Courtesy of Hanley Wood
Q. As a real estate agent, I have clients who ask about the energy efficiency of the homes I show them. What energy-related questions should I help my clients consider before they purchase a home?
A. It’s great that you want to help inform your clients. Many homebuyers do not consider energy costs (such as electricity, gas and propane), which are significant expenses for any home. The average home costs approximately $2,000 in energy expenses per year.
The kind of new home your clients want to buy can affect energy performance. For example, the home’s size is one of the most important factors that will determine energy costs. As square footage increases, so do lighting requirements and, more importantly, the burden on heating and cooling equipment.
In general, newer homes have better energy performance, thanks to advances in building codes, but buying a new home does not guarantee efficiency. Building codes are not always enforced, and a minimum-code home is not nearly as efficient as homes built to a higher standard. If energy efficiency or green features are high priorities for your clients, look for homes that have Energy Star, Built Green or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications.
Newer manufactured homes are typically much more efficient than older manufactured homes but do not have to meet the same energy-code requirements of site-built homes. Residents of manufactured homes spend about 70 percent more on energy per square foot of living space as residents of site-built homes. If your clients are considering a manufactured home, those built after 1994 or that have an Energy Star label have superior energy performance.
Once your clients are interested in a specific home, find out how the energy performance of that home compares to similar homes. You may request electricity, natural gas or propane bills from the sellers, so your clients can estimate how much it will cost to heat and cool the home. But this is not a precise measure of home energy performance. The Home Energy Rating System Index (resnet.us/hers-index) is a home-rating system that allows consumers to comparison shop based on energy performance, similar to the way they can compare miles per gallon for cars. A certified RESNET home energy rater will need to inspect the home to develop a HERS rating. This can be done during the inspection process, or you may request a HERS rating from the seller.
Energy features such as windows and lighting fixtures have a strong impact on the aesthetics of the home. But it’s the hidden systems, like appliances, that have the most impact on energy performance. Heating and cooling systems consume about half of a home’s energy use and are costly to replace. Homebuyers should ask:
- How old is the home’s heating system? If it’s more than 10 years old, it may need replacing in the near term.
- What is the seasonal energy efficiency rating (SEER)? Find out the SEER for the home’s air-conditioning system. If it’s less than 8, the homebuyer will likely want to replace it.
A home’s building envelope insulates the home’s interior from the outdoor environment and includes features like doors, walls and roof. If the quality of the building envelope is compromised, it can contribute to higher heating and cooling costs. R-value is the thermal-resistance measurement used for insulation, indicating its resistance to heat flow. Learning the recommended R-value for homes in your region will help you assess the quality of a home’s building envelope.
Send questions to Energy Q&A, South Carolina Living, 808 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce, SC 29033, email energyqa@scliving.coop or fax (803) 739-3041.