Portland Home Energy Score

The city of Portland started a home energy score policy in 2018 that requires the majority of homes for sale on the Portland real estate market to obtain an energy score from 1 to 10 prior to listing the home for sale on the public market. This policy has since been adopted by the city of Milwaukie and the city of Hillsboro.

Preferred Home Energy Score Company
Out of concern for the new policy, Stephen FitzMaurice started a separate local home energy score company to better serve his clients in their home selling process. His home energy score company quickly became one of the top score providers in the Portland metro. Visit OrderHomeEnergyScore.com llc today for current rates and services.

If you’re thinking of selling your home in the next twelve months, Stephen would love to tour your home. Call today to set an appointment.

Stephen FitzMaurice, Realtor
4% Max. to Sell a Home
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Licensed Since 2003
503-714-1111

Portland Home Energy Score – Required for All Rentals? 2023 Update.

February 10, 2023

The city of Portland’s Home Energy Score (HES) program has been in effect for five years now, and since its inception in January of 2018, almost 35,000 HES assessments have been performed (as of November 2022). A key driver in its creation was the 2015 Climate Action Plan, in which the Portland City Council identified actions to support the goal of reducing CO2 emissions 80% by the year 2050. One of those was the implementation of a home energy scoring program, and Portland became the first city in Oregon and only the second in the country (after Berkley, CA) to establish one. Let’s take a look at how the HES program has grown over the past five years. Portland Home...

Oregon Home Energy Score Policy 2022 Update

June 29, 2022

The City of Portland enacted the Home Energy Score (HES) Program in January, 2018 and saw 20,000 HES assessments completed by 2020, the most recent numbers to date. Portland was the first in the state and the second in the country (after Berkley, CA) to unveil a home energy program of this type. The program came about from an earnest City of Portland goal to significantly lower carbon emissions (by 80%) by 2050. In 2019, the Oregon Department of Energy (ODE) partnered with Earth Advantage, a green home certification program, to assist with the implementation of Oregon HES programs and share U.S. DOE best practices. Now, both Milwaukie (as of October, 2020) and Hillsboro (as of September 2021) have followed suit,...

Portland Home Energy Score: 2022 Update (How is it Going?)

January 3, 2022

Committed to reducing carbon emissions in Portland 80% by the year 2050, the City of Portland instituted the Home Energy Score (HES) program in January, 2018. Since then, Portland home sellers had completed 20,000 HES assessments at the time of the last Portland City Council Report. The report also disclosed that, residential buildings are responsible for 18% of carbon emissions within Multnomah County. Considering that about 160,000 of these are single-family homes in Portland with more than three-quarters of them are owner-occupied, it’s easy to see what a positive impact implementing these assessments can make. Portland Setting the Trend for Home Energy Scores Portland was the first city in Oregon to require Home energy score assessments for all homes on...

Home Energy Score: Expanding beyond Portland in 2021

January 18, 2021

In 2018, the City of Portland began requiring that home sellers obtain a Home Energy Score Report before listing a home for sale in the city. This report, much like a miles-per-gallon rating on a car, allows home buyers to compare homes by energy efficiency.  As Portland home sellers gradually began scoring the city’s housing stock, buyers became accustomed to seeing the information included with the listing details for a home. Milwaukie created a similar Home Energy Score requirement in 2020, other cities across the state have begun considering making the Score mandatory in their jurisdictions, as well. Given that most of the housing stock in the region is older, with many homes in dire need of energy upgrades, the...

2 out of 3 Home Buyers check the Home Energy Score

December 7, 2020

Portland has a unique law that requires home sellers to obtain a Home Energy Score Report before listing their home for sale on the MLS. It allows home buyers to compare energy efficiency when shopping for homes. Each home receives a score between 1-10, with 10 being the most efficient. Read more about the program here. This law has recently expanded to Milwaukie, Oregon, and is poised to start in more cities around the state. The year 2021 will mark the three year anniversary of the Home Energy Score requirement. Let’s take a look at how things are going, whether home shoppers are actually using the Score, and whether the requirement has had any negative impacts on home sellers.  Do...

Portland Home Energy Score Update: 2020

January 17, 2020

When the calendar turned over to the new year, Portland’s Home Energy Score program celebrated its second birthday.  What’s new in the world of Home Energy Scores since they were implemented? To start with, Portland is seeing increased participation in the program, with nearly 13,000 homes scored. The average score, at 4.7/10, continues to be a little bit lower than expected. Also, the City of Portland is cracking down on home sellers (dishing out $ fines) who don’t comply with the rules. 2020 Home Energy Scores in Portland If you’re considering selling a home in Portland and have already talked to a real estate agent, you might already be aware that you need a Home Energy Score before the listing...

Portland Home Sellers’ Guide: To Fix or Not to Fix?

July 16, 2018

If you’re planning on putting your home on the Portland market before the Portland real estate summer market is over, you may be looking around wondering, “What do I need to upgrade, repair or fix?” For most sellers, home repairs fall into three main categories: Getting the home into a condition that the home appraiser will approve of, making capital improvements that might increase its market value, and doing additional repairs requested by the buyer after an offer is accepted. How to Prepare for a Portland Home Appraisal According to the 2017 National Association of Realtors’ Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 88% of buyers use some kind of institutional financing for their home purchase. That means there will be...

City of Portland Home Energy Score – 2018 Update

January 22, 2018

As you may have heard by now, the city of Portland home energy score requirement is in full effect. Well, how is it going? Energy Scores Are Coming In Low The way the city of Portland home energy score – scoring – is supposed to work is a “5” scored home is average, a “10” is in the top 10% of homes in energy efficiency, and a “1” is in the bottom 10% of energy efficiency. So far, this does not seem to be the case. In an article written by Gary F. Kristensen at A Quality Measurement, he analyzed the first 100 Portland energy scores and found that the Portland energy score average is 4.67. He also noted what...

Home Energy Score Portland 2018 – Must Know Guide

September 25, 2017

The final rules have been adopted for the 2018 Portland mandatory Home Energy Score. If anyone (see the few exceptions below) wants to sell their home in the Portland real estate market in 2018 and beyond, they will have to pay for a home energy score before they advertise their home for sale, if their home falls within the City of Portland boundaries. Nine things you must know about the Home Energy Score 1. The Home Energy Score must and can only be performed by a state licensed “Home Energy Assessor.” 2. Home Energy Scores are good for two years after completed. After two years another Home Energy Score must be obtained. 3. You can void your Home Energy Score...

Want to Sell Your Home? New Mandatory Fee. Portland, 2018.

May 8, 2017

This could be the biggest news of the decade for the Portland Real Estate market. Portland is in the process of adopting new rules about home energy scores (already approved, already passed) which will go into effect January 1, 2018. After that date, the vast majority of homes being sold on the Portland real estate market (if their home falls within the City of Portland boundaries) will be required to receive a Home Energy Score, separate from a home inspection, which gives a rating for how well the home performs in energy efficiency. The seller will have to pay for this before they can sell their home (or even advertise it for sale), a mandatory fee, whether or not the...