Climative builds low carbon plans

Home Energy Ratings Paper: 15 Questions Homeowners Are Asking (And How to Answer Them)

When it comes to assigning ratings to houses, homeowners are understandably skeptical and have many questions. We’ve written previously about how home energy ratings are necessary for a market decarbonization strategy – but what happens once ratings are out in the market? Anticipating the homeowners’ concerns is crucial for launching an impactful and inclusive home energy labeling and disclosure program.   

Climative has published a paper discussing some of the most common questions and concerns homeowners have about home energy ratings, carbon scoring, and building labeling. Program managers should consider addressing these concerns in their program messaging and have the answers close at hand. This will allow homeowners to worry less about the details and more about taking action to reduce their home’s energy use and emissions.

Read an excerpt below, then download the full paper to read all 15 questions homeowners are asking.

Sources accessed for this paper include third-party consumer research, FAQ databases from public home energy labeling programs, and Climative’s experience with jurisdictions launching such programs. 

Homeowner concerns about home energy ratings  follow four themes: 

Homeowners want to understand their home energy ratings.

Homeowners want to understand how their home energy rating impacts their home.

Homeowners want to know their personal information is protected.

Homeowners want to know how to access support for energy efficiency upgrades.

Let’s discuss four questions that homeowners ask related to the first theme, “Homeowners want to understand their home energy rating”. Download the full paper to learn about all 15 questions that homeowners commonly ask about home energy ratings.

If you aren’t familiar with home energy labeling and disclosure programs, read this article first.

Homeowners Want to Understand Their Home Energy Ratings

When a number is assigned to someone’s home, especially if they’re being compared to their neighbors, homeowners want to understand how the number was calculated. Most homeowners don’t need to know every input and output of the building energy model, but they tend to ask similar questions across markets, and program managers should have the answers close at hand. Let’s discuss four common questions about energy ratings.

1) What does the home energy rating mean?

The first thing homeowners want to know when they get their home’s energy or emissions rating is what it means. It’s important to briefly and honestly explain the basics of the methodology: what does the scale represent? What is the home being compared against, if anything? What unit does the number reflect?  

For example, the US Department of Energy’s Home Energy ScoreTM uses a 1-10 scale, where 10 represents the most energy-efficient homes in the 90th percentile and above. The DoE published a very helpful fact sheet explaining the score and methodology.  

The UK’s National Home Energy Rating Scheme (NHER) uses a 0-20 scale, with 20 being the best. A home rated 20 has zero emissions, while 0 is the lowest-performing home in the region.  

In Canada, the NRCan EnerGuide rating shows the number of gigajoules (GJ) per year on a red-green scale. Far-green (or 0 GJ) is a high-performing net zero home, and far-red is the worst-performing home in the country. It also provides a reference” new home” to give homeowners an understanding of their ideal score and a breakdown of consumed energy to communicate which activities have the biggest contribution and impact on the score. 

Source: Canada.ca
Source: Canada.ca. Click to enlarge.

2) How was the home energy or emissions rating determined?

Program managers can earn the trust of homeowners by explaining the information and methodology used to determine their home energy rating. While it is not essential to dig into the intricate details of the energy modeling software, simply describe the factors that were considered and the approach used to do the calculation. 

For example, the RESNET HERS Index involves a home rater visiting a home, analyzing energy with a highly detailed physics-based building energy model, and often performing a blower door test. The Index considers many building features, including exterior wall details, basement and crawlspace details, ceiling and roof construction, window types, doors, HVAC systems, and more.  

Source: richmondamerican.com

Climative’s touchless home energy assessment is determined using an AI model trained using the results of 600,000+ on-site home energy assessments. The model uses basic building structure information in tax assessment or real estate databases, weather data, and regional energy costing data. 

Climative home energy rating

3) How accurate are home energy ratings?

If the question of “accuracy” isn’t addressed upfront, program managers might find that public discussion can zero in on the issue rather than focus on the benefits and goals of the program. There are five approaches to address this:  

  1. Be transparent about the scope and limitations of the home rating methodology.  
  2. Talk about the difference between “asset-based” and “operational-based” ratings. Home energy ratings are typically asset-based, meaning they consider only the home’s physical state and not its owners’ energy use habits. Labels should be asset-based because they allow homes to be compared fairly, unaffected by the occupants’ behavior.  
  3. Be clear about how the homeowner should use the home energy rating and recommendations. Include caveats such as: These retrofit recommendations are intended for educational purposes only. Always speak to a building professional before investing in energy efficiency upgrades.  
  4. Provide options to improve the accuracy and relevancy of the score. In the Climative platform, homeowners can fill in a questionnaire, add energy bills, and even upload the results of an on-site home energy assessment.  
  5. If necessary, divulge the rating’s accuracy and what it’s being compared to. For example, Climative’s AI-powered touchless assessment is around 80% accurate compared to an on-site home energy assessment. 
Asset-Based Home Energy Assessment Operational-Based Home Energy Assessment
Car analogy
Miles per gallon sticker on a car.
Calculating actual miles per gallon at every fill-up.
Objective
To help homeowners identify deep energy retrofit opportunities and guide them towards achieving net-zero emissions.
To help homeowners understand their energy consumption and take action through behavioral changes.
Data used for analysis
Based on standard operation conditions: building structure data, location, weather data.
Based on household operating conditions: energy bill data and/or meter data.
Energy Insights Report
Home energy rating, carbon footprint, energy breakdown, retrofit recommendations, potential savings and costs, carbon reduction opportunities, and more.
Energy Consumption breakdown by heating, cooling, hot water and major appliances and suggested actions.
Typical savings potential
20 – 50% of existing energy consumption.
1 – 3% of existing energy consumption.
Use cases
Pre-evaluation of financial incentives, pre-determine project ROI, deep energy retrofit program design and delivery.
Encouraging changes in user behavior to conserve energy.
Supported by Climative
Yes
Yes

4) What is the breakdown of energy use in my home?

Most popular home energy ratings include an energy use breakdown: an estimate of energy use in categories such as space heating, space cooling, water heating, and appliances and lighting. This additional information helps homeowners better understand the factors contributing to their rating. 

Climative energy use breakdown
Climative energy use breakdown

Learn All 15 Questions Homeowners Are Asking About Home Energy Ratings (And How to Answer Them)

Download the full paper to learn how to answer homeowners’ 15 most common questions about home energy ratings. These 15 questions fall under four themes:

  • Homeowners Want to Understand Their Home Energy Ratings
  • Homeowners Want to Understand How Their Home Energy Rating Impacts Their Home
  • Homeowners Want to Know Their Personal Information is Protected
  • Homeowners Want to Know How to Access Support for Energy Efficiency Upgrades

Download the Paper

Picture of Winston Morton

Winston Morton

Winston has 25 years experience as a leader in the telecommunications and utility industries. His in-depth knowledge of energy analysis and large-scale web-based platform deployments informs Climative's strategy in his role as CEO.

LinkedIn
As we step into a new political and economic landscape in the US, Canada, and across many G20 nations, it’s evident that climate-related policies are becoming prime targets for change.

Interested in Changing the trajectory of climate change?

Climative is building a climate-positive world through innovative, collaborative, and data-driven solutions.

This is your invitation to be part of the journey

Low Carbon Dashboard