{"id":18913,"date":"2020-10-01T06:02:31","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T13:02:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=18913"},"modified":"2020-09-30T16:02:59","modified_gmt":"2020-09-30T23:02:59","slug":"buyer-hers-index","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-hers-index\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s What You Should Know About the HERS Index as a Homebuyer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Doesn\u2019t it feel like everything you buy has some kind of energy efficiency rating? Appliances have the ENERGY STAR\u00ae<\/a> symbol, which provides environmentally conscious consumers and businesses with unbiased information when purchasing products. You can check and compare the fuel economy<\/a> ratings when buying a car. You can even tailor your diet so you\u2019re eating food that doesn\u2019t demand a lot of energy to produce<\/a>!<\/p>\n

But what about buying a house? Is there a way for buyers to see how energy-efficient an entire house is?<\/p>\n

Yes, there is! It\u2019s called the home energy rating system <\/i>Index, or HERS Index<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Never heard of it before? You\u2019re probably not the only one, but don\u2019t worry. We\u2019ll tell you what you need to know!<\/p>\n

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<\/a> Source: (Syda Productions \/ Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is<\/i> the HERS Index?<\/h2>\n

The HERS Index is used to measure how energy-efficient a home is. It\u2019s a rating system that was created by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) in April 1995. RESNET created the HERS Index to set a national standard for home energy rating systems as well as energy-efficient mortgages.<\/p>\n

Valerie Briggs<\/a>, the communications director at RESNET, explains the importance of having your home\u2019s energy efficiency rated. When you\u2019re planning on buying a house, your monthly budget is going to be more than just a mortgage payment<\/a>. Energy costs play a big role in how affordable a home will be and it\u2019s a big consideration people often forget about.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where HERS Indexing is key. A home with a low HERS Index score means it\u2019s going to be more energy efficient than a home with a higher HERS Index score. A lower score means the home is going to be more environmentally friendly, it\u2019s going to have lower energy costs, and the home will be more comfortable to live in.<\/p>\n

The cost to have your home rated is going to depend on the square footage of the home as well as the climate zone and any specific additional tests you need or want. The cost can range<\/a> from $150 to $250<\/b>, and any additional certifications will cost between $50 and $100<\/b> each.<\/p>\n

Find a HERS rating company near you.<\/a><\/p>\n

What is the rating scale, and what does it mean?<\/h2>\n

To calculate a home\u2019s HERS Index rating, there are two elements that a certified RESNET HERS rater looks at: the home\u2019s energy efficiency<\/b>, which means how much (or how little) energy the home needs to operate normally, and how much clean energy the home creates<\/b> through solar panels<\/a>, passive solar energy, or wind energy.<\/p>\n

To figure out a home\u2019s HERS Index Score, a RESNET HERS Rater will come to the house and evaluate its energy efficiency when compared to a designed-model home (a \u201creference home\u201d) with the same dimensions. This means your score will be relative to the shape, size, and style of the home you\u2019re living in.<\/p>\n

The HERS Index rating will fall between 0 and 150. Unlike other rating systems, the higher the HERS Index rating is, the less<\/i> energy-efficient the home will be; the lower the HERS Index rating is, the more<\/i> energy efficient the home will be.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say the HERS Index rater gives your home a score of 70. This means your home is 30% more<\/b> energy-efficient than the reference home. If a house has a HERS Index score of 130, it\u2019s going to be 30% less<\/b> efficient than the reference home.<\/p>\n

\u201cA home with a HERS Index Score of 70 is 30% more energy efficient than the RESNET Reference Home. A home with a HERS Index Score of 130 is 30% less energy efficient than the RESNET Reference Home.\u201d<\/p>\n

A typical existing home in the United States should have a HERS score of about 130, but newly built homes<\/a> will have a rating of 100, meaning the house is as efficient as RESNET\u2019s reference home because no energy has been used yet. The national average in 2019 was 59, which is pretty awesome!<\/p>\n

How does someone become a HERS Index rater?<\/h2>\n

Certified RESNET HERS raters are trained by an accredited Home Energy Rating Provider<\/a>. During the rigorous training, they learn how to inspect and evaluate the energy features of the home, assign a home energy rating to a home, and make recommendations for the homeowner regarding what improvements can be made to improve the home\u2019s energy efficiency.<\/p>\n

You can find home inspectors<\/a> and home appraisers<\/a> who are certified RESNET HERS raters.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose wanting to become certified RESNET HERS Raters<\/a> must undergo rigorous training, testing, assessment, professional development, and adhere to stringent quality assurance standards,\u201d Briggs clarifies.<\/p>\n

She adds, \u201cA collaboration between RESNET and the Appraisal Institute, AI professionals and trained green appraisers can access, for free, an appraisal portal, with important information about the energy efficiency of more than 2.8 million HERS-rated homes in the US.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/a> Source: (Krysten Brown \/ Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What do raters look for when indexing a home?<\/h2>\n

Because the HERS Index score tells buyers how energy efficient the home is, the rater will look at features that ultimately affect the utility bills. These areas include:<\/p>\n