy costs, resilience, and home performance are becoming increasingly important across the housing market. “Five million homes demonstrates that home energy performance has become an established part of the American housing market,” Gatlin said. “More importantly, it shows that homeowners, builders, and industry leaders recognize the value of independently verified home performance. This milestone belongs to every builder, HERS Rater, Rating Company, and partner who helped make it possible.” About RESNET RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network) is a nonprofit membership organization and the developer of the HERS Index, the nationally recognized standard for measuring and verifying a home’s energy performance. RESNET accredits Rating Providers and certifies professionals who independently assess home energy performance across the United States. Today, the HERS Index is the nation’s leading system for measuring and verifying residential energy performance and is used by builders, lenders, utilities, energy-efficiency programs, and consumers nationwide. For more information, visit https://www.resnet.us/5-million-homes/
