ANYONE who buys a new refrigerator or car can check out a label estimating the new item's energy use. Since a home is often the largest purchase consumers make and a major user of energy, why shouldn't a shopper have access to the same information?
A provision in the energy bill now pending in the Legislature would ensure that consumers would have access to a thorough energy audit, complete with a standardized scoring system, to allow comparison with other houses. The bill does not require sellers to make any upgrades; it simply guarantees that the question of a house's total energy budget will not be glossed over while buyers focus on granite countertops or cherry floors.
The Massachusetts Association of Realtors opposes the provision, arguing that the inspections could cost anywhere from $150 to $300 for a statewide total of about $15 million a year. The association raises a valid issue: Would-be homebuyers already have the right to include in their pre-purchase inspection a home's energy systems - from heating to hot water to air-conditioning. "The issue really is what's important to the buyer," says the association's Steve Ryan.
But at a time when the country is concerned about climate change and society's dependence on oil, a required home energy audit and scoring system provide a reminder that energy consumption matters to the nation as a whole, not just to an individual buyer. The bill would require the board of registration for professional home inspectors to draw up regulations for the program after consulting with the state Board of Building Regulations and Standards, the Division of Energy Resources, and the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council. The bill gives inspectors the right to require utilities or heating oil distributors to hand over billing information if sellers cannot or refuse to provide it. It would apply to all single-family homes and multifamily residences of fewer than five units.
The bill leaves open the question of whether the cost of the inspection would be borne by buyers or sellers. Presumably, a seller would gain a market advantage by having an inspection done and score established before putting a house on the market, saving any would-be buyers from having to bear the cost themselves (although the amount would likely be reflected in the asking price). Sellers could use a favorable score in marketing their house. Even better, sellers could learn from the inspection of flaws in the house's insulation, windows, or energy systems that they could then correct before putting the house on the market.
While California recently passed a law requiring disclosure of energy use to potential buyers of commercial buildings, Massachusetts would be the first state to require this for residential buildings. It is a climate change antidote worth trying.
