Editorial: Should Bend require home energy scores when a home is sold? – The Bulletin

What the city might do is require that a home energy score be included when a house is put up for sale. A city subcommittee explored on Tuesday some of the benefits and challenges with input from Lindsey Hardy of the Bend Environmental Center. The subcommittee does plan to gather feedback from other perspectives, as well.

Voluntary or mandatory? Hardy clearly preferred that the city would require the score — or there would not be much participation. You could argue there already is a voluntary program. Anyone who wants it could do it now.

What level of enforcement? When Portland implemented its program, it didn’t immediately enforce it. But it had about 65% percent compliance even without enforcement. That might be something Bend should do, if it moves forward with a score requirement. A gradual implementation would give more time to ensure people understand it and that there are enough providers to offer the service.

How about time and cost? Finding someone qualified to do the work in Bend could be a challenge, initially. Bend might need 10 assessors to handle the volume of home sales, Hardy said. Bend has about two ready now, she said. Turnaround time for a score could be as quick as a day, if an assessor is available. The cost of an assessment might be $125.

What new staff or resources would be necessary for the city? This would be a new program. The city would have to figure out what staff and software would be necessary. What would be that cost? Where would it come from? Would a fee be added to each home energy score assessment to pay for the city’s program?

One issue that was not discussed in much detail was equity. If Bend has a program, everyone buying a home — rich or poor — will have the score information. But it takes money to make changes to improve energy efficiency. People with money will have the ability to lower the score on their home and more freedom to choose homes with lower scores. Bend could create a revolving loan fund based on income to supplement other programs to help lower-income people improve their home energy scores. Where, though, would that money come from? A fee on home energy assessments?

How effective would the program be? If the goal is to encourage more energy efficiency and greener homes would this work? Perhaps, over time. Hardy didn’t claim a home energy score would create an immediate revolution in greener homes in Bend. It would, though, grease that path. Typically a score report includes information about what options are out there to improve the score. Of course, people do still buy gas guzzlers, even though they can read the miles per gallon. And people don’t always make the healthiest food choices, despite nutrition labels. A home energy score was never going to be the one answer to the desire to encourage energy efficiency and greener homes.

You can email the members of Bend’s Environment and Climate Committee with your thoughts or questions about this issue at