With less than a month left of the legislative session, environmental advocates have gained some ground this legislative session, however, Energy Labeling has not made it into a bill yet. If:

• You’re passionate about the environment & energy efficiency
• You think your energy costs are too high

Read on to find out why SB-6925, and more broadly, the Connecticut Home Energy Label, might be just what you need:  

What’s an Energy Label? 

Energy Labeling is the process of connecting a building with an energy efficiency score and sharing that score with new buyers and renters. Several states have already adapted the practice, most notably: 

• Oregon: In Oregon, residential and commercial building owners voluntarily can receive a “Building Energy Performance Score”. The report offers low-cost repairs to achieve energy savings.   

• Vermont: In Vermont, single and multi-family residences can volunteer to receive a “Home Energy Profile”. The report clarifies any pre-existing energy-improvements, and opportunities for further energy efficiency– as well as potential savings.

Energy Labeling enhances consumer protection and incentivizes energy efficiency improvements. Home Energy Labeling is a powerful tool to help CT residents make informed decisions about where to live, and how to save money on energy bills – which has gotten a lot of attention this session. 

What does SB-6925 say? 

SB-6925 tasks the Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection with creating a Home Energy Label that consolidates nationally recognized ratings like the US Department of Energy Home Energy Score, HERS, and Energy Star into one resource, considering cost-effectiveness, ease of implementation, standardization, and accuracy to do so. 

View an example of a Home Energy Label here: 

View More Here

Municipalities would choose to require Home labels at time of sale or renting. Across all municipalities, residences constructed on or after Jan 1st, 2000 would be exempt from the requirement. 

Prior to implementation of the Commissioner’s Home Energy Label, SB-6925 requires an opportunity for public comment. 

Mythbusting: 

• Would an energy score change dramatically from tenant to tenant? Most of the consolidated measurements in a Home Energy Label are asset-based, not one that accounts for behavioral preferences of an occupant, like thermostat settings. 

• What would the impact of energy labeling be on real estate? According to NEEP’s video resource, “Benefits of Home Energy Labeling”, homes that disclose energy data typically sell for more, and faster, than homes that don’t. Also, Home Energy Labeling requirements can incentivize property owners to maximize a dwelling’s energy efficiency to compete with other homes on the market. Critically, across states that have adopted Energy Labeling, negative impacts of cost and time of real estate transactions have not been observed. Check out this resource straight from Real Estate Agents in Portland, Oregon to learn more.  

What can you do? 

If you’d like to support an Energy Labeling initiative in Connecticut this legislative session, urge your legislator to include the Connecticut Home Energy Label in SB-4, the omnibus climate resilience bill. 

To do so, copy this template and send it to your representatives, whose contact information you can find here.

Connect With Us

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can hear more from us by: 

• Join our Upcoming Advocacy & Equity Community Meeting:  Our next meeting is May 9th from 3:30-4:30. Use this link to join. Or email Kate Klein to be included on our email list.