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EnergySmart Home Scale (E-Scale)

Understanding Your Home's Energy Performance with the EnergySmart Home Scale (E-Scale)

The E-Scale is an easy-to-understand metric that helps homebuyers and homeowners evaluate how many "miles per gallon" their homes get - helping them to make smart energy decisions when purchasing or updating a home. It is designed to provide clear, objective answers to basic questions:

  • How much energy does this home consume?
  • How does it compare to a code home?
  • How close is it to the "ultimate" - a net zero energy home?

Illustration showing the EnergySmart Home Scale, which is a horizontal bar with a rating of 150 on the left to represent poor energy performance, and 0 on the right to represent best energy performance. The color fades from red on the left to orange to yellow to green on the right. Several typical ratings are shown along the scale, with a typical existing home at 130 in the red, a typical new home at 100 in orange, a Builders Challenge home at 70 or lower in yellow, and a net zero energy home at 0 in green. Spaces are included for users to record the estimated annual energy cost and the estimated annual energy use. An example labeled 'Your Home' is shown to have a rating of 65. The DOE and Building America logos are displayed on the bottom of the graphic.

The E-Scale is placed by participating builders on the power panels of homes that meet the Builders Challenge goal of a 70 or better on the E-Scale, showing energy performance achieved for each individual home or model. Participating builders and partner organizations may also:

  • Augment the rating with estimates of annual energy dollar savings - which can help homebuyers get better mortgage terms
  • Include estimates of carbon dioxide reductions associated with the energy savings. The Builders Challenge is in the process of developing a carbon footprint metric to add to the label.

The E-Scale is based on the well-established Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index, developed by RESNET, the Residential Energy Services Network. For more information on the technical rating system behind the E-Scale, visit the Residential Energy Services Network.