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RESNET Marks Milestone of Over 3 Million HERS® Rated Homes

Mar 9, 2021

 

The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) has announced that over three 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 their home is compared to other homes. Heating, cooling, and water heating consumption 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.

The HERS® Index Score plays an increasingly important role in the housing industry, used by builders, utilities, real estate professionals, and government agencies to measure the efficiency of their homes, as rated by certified RESNET Home Energy Professionals.

Says RESNET Executive Director Steve Baden, “What started in 1995 with just a few hundred homes rated per year, has now grown exponentially, backed by consumer demand. By 2012, there were more than one million homes HERS® rated, followed by another million homes by 2017, and now the milestone of over three million home HERS® rated, a little over 3 years later. The upward trajectory of home buyers choosing more energy efficient, comfortable and healthier homes is certain to continue.”

The three million homes HERS® rated equals reducing carbon dioxide emissions by over 49 million tons (the equivalent of taking nearly 9.7 million passenger vehicles off the road for one year), has improved the health and comfort of more than 13 million residents, and saved homeowners over $8 billion in energy costs. In 2020, over 299,000 homes received HERS® Index Scores, with nearly 1 in 4 new homes built receiving a HERS® Index Score.

RESNET will commemorate this milestone later this year, recognizing the RESNET certified raters, inspectors, and contractors across North America who helped to reach this milestone.

For more information, visit https://www.resnet.us/about/us/3-million-homes/