Home Energy Scores now available – village14.com

I am a student at Newton North and I’ve been volunteering with members of the Newton Citizens’ Commission on Energy. On behalf of the group, I would like to highlight one of Mayor Fuller’s recent updates (below), which explains that Home Energy Rating Scores (HERS) are available for houses built within the last 10 years, and links an online resource for looking at these ratings across Newton.

This is a great way for homeowners to better understand the energy efficiency of their homes and the homes around them.  I would encourage everyone to check it out. While most homes in Newton do not have a HER score yet, this is still a great way to learn more about what home energy efficiency means and how you can make a difference.

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Energy Efficiency Ratings for New Homes

Did you know that new homes built in Newton get an energy rating score?

Since 2010, when the state designated Newton as a Green Community, all new residential construction projects and major renovations have been required to obtain a Home Energy Rating Score, known as a HERS rating. More importantly, these projects had to be built to not exceed a HERS of 55 (the smaller the number the more energy efficient the house). These HERS ratings are now posted as part of the Assessor’s property information

With HERS scores easily accessible, home owners and potential home buyers can be better informed about the energy efficiency of properties. While the energy efficiency of new construction has been improving for decades, many older homes in Newton, especially those built before the 1970s, are rather leaky and inefficient, with HERS ratings often exceeding 150. Such homes might greatly benefit from energy efficiency upgrades available through the highly subsidized Mass Save program. At the other end of the spectrum, extremely energy efficient homes have HERS scores at or below 25.

Thanks go to the Newton Sustainability Office and the Newton Citizens Commissionon Energy for the posting of HERS scores.

Want to find the scores? On the Assessor’s Database, properties with HERS scores may be viewed in two ways:

• Follow this link and enter the address for which you would like to search. You can also move around the map, zoom in and out, and see the HERS scores of nearby homes.
• Alternatively, go to the Assessor’s Database from the City of Newton Website:Enter the property’s address in the Search box; The panel on the left lists the features of the property. Scroll all the way down to find the HERS rating.

Remember, most homes do not have a HERS score yet, only those that are new or are major renovations in the last decade. (P  

Original Source: https://village14.com/2020/10/31/home-energy-scores-now-available/