What is a HERS Rating?

Many of Elysian Energy’s energy auditor are certified HERS Raters, meaning they are certified to assess your home’s energy efficiency and give it a relative score, or Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index Score. This information can be valuable for homebuyers, sellers, and homeowners, and the HERS Rating can be performed on existing and new homes.

In addition to taking measurements and looking at windows, insulation, attics, etc., the assessment of your home consists of diagnostic tests, which may include a blower door test, duct leakage test, and combustion analysis.

With this information, a HERS Index Score is calculated and used to compare to a “reference home” which is similar to your home in type and size. The lower your score, the more energy efficient; a score of 100 means your home is at the same energy efficiency level of a standard new home, meeting current standards. Likewise, a home with a HERS Index Score of 70 performs 30% better in terms of energy efficiency, while a score of 130 is 30% less energy efficient than a standard new home. Some homes have a HERS Index score of 0; these homes are net zero energy homes, and they produce as much (or more) energy than they consume.

As a homeowner, the benefits of HERS rating include:

– Providing you with an accurate idea of how much your home is really costing you

– Providing you with strategies to cut your energy costs

– Potentially adding to your homes resale value

The HERS Index is nationally recognized and provides information on how efficiently your home operates and where modifications can be made for greater energy savings and efficiency.