Rate the Energy Efficiency of Your Home

Imagine being able to evaluate the energy efficiency of your new home before it’s even built—or rate the energy efficiency of your current home. You can. It’s called a Home Energy Rating, and the score is known as the HERS Index.



Before reviewing results, it’s worth confirming your home is reasonably maintained, since building condition can impact diagnostic findings. A HERS rating includes reports covering how the home performs and typically provides:




  1. Annual energy consumption for heating, cooling, water heating, and lights & appliances

  2. Estimated annual energy costs, broken out by category

  3. Compliance with energy codes



This analysis can be done for new homes before they are built and for existing homes.



HERS for New Construction


For new homes, a certified rater reviews the plans and specifications and generates an energy model. This allows you to compare a proposed home design to other homes and helps support qualification for programs such as ENERGY STAR and certain rebates or incentives (where available).



HERS for Existing Homes


For existing homes, a home energy rating can help you estimate savings from energy-efficiency improvements and can support qualification for an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM). One of the most useful parts is identifying where the biggest losses occur (for example, duct leakage, insulation gaps, or excessive infiltration).




Example home energy rating breakdown showing primary energy loss contributors.


What Is the HERS Index?


Each rated home receives a score called the HERS Index. A score of 100 indicates the home meets the energy code reference home. Lower scores indicate better energy performance.




HERS Index scale showing relative performance benchmarks.


More Details: Who Oversees HERS?


RESNET (a nonprofit organization) oversees the HERS industry. A detailed set of standards governs how certified home energy ratings are performed.



The HERS Rating Process


The home energy rating process generally includes four parts:




  1. Assessment of building components

  2. Diagnostic / performance testing

  3. Energy modeling

  4. Reports



A professional who performs the rating is called a certified home energy rater. Raters go through training and certification and undergo regular quality assurance.



Want to learn more about HERS ratings and how Two Structures Homes builds energy-efficient, verified homes? Visit our Energy-Efficient Homes page.