When buyers tour a home, they notice the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the yard. What many of them are starting to pay attention to is something less visible but increasingly important: how much it costs to keep the lights on, the house warm, and the bills under control. A Home Energy Score gives buyers and owners a standardized way to measure exactly that, and its influence on property value is growing in many markets across the country.

Understanding what a Home Energy Score is, how it is calculated, and what it means for your home’s worth is useful knowledge for any homeowner thinking about resale or refinancing.

What a Home Energy Score Is

The Home Energy Score is a rating system developed by the US Department of Energy (DOE). It rates a home on a scale of one to ten based on its energy efficiency. A score of ten indicates a highly efficient home with low predicted energy costs. A score of one indicates a home with significant room for improvement. The score is generated by a qualified assessor who collects information about the home’s structure, insulation, windows, heating and cooling systems, and water heating equipment.

Unlike an energy audit, which focuses on detailed findings and recommendations, a Home Energy Score is designed to be simple, consistent, and easy to compare across different homes and markets.

How It Is Calculated

The assessor inputs data about your home into the DOE’s standardized scoring tool. The tool uses that data to estimate the home’s annual energy use and translates it into the one-to-ten score. The score reflects the home as it is, not how it is operated by the current occupants. Two identical homes in the same neighborhood receive the same score regardless of whether one family runs the heat at seventy-two degrees and the other keeps it at sixty-eight.

This standardization is what makes the score useful as a comparison tool. It reflects the physical characteristics of the structure, not the habits of the people living in it.

The Connection to Property Value

Research on the relationship between energy efficiency and home value has been growing. A widely cited study published by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that homes with energy efficiency certifications sold for a premium compared to non-certified homes in the same market. The premium varied by region and certification type, but the pattern of buyers paying more for homes with lower operating costs has appeared consistently across multiple studies.

Buyers are increasingly aware of the relationship between a home’s physical characteristics and their monthly expenses. A home with a high energy score communicates lower utility costs, fewer deferred maintenance issues, and a more comfortable living environment. Those are factors that influence offers.

What a Low Score Means for Sellers

A low Home Energy Score does not prevent a home from selling, but it does give informed buyers a negotiating point. In competitive markets, a home with a score of three or four competing against a similar home with a score of seven gives buyers a reason to offer less or ask for concessions toward future efficiency improvements.

Sellers who address the issues identified in the score assessment before listing give themselves a stronger negotiating position and potentially a higher sale price. The improvements with the most impact on the score are typically those that also have the most impact on actual energy costs: attic insulation, air sealing, and HVAC upgrades.

How to Get Your Home Scored

Finding a qualified Home Energy Score assessor starts at the DOE’s website, which maintains a locator tool for certified assessors. The assessment typically takes one to two hours and costs between one hundred fifty and three hundred dollars depending on the location and assessor. The report you receive includes the score, an estimate of current annual energy costs, and a list of recommended improvements with their projected impact on the score and costs.

Whether you are planning to sell, refinance, or simply understand your home better, a Home Energy Score gives you a concrete, data-backed picture of where your home stands and what improvements will make the most difference.