Voluntary Home Energy Score Services

Heating and cooling homes can be costly. 

With so much information out there about home energy, though,  understanding what you can do to reduce your energy use and save money can be confusing.


Assessing your home's energy with a Home Energy Score (HES) can give you the information you need to save money, help our climate and maybe even increase the value of your home. It can also give homebuyers valuable information they need to make informed decisions about their purchase.


Scroll down to learn more about Eugene's voluntary Home Energy Score program.

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What is a Home Energy Score?

A Home Energy Score (HES) is a value given to a home by a certified contracted inspector that estimates the energy-related use, associated costs, and cost effective solutions to improve the home’s efficiency. This score is evaluative to other scores of homes nationwide.  Here in Oregon, the Department of Energy has set up a statewide home energy scoring system. Home Energy Scores are also used during a home’s sales process to provide important cost and comfort information to all parties, but can also be useful for current residents.

Additional resources

Below is a list of resources to learn more about home energy in Oregon.


Eugene's Voluntary Home Energy Score Program

To assist residents with understanding their home's energy use, the City of Eugene in fulfillment of Action B4 of Eugene's Climate Action Plan 2.0, has partnered with the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) to provide a voluntary Home Energy Score service for area residents. Analysis indicates that such a program for homes and businesses could result in a major decrease of greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2030.


Making sure Oregon communities have access to such a program, ODOE has developed a standard home energy scoring system to illustrate a home's energy efficiency and energy use. They have partnered with Earth Advantage to implement the statewide program. Requirements for the residential and commercial energy scores are established through Oregon Administrative Rules. The rules also establish training requirements for licensed home energy assessors and define requirements for score systems.


To learn more about ODOE's initiatives to support Oregonians through Home Energy Scores, see Additional Resources on this page.

Home Energy Scores and Eugene's Climate Goals

Our Earth is warming at an alarming rate, and we need to change our habits urgently to avoid lasting impacts to our way of life. Greenhouse gases are those which in too high a quantity, harm our atmosphere allowing the Earth to warm too quickly, impacting normal weather patterns. While changes in weather patterns do occur naturally, science shows that human contributions to greenhouses gas emissions are speeding up these changes in a way that our natural and built environments are not equipped to handle. Luckily, we know the science behind why this is happening and there are easy steps we can take now to slow these changes. 


First, to help us understand Eugene's contribution to these emissions, the City of Eugene measures our community's emissions every other year to see trends in how our choices in building energy, transportation, food waste and other areas add to this growing problem.


Building energy includes how we cool and heat our homes using natural gas and electricity. Trends in our data suggest that  greenhouse gas emissions from these areas  account for over a third of Eugene's total greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing our energy use inside our homes is critical to slowing climate change. By  assisting residents in understanding  how to reduce  their home's energy use, we hope to help our community as we all work towards a sustainable future.

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How do I schedule my HES Inspection?

Scheduling your Home Energy Score assessment is quick and easy, and provides valuable information for homebuyers and residents alike.

  1. Fee based 
  2. Renter and Low income eweb customer

Fee-based assessments

If you are ready to schedule your inspection today, please visit Earth Advantage's list of certified inspectors. These energy assessors have been certified by the state of Oregon to deliver home energy assessments and produce the Oregon Home Energy label for homes located outside of the City of Portland.  The average cost of an assessment is $125.  

 

These certified assessors automatically generate a report for each home that goes to the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE). These reports automatically populate on the Green Building Registry.  Because HES is not mandated in Eugene, homeowners can choose to not have their information publicly searchable.  

Contact Us

  1. Office of Sustainability

     99 W. 10th Avenue, Suite 370

    Eugene, OR 97401

    Ph: 541-682-8421


    Email