Home Energy Ratings

A home energy rating helps you make informed decisions about energy use in your home. These ratings can be performed on an existing home or from a set of building plans. A rating provides two results: a score and an energy report.

• The score is a number between zero and 100 that can be compared against other homes. Use it like a miles-per-gallon rating for a car.
• The report provides information about how your home uses energy. It is the place to start looking for potential energy upgrades.

The City of Fort Collins ENERGY SCORE program offers energy ratings. There are a growing number of independent energy raters, accredited under the national RESNET organization. In Colorado, many energy raters are affiliated with the statewide E-Star Colorado network.

Uses for an Energy Rating

Home energy ratings can be used in many different ways:

• Home buyers can compare the energy efficiency of homes they are considering buying or building. A high score may qualify them for mortgage incentives.
• Home owners can identify opportunities to reduce energy costs, qualify for zero-interest loans for home energy improvements under the City's ZILCH program, and advertise a good score as a sales advantage when selling their home.
• Builders can select cost-effective energy features and demonstrate energy performance to potential home buyers using an independent, unbiased analysis.
• Real estate agents can provide clients with energy efficiency information on homes they're considering.

Other Resources

Additional testing can provide more detailed information and recommendations:

• Home-performance contractors
• Infrared scanning contractors
• Blower-door testing contractors