By Alan Torres
Eugene Register-Guard / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Eugene City Council has advanced a measure that would require people selling homes in Eugene to disclose the home’s Home Energy Score to prospective buyers.

City staff, recommending councilors pursue the requirement, said in surveying Eugene residents, people wanted more guidance on how to improve their home’s energy efficiency and passing the requirement would do that.

“It would expand access to information about energy usage, energy improvements and available incentives,” said Danielle Klinkebiel, Eugene climate policy analyst.

A Home Energy Score is a standardized measurement of a home’s energy efficiency. A Home Energy Score report includes a home’s estimated energy costs, recommended improvements, and available rebates. Klinkebiel said this assessment costs $150 to $250 and examines the home’s insulation, air sealing, heating, cooling, windows, doors and water heating.

Under the proposal, people selling homes in Eugene would be required to include a Home Energy Score and Report in the real estate listing and home showing. Eugene would be the fifth Oregon city to adopt such a requirement.

City staff said they had researched Home Energy Score requirements in other cities, and found implementing them didn’t have an impact on housing supply. But staff recommended the city create a program to train energy assessors to ensure there are enough of them to meet the demand generated by the requirement.

Councilors unanimously voted to advance the proposal to a public hearing. Because of City Council’s upcoming summer recess, the earliest this could occur would be Sept. 21.

Councilors expressed a range of enthusiasm and skepticism of the proposal.

Supportive councilors said the requirement would provide more information to home buyers and help people make the homes in Eugene more energy efficient.

Critical councilors said it would likely be redundant with expected federal regulation and worried about the home inspections being inaccurate and sellers passing along the cost of the inspection to buyers.

Other Oregon cities requiring the disclosure are Portland, Milwaukie, Hillsboro and Bend.

Celeste Schmorde, president of Eugene Realtors, shared mixed thoughts on the requirement.

Schmorde said earlier in the process the Realtors had weighed in with concerns that the energy score may not accurately reflect the value or livability of older homes, and questioned the theory the requirement would encourage homeowners to make energy improvements.

But Schmorde also said the organization supports “transparency around a home’s expected utility costs and operating expenses,” and that at this point Eugene Realtors has switched from debating the policy to “helping buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals understand any new requirements so they can navigate them successfully.”

Meredith Tufts, coalition coordinator for Fossil Free Eugene, celebrated the vote. She called the proposed requirement “a common sense measure that will help to ensure prospective home buyers have the knowledge they need to make informed purchases.”

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