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RESNET Marks Milestone of Over 2 Million HERS® Rated Homes

Sep 25, 2017

The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) has announced that over 2 million homes in the United States have now been rated with a HERS® Index Score, measuring a home’s energy efficiency.

Like the miles-per-gallon calculation for cars, a HERS® Index Score allows for a uniform estimate of a home’s energy consumption and provides buyers/owners with a reference point for how energy efficient it is as compared to other homes. Heating, cooling, and water heating constitute the largest cost of homeownership outside of the mortgage loan, and the HERS® Index Score can help homeowners outline the energy features of the home and the expected cost of utility bills.

“We spent almost a decade developing the infrastructure and working with building industry to establish the HERS® Index,” said Steve Baden, RESNET Executive Director. “What started with just a few hundred homes rated per year, has now grown to over 2 million HERS® rated homes nationwide. We congratulate our network of HERS® raters, providers, builders and RESNET partners across the country, on their hard work to reach this milestone.”

In 2016, over 206,000 homes received HERS® Index Scores, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by over 905,000 tons (the equivalent of taking more than 129,000 cars off the road each year) and achieving an annual energy bill savings for consumers of $268 million. Nearly 1 in 4 new homes built in 2016 received a HERS® Index Score.

RESNET is also using this milestone to educate consumers by partnering with EnergySmart Builder KB Home on a series of media events on the value of the HERS® Index. In 2012, when recognizing the millionth home to receive a HERS® Index Score, RESNET partnered with EnergySmart Builder Meritage Home on outreach to consumer media.

Recently, RESNET announced partnerships with others throughout the home building and financing industries, including the Appraisal Institute, and the International Code Council, among others, to educate and expand the reach of the HERS® Index and boost high energy performance homes in the marketplace.

With over 3,000 RESNET certified auditors, raters, and contractors across North America, the HERS® Index Score plays an increasingly important role in the housing industry, with more utility companies now offering builders rebates, based on the efficiency of their homes, as rated by certified RESNET Home Energy Professionals.

In addition, the RESNET national home energy rating standards are recognized by the federal government, including the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Internal Revenue Service.